All-electric Nissan Ariya has plenty to offer SUV-loving Aussies, including style, a classy cabin and refined drive
The all-new Nissan Ariya is the car that will finally make Nissan EVs mainstream in 2022. Due for global release later this year, the mid-size electric SUV follows in the tyre tracks of two generations of LEAFs that attracted more than 577,000 buyers over 12 years. With more than 12 billion kilometres covered on real roads by real EV owners, Nissan says it's better placed than any other auto brand to know what we want from a battery-electric car. So, there's no excuses then if it doesn't measure up – especially since it follows on from the excellent and closely-related Renault Megane E-Tech, and is based on an all-new platform and powered by Nissan's latest EV powertrains. Shame then that the stylish new all-electric Nissan SUV isn't yet locked in for Australia, at least until politicians pull their finger out and form a clear, national EV policy to encourage the likes of Nissan to sell EVs here. Until then, read on to find out what we're missing.
Price and equipment
Since it’s not yet officially confirmed for Australia, we’ll have to use the fellow right-hand drive UK market as a loose guide to how the 2023 Nissan Ariya might be positioned if it ever ventures Down Under.
When the all-electric Nissan SUV touches down later this year in Europe, buyers will be offered four trim levels – Advance, Evolve, all-wheel drive Evolve e-4ORCE and the Evolve e-4ORCE Performance flagship.
The entry-level Advance comes with the smallest 63kWh battery and is priced from £41,845 ($A74,000 – before government incentives), which would make it a few grand pricier than EVs like the Hyundai IONIQ 5.
For that, the cheapest Ariya gets 19-inch wheels, synthetic leather seat trim, dual-zone climate-control with air purification, a heat pump, the car-maker’s ProPilot adaptive cruise control with lane-keep assist, rear-cross traffic and high-beam assist, among other semi-autonomous driving aids.
Inside, there are dual 12.3-inch screens that incorporate a 360-degree camera, wireless Apple Carplay, Android Auto (wired), wireless phone charging, plus additional front and rear Type-A and Type-C USB ports.
Even the base model offers charging up to 130kW, which is lower than some rivals like the Volkswagen ID.4 but Nissan says that instead of aiming for a high peak, the Ariya charges at the advertised rate, with a 10-80 per cent battery top-up claimed to take 30 minutes.
If you want the bigger 87kWh battery, that’s expected to be homologated to around 500km between top-ups. The Evolve trim costs £51,090 ($A90,500) and is the cheapest way of getting it.
The higher grade trim adds a full-length panoramic roof, a useful on-board 22kW AC charger and ventilated, heated and cooled synthetic-leather and faux-suede trimmed seats, plus a 10-speaker premium sound system and a clever key that remembers your seat and steering wheel position.
All-wheel drive versions are priced from £53,790 ($A96,000) and ramp up power while adding some badging and dark chrome.
Finally, the fastest Evolve e-4ORCE Performance variant costs £58,440 ($A104,000) and throws in 20-inch aero wheels and nappa leather seats.
It’s thought that the Nissan Ariya will need to be serviced every year or 30,000km, whichever comes first.
If it were to come here, the all-electric SUV would be covered by Nissan Australia’s five-year, unlimited kilometre factory warranty, plus an eight-year powertrain warranty.
Powertrain and performance
The 2023 Nissan Ariya is the first Nissan EV to be based on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance’s all-new dedicated CMF-EV architecture.
That means it shares much beneath its skin with the Megane E-Tech we recently drove, although there are some subtle differences.
The first is the Ariya is a much bigger car, measuring in at 4595mm long (+396mm), 1850mm wide (+67mm) and 1655mm tall (+150mm).
This means it’s a heavier car. Nissan hasn’t officially confirmed weights yet but says that, depending on model, the lightest Ariya tips the scale at 1900kg while a fully equipped dual-motor model weighs a hefty 2200kg.
Like the Megane E-Tech, the Nissan Ariya benefits from electric motor technology that does without permanent magnets. Instead, the electrically excited synchronous motor is claimed to develop better power, doesn’t require rare earth metals and is claimed to be substantially more efficient at high-speed.
Four powertrains will be offered with the Ariya. A front-drive version that comes with either a 63kWh (usable) battery that’s combined with a 160kW/300Nm front-mounted motor, while the long-range version gets the bigger 87kWh battery that employs a fractionally punchier 178kW/300Nm motor.
With the smaller battery, the Ariya is claimed to sprint from 0-100km/h in just 7.5 seconds and top out at a limited 160km/h while being able to cover up to 403km (WLTP verified) between top-ups.
