The all-electric Nissan Leaf has been around for 11 long years, and rumor has it that the next – third – generation will be available in an SUV body style in addition to the five-door hatchback available now. In the meantime, Japanese tune-up shop ESB has come up with its own take on the Leaf Crossover.
The most obvious change is the elevated ride height of 190 mm (7.4 inches), an improvement of 30 mm (1.2 inches) over the original. Large-diameter wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires help add a bit more clearance still. Installed on the display car shown in our gallery are CLS rims in General Grabber tires.
New body kit parts include plastic bumper accents, black wheel arch extenders, a front “skid plate” (irrelevant on an EV), and longer side skirts. The sum of the parts probably worsens the drag rather than reducing it, but most buyers shouldn’t mind.
Wrapping up the list is a roof-mounted expedition rack and a LED bar for nighttime driving. The interior and the powertrain remain as is.
Prices are, unexpectedly, rather low. The front bumper styling kit costs the equivalent of $281 USD before taxes and delivery, the skirts add $229, the suspension springs $281, and the wheels $668 for the entire set. The tires and the roof rack are not listed for some reason.