Nissan has revealed prices for the Nissan Ariya electric SUV – it starts from £42,000 for an entry-level Advance model and £59,000 for the all-wheel drive Performance.
Advance models have the least power and the shortest range of the lot – their 218PS and 63kWh battery equates to 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds and a 220-mile range. Standard kit includes huge infotainment screens and a 360-degree camera. You can also have a glass roof for an extra £1295.
While Avance models are front-wheel drive, Evolve models are available with front or all-wheel drive – they cost £51,000 or £54,000, respectively. The former has 242PS, gets from 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds and has a 310-mile range; the latter has 306PS, gets from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds and has a 285-mile range. Both use a 87kWh battery.
Evolve models feel noticeably posher inside thanks to a leather interior that includes heated/ventilated front seats. You also get a ten-speaker Bose stereo, keyless entry and a panoramic roof.
The £58,000, 394PS Performance model is all-wheel drive only. It gets from 0-62mph in 5.1 seconds and has a 248-mile range. It adds blue Nappa leather upholstery and 20-inch wheels in place of the 19s fitted to the rest of the range.
The Nissan Ariya looks like a futuristic Qashqai on the outside and it feels like that from the inside, too. Along with the customary massive infotainment screens, you get modern features like touch-sensitive buttons that are invisible until they illuminate from behind a piece of trim.
More revealing is the sense of space you get in the car. With no connection between the dashboard and the centre console between the front seats, the car feels very airy and there’s loads of room for your knees.
Back seat passengers benefit from the flat cabin floor which also helps make the car feel roomy and means that there’s more than enough space for three peoples’ feet. Nissan is claiming the Ariya has more back seat space than rivals such as the Audi Q4 e-tron and Ford Mustang Mach-E.
What’s probably more surprising is that Ariya has been designed to be great to drive. According to Nissan, it has quick and responsive steering and multi-link suspension that should help it feel planted in corners. Having the heavy batteries in the floor lowers the car’s centre of gravity and gives it a perfect 50:50 weight distribution.
Even the all-wheel-drive system – Nissan calls it e-4ORCE – has been dialled in to make the car feel very responsive, directing power exactly where it’s needed. The Nissan can even touch its rear brakes to stop the car from pitching and wallowing.
While it should be a dab hand on country roads, the Ariya will likely also be excellent in town, where its silent drivetrain will make it very relaxing to drive. With a single gear, it drives like an automatic and regenerative brakes – which slow the car automatically when you take your foot off the accelerator – mean you’ll rarely have to press the brake pedal.
We’ll have more information on the Nissan Ariya in the coming months.
