Nissan's Leaf electric car, otherwise known for being the world's first mass-produced, family-sized EV, was good enough to win the European Car of the Year title - but it's not without its flaws.
Despite being relatively affordable by electric car standards (costing the equivalent of R327 000) it's still a lot more expensive than a similarly-sized petrol or diesel car and it still only has a range of 160km. Then there's the issue of it having about as much sex appeal as a microwave.
However, those things are set to change when Nissan designs the next Leaf. According to Automotive News, the future model will address all of these issues, starting with a fresh new design that is more tailored to European tastes.
The publication, which got its information from Nissan's engineering vice president of Europe, also states that the new Leaf will be able to travel further on a charge.
Then there's the issue of pricing. While greater efficiency of scale will certainly help things, Nissan also plans to relieve it of the burdens of a strong Japanese Yen by also building the car in the UK.
This will reportedly cut its cost-to-build by up to a third, although most of the savings are only likely to be enjoyed by European markets.