The Nissan Ariya arrives ready to compete among electric SUVs with a range of up to 533 km, abundant equipment and a very personal design. Nissan uses its experience in electric vehicles and crossovers to create its first 100% electric SUV.
The nissan ariya It is one of the most anticipated 100% electric SUVs in recent years. The expectation is logical because the starting theory seems promising to me. Nissan has been a leader in electric cars for many years thanks to the Leaf and also a leader in crossovers thanks to the Qashqai and the Juke. So the Japanese manufacturer should know how to create a magnificent electric crossover thanks to the experience in both fields.
To see how that presumption translates into practice, I had the opportunity to travel to Sweden to get behind the wheel of the Ariya in its international presentation. This new model is based on the new platform CMF-EV specific for electric vehicles and that will serve as the basis for 15 electric models by 2030 of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.
The first impression, logically, comes from the aesthetic point of view. It showcases a new design language that Nissan says represents his interpretation of Japanese futurism. An SUV with a sporty style due to its marked coupé character whose exterior dimensions are set at 4,595mm long, 1,850mm wide and 1,660mm high. By length it is located halfway between the Qashqai and the X-Trail.
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The huge smooth front grille in gloss black that integrates the new Nissan logo captures all eyes. In the vicinity of the slim LED headlights, the grille displays an intricate geometric ‘kumiko’ pattern inspired by a traditional Japanese technique used in woodworking. The alloy wheels of up to 19 inches or the elongated taillights joined together are other outstanding features.
To have a more dynamic image, Nissan has given the Ariya a soft slope of the roof towards the rear, which by the way allows a two-tone body option with a black roof. Smooth surfaces and flowing lines manage to establish a fantastic drag coefficient of 0.29showing that aesthetics also has a part of functionality.
The interior design has been completely transformed, also to bring a new style to Nissan in a minimalist tone. The simplification of lines creates a relaxed atmosphere with a horizontality that increases the feeling of spaciousness. I was pleasantly surprised that the quality of execution is very high both to sight and to touch.
The light accents shown on the doors and feet are striking inspired by japanese paper lanternsIt seemed really original to me. A nice touch for the cabin and different from the usual accent light lines that many other models have.
How is the interior of the Nissan Ariya?
The Japanese electric is marketed with two finishes: Advance and Evolve. Depending on the level, it is possible to enjoy elements such as a panoramic and practicable sunroof, a heated steering wheel, a 360º camera system, a Bose audio system with 10 speakers or a digital rear-view mirror through an integrated LCD screen.
In addition, the Nissan SUV has a dual-zone climate control with a heat pump. Climate controls have a “hidden” design which makes them almost invisible on the smooth surface of the dashboard. When the vehicle is operational, the icons light up and have haptic feedback to, in a way, convey the sensation of pressing a mechanical switch. In the center console there are also buttons integrated in the same way while the volume control of the audio equipment remains physical.
The front seats and can have heating, ventilation and electric adjustments and memory for both the driver and the passenger. At the top of the range, the seat upholstery is mixed, combining synthetic leather with a suede textile part.
They are comfortable seats for drivers of medium or short stature. However, even with the base in the lowest position, they remain in a riding position too high for tall people. As in my case, I had to adjust the seat to a less comfortable position than I wanted because, in addition, the lower part of the dashboard can leave little space for the knees.
In front is a digital instrument panel with 12.3-inch TFT screen that allows few personalization options of the information. In addition, the Evolve finish complements the driver information with a head-up display that displays the information on the windshield in a surface area equivalent to 10.8 inches.
The Japanese brand has equipped its new SUV with a NissanConnect multimedia system with 12.3-inch touchscreen, navigation, connectivity with Apple CarPlay (wireless) and Android Auto (wired) and remote software updates. The top of the range Evolve has a curious electric sliding center console. It has a longitudinal displacement of up to 15 cm and in its rearmost position it leaves space so that the occupant of the left front seat can move to the right and vice versa.
