This Nissan Leaf NGR concept envisions a vehicle for youth in 2040

After garnering attention for their Suzuki Jimny Mountain God model, the group of students at the Nihon Automotive College (NATS) also got their fair share of attention for a Nissan Leaf NGR concept at the ongoing 2022 Tokyo Auto Salon. The heavily modified vehicle features a custom bodywork that was designed to envision the vehicle of “next-generation retrofuturism".

The concept vehicle envisions a vehicle for the young people of the 2040s and is described as the “EV generation". It has been based on the second-generation Nissan Leaf, which is one of the most popular and pioneer electric vehicles in Japan.

On the exterior, the visual modifications make the vehicle unrecognizable as no body panel has been left intact. The only exterior parts that have actually been carried over from the stock Leaf model are the greenhouse and the roof. The highlight of the NGR concept though are the cute-looking headlights that have been sourced from a first-generation MINI Countryman. Adding to the retro look are the taillights that have been borrowed from a facelifted Fiat 500.

In addition to these, the front end of the vehicle has been equipped with a custom bumper without any sort of air intakes. The fenders have been widened alongside the doors which seem to have no handles. They open with the touch of a button. At the rear, the Fiat-sourced taillights feature a chrome surround and a rear bumper sculpted like a diffuser.

However, the vehicle mostly looks bloated and like something right out of a science fiction movie. But the vehicle sources power from the same unit found in the stock Nissan Leaf - an electric motor producing 148 hp of power and 320 Nm of torque transmitted to the front axle. As for the battery, it likely comes with the base 40 kWh lithium-ion unit, producing a 270 km (170 mile) WLTP range.