THIS is what car development should be about.

Nissan was first to bring a fully-electric car to the masses. That brought both acclaim and pitfalls.

While the first generation Leaf was a decent car at the cutting edge of the market, it was relatively expensive, a bit funny looking and a bit nasty on the inside.

But the update improves what was already a good car in every way.

It looks a little less wacky (a good thing, in my view), its interior is vastly improved and, crucially, it’s cheaper.

A good few thousand pounds cheaper, in fact, with the range starting at £20,990, including the Government’s electric car grant.

That means that you’re not now paying so much of a premium for the electric technology for what is a decent-sized family hatchback, after all.

If you choose the battery leasing option – from £70 a month – then the cheapest Leaf is £15,990, up to £20,490. Now you’re talking.

There are now three trim levels – Visia, Acenta and Tekna.

I drove the top-spec Tekna, which gives you smart looking alloys on the outside and leather interior on the inside.

The interior is big improvement on the first-gen Leaf and now feels much higher quality.

You get plenty of bells and buttons, in particular Around View Monitor, which gives you a bird’s-eye view of the car thanks to clever cameras that help you see all of its surroundings on the monitor inside.

The drive is as excellent as it was on the first-gen – with no gearbox and electric power, torque is in abundance and you whizz away in a swift and silent manner.

If you enjoy speed and acceleration, the Leaf really won’t disappoint. In fact, with its stealthy quietness, your biggest worry is making sure you don’t stray over the speed limit before you realise it.

A new feature on the new version is B-mode, which activates regenerative braking when you decelerate to maximise energy recovery and put juice back in the batteries.

Eco mode is still there. It adds a few miles to your range but does noticeably dull the performance – I figure you only need to use it if you’re seriously worried about making your destination.

All of this adds up, however, to a significant improvement in range, up from roughly 100 miles to about 125.

A new charger also means that the Leaf can be topped up in just four hours at home.

Of course, whether or not a Leaf, or indeed an electric car in general, fits your life will depend on what type of driving you do. Infrastructure is still a problem if you want to do longer journeys, but if you can plan your trips then it is possible to use the Leaf for the longer-haul stuff.

If, like me, you live and work in Bournemouth and Poole, you’ll happily do a week’s commuting on a charge.

Electric cars aren’t quite there yet, but the second generation Leaf shows that they are making big strides in the right direction.

Find out more at westovergroup.co.uk/Nissan.