The rear seats are very spacious. leaving room for passengers up to 1.90 m tall without problems. The central position is quite comfortable and benefits from the completely flat floor. There are air vents, USB sockets, and the outboard seats are heated. Undoubtedly a model that can be used quietly as a family vehicle.
The electric tailgate has a hands-free function. Cargo capacity isn’t particularly great for an SUV of this size. The Ariya has a 468 liter trunk for front-wheel drive versions. The e-4ORCE variants reduce capacity to 415 liters due to the presence of the second engine under the floor. The volume can be increased by folding down the backrest of the rear seats in a 60:40 ratio.
As it cannot be otherwise in a model intended for electric mobility, the technical part is fundamental. In Europe it is marketed in three different versions: the Ariya 63 kWh as a variant of access, the Ariya 87 kWh that proposes the greatest electric autonomy and the variant with all-wheel drive Ariya 87 kWh e-4ORCE.
Therefore, the new Japanese SUV offers a lithium ion battery with two capacities. The simpler version has a useful capacity of 63 kWh (66 kWh gross) while the one with the highest performance reaches up to 87 kWh (91 kWh gross). For thermal management, they have an active liquid cooling and heating system for the battery.
The e-4ORCE technology adds a second electric motor that acts on the rear axle so that it works as an all-wheel drive system. Normally the system sends 100% of the torque to the front wheels but it can automatically allocate a part to the rear wheels, for example to counteract possible oversteer or understeer or improve traction on slippery surfaces. In this way, greater stability and precision in driving are achieved.
The Ariya 87 kWh e-4ORCE is not only the most performing version, but it may also be of interest to those who need to pull a trailer. The towing capacity of the all-wheel drive variant is 1,500 kg while the front-wheel drive versions only get half that.
Test Nissan Ariya 63 kWh 4×2 Evolve
During the launch event I had the opportunity to drive the Ariya 63 kWh, that is, the entry-level version of the Japanese electric car, with which I was able to obtain an average consumption of 13 kWh/100 km during the long journeys proposed by the organization of the event. It is a fabulous record but it is true that everything was in favor: an outside temperature of around 20º, very calm rhythms, moderate speeds and flat roads was the driving trend around Stockholm.
The recharging socket is on the right front wing. The single-phase on-board charger is 7.4 kW as standard and optionally for 1,000 euros it can be three-phase with a power of 22 kW. Also supports 130 kW fast charge (DC) using a CCS charging system which means that it is possible to increase autonomy by up to 350 km in just 30 minutes.
Driving is very pleasant and it turns out too quiet. It is quite agile for its size although the suspension has a firm setting that is noticeable on uneven asphalt. With 160 kW (218 hp) of power, it moves very well and the Eco, Sport and Snow driving modes are also proposed to adjust the dynamic behavior to the circumstances.
I missed cams to vary the retention level. Yes, the traditional B mode is available, which provides a greater intensity of regenerative braking and a e-Pedal system which allows driving with one foot in most circumstances. Just step on the accelerator to pick up speed or lift it to brake.
No less prominent is the driving assistance system ProPilot with Navi-link. This system adjusts the speed of traffic keeping a predefined safety distance from the vehicle in front, brings the car to a complete stop and automatically resumes driving in heavy traffic, keeps the trajectory centered in the lane and uses data from the navigation system to anticipate curves. and deceleration lanes.
The abundant safety equipment It also shows elements such as the intelligent emergency braking system with pedestrian, cyclist and intersection detection, intelligent blind spot control, forward collision warning, automatic reverse braking, intelligent fatigue detector or Intelligent lane change control.
The Nissan Ariya is for sale from 47,900 euros, a rate that can be lowered because it does not include possible discounts, promotions or the Moves Plan. Keep in mind that the Moves help is only available for the Ariya 63 kWh because the 87 kWh versions exceed the price range. In addition, the battery pack is guaranteed for 8 years or 160,000 km.