Despite offering more power, the weight of the long-range battery blunts performance with the 87kWh version taking 7.6sec for the 0-100km/h dash, but it should be able to cover up to 500km on a single charge.
The dual-motor Ariya, meanwhile, is available with either a 63kWh battery or the larger 87kWh lithium-ion cell.
The all-wheel drive Evolve e-4ORCE ‘s dual motors produce a combine 250kW and 560Nm of torque – enough for a brisk 5.4sec 0-100km/h time and a 200km/h top speed.
Finally, the range-topping Performance-branded Ariya AWD gets two motors that produce 290kW and 600Nm – enough to haul the Nissan SUV to 100km/h in just 5.1sec and the same limited 200km/h top speed.
Compared with the Tesla Model Y, which is yet to arrive in Australia, those figures appear competitive – at least in a straight line. The Long Range model can hit 100km/h in 5.0sec but has a much better 533km (WLTP) range compared to the all-wheel drive’s 460km (still to be WLTP certified).
The Tesla can also tow up to 1600kg – 100kg more than the Nissan.
Driving and comfort
Sadly, we only had the opportunity for the very briefest of drives in a late-stage pre-production 2023 Nissan Ariya on a dusty racetrack on the outskirts of Madrid.
What follows then is far from a definitive verdict on the all-electric Nissan SUV’s handling repertoire. What was valuable though was the fact our Nissan drive was after we sampled the closely related Renault Megane E-Tech.
Like its Gallic cousin, the motor, inverter and transmission, plus the radiators, cabin heating and air-con have all been placed under the front bonnet, benefitting interior space and allowing a reasonably large 466-litre boot (408L for the 4WD).
We drove the front-drive Ariya with the smallest 63kWh battery and after only a short time behind the wheel it feels like the entry-level Nissan EV has been set-up for comfort, rather than ultimate cornering prowess.
Tipping the Nissan into a corner, there was noticeably more body roll compared to the Megane E-Tech but the chassis also seems more responsive to throttle applications, helping to minimise the tendency for the nose to push on.
Engineers say that despite shoving the majority of the powertrain under the bonnet, front/rear weight distribution is actually still a decent 52/48 per cent, but to gift it more agility there’s a new multi-link rear suspension that’s also claimed to improve ride.
Ride quality, alas, is something we’re unable to judge because our drive was limited to a smooth test track.
Acceleration, meanwhile, feels brisk – but no more than that. Instead, while driving the Ariya you tend to focus on the incredible levels of refinement.
Our car had grumbly brakes and a soft brake pedal – evidence of its prior heavy track use – so we can’t make proper judgement on them yet.
Like the LEAF, a one-pedal driving mode is available but can be pretty horrid to use if you’re not acclimatised to it.
What is useful is a new Eco drive mode that kills the brake-regen and allows you to coast when lifting off the throttle, amplifying the smoothness.
Indeed, it’s when you’re not pushing on that you can begin to really appreciate the Nissan’s Ariya cabin, which really adds to the experience.
Not only is it whisper-quiet at highway speeds, but it’s big. Nissan claims it offers the interior space of models a class above, and the Ariya’s cabin is also minimalist but not sterile, with a dashboard devoid of buttons.
Mercifully, that doesn’t mean Nissan has thrown everything into the 12.3-inch infotainment system. Quite the opposite.
Instead of physical buttons there are delightful capacitive haptic switches dotted along and embedded within the wooden dash that vibrate when touched, mimicking a real switch’s actuation.
It sounds gimmicky but it works and appears to be the perfect antidote to other overcomplicated systems that require scrolling through sub-menus.
Editor’s opinion
It’s telling that after our brief drive in the 2023 Nissan Ariya we were left wanting more.
Offering an overt SUV design and more space than the equally-impressive Renault Megane E-Tech, while delivering a decent drive, the all-electric Nissan has everything a well-heeled, style-conscious urbanite could ever want or need from an EV.
In other words, unlike the early LEAFs, it’s an electric car you’ll want to drive, be seen in and don’t have to make excuses for.
Which makes it all the worse that Nissan is yet to lock in the Ariya for Australia.
While the LEAF helped buyers take their first tentative steps towards a zero-emission future, the Ariya is a car that will help cement EVs as the cars of the future.
How much does the 2023 Nissan Ariya 2WD 63kWh cost?Price: $74,000 (estimated)Available: TBCPowertrain: Electrically excited synchronous motorOutput: 160kW/300NmTransmission: Single-speed reduction gearBattery: 63.0kWh lithium-ionRange: 403km (WLTP)Energy consumption: TBC
Safety rating: Not tested
Keyword: Nissan Ariya 2023 Review