Nissan has removed the wraps from its electric SUV, the Ariya, which comes with a range of up 310 miles and a 389bhp Performance model. According to Nissan the two-wheel drive and AWD crossover “marks a new chapter for Nissan electric vehicles.”
Set to go on sale early next year, the Ariya has not strayed far from the original concept version we saw at last year's Tokyo Motor Show, featuring a swooping coupé-style roofline and a dominant front grille hosting Nissan’s new logo. In the UK it will be available as either a rear wheel drive version or a twin motor four-wheel drive variant, and will come with varying power outputs starting at 215bhp and rising to 389bhp in the Performance model.
Power, range and 0-62mph times
In total there will be five variants of the Airya on sale in Europe, starting with the entry level 63kWh two-wheel drive model, aimed at those living in towns and cities, which offers a range of 223 miles per charge and a 0-62mph time of 7.5 seconds. Optioned with an 87kWh battery the range increases to 310 miles but the heavier battery nibbles the sprint time to 7.6 seconds.
With Nissan’s new e-4orce AWD system, which uses an electric motor on each axle, using the smaller battery the Ariya is capable of 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds and has a range of 211 miles, but when optioned with the bigger battery the range becomes 285 miles. The final version is the Performance model which has a 389bhp output and boxes off 0-63mph in 5.1 seconds and has a range of 248 miles.The 63kWh versions come with a 7.4kW home charger, while the 87kWh cars featuring a 22kW three-phase charger. There’s also the option of a 130kW rapid charger.
The Nissan e-4orce AWD system is billed as: “the spiritual offspring of the Nissan GT-R's ATTESA E-TS torque split system and the Nissan Patrol’s intelligent 4×4 system”. It offers regenerative braking technology and adds a Snow mode to the standard Eco, Standard Sport modes fond on the two-wheel drive variants. Nissan says it has the ability to learn the diver’s intended line of travel for better control and a smoother ride for passengers. Further enhancing handing, the underfloor battery has a 50:50 weight split over the front and rear axle.
Nissan Pro Pilot
The Ariya comes with the latest generation of Nissan’s Pro Pilot autonomous driving suite, already found on the new Nissan Leaf, which can manage the vehicle’s speed based on the road ahead using sat nav data, such as slowing down when it knows there is a sharp bend coming. It also helps keep the car centred in its lane and manages stop-start traffic autonomously.
Interior
Nissan describes the interior as “akin to a sleek cafe lounge on a starship” with a minimalist design and emphasis on space, with almost no physical buttons and a 12.3-inch infotainment system which meets a 12.3-inch digital driver display, plus a large head-up display. Haptic-feedback buttons are built into the dashboard for an entirely futuristic look and feel, while a storage box and foldout tray can be found under the instrument panel, which is intended to turn the cabin into a mobile office space.
Dimensions and luggage capacity
The Ariya is slightly longer and wider than the Nissan Qashqai, at 4.6 metres long and just over 1.8 metres wide. The two-wheel drive version has a healthy 466 litres of boot space, while the AWD model gets 408 litres, due to the bigger battery.
Price and release date
While no pricing has been announced yet, the Nissan Ariya will go on sale in the UK at the beginning of next year.
Keyword: New Nissan Ariya: electric SUV set for 2021 launch