Nissan

Ariya

The Nissan Ariya is a fully electrified, five-door SUV that is big on performance, practicality and appeal. It is competitively priced and there are choices between battery sizes, trim levels plus two or four-wheel drive.

The good

Design, pricing and performance

The bad

Some rivals charge faster

Tech Specs

Price from

£43,845

Combined Fuel up to

329 miles driving range

0-62 from

7.5 seconds

max speed up to

100mph

co2 from

0g/km

Test Drive

Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE Evolve Sport Pack (2023)

If you’re in the market for a high-end, fully electrified, family SUV then the Nissan Ariya should most definitely be on your wish list.

It may come as a bit of a surprise that this Nissan is making such an impact, but don’t forget Nissan has decades of experience in developing EVs with the Leaf seemingly launched shortly after the invention of the wheel.

And it is a company that has developed a globally-respected reputation for building outstanding SUVs too – the Qashqai is the perfect example of that.

Put that EV know-how and SUV experience together and the end result is the stunning Ariya.

This medium-sized, five-door SUV is available in trim levels called Advance or Evolve with the option of adding Nissan’s all-wheel drive set-up called e-4ORCE to the mix.

Customers also have a choice between a smaller 63kWh battery that offers a combined driving range of 250 miles between charges, or the larger 87kWh battery pack delivering 309 EV miles.

We opted for the range-topping Ariya Evolve model with the larger 87kWh battery pack and e-4ORCE all-wheel drive. The vehicle cost £58,590, although an additional Sport Pack bumped up the price by a further £1,995.

With instant acceleration, the Ariya is certainly quick off the mark and can power from 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds and then onto a top speed of 124mph.

With a commanding road presence, it is a larger-than-life vehicle that stretches 4.6 metres in length and it boasts plenty of attractive design cues. Eye-catching features include a large blanked off front grille, sloping roofline, electric panoramic sunroof, a rear roof spoiler, LED headlights with auto high beam assist, LED daytime running lights, LED tail lights, heated and folding mirrors, rear privacy glass, a shark fin antenna and 20-inch alloy wheels with aero covers.

Moving inside, it’s impossible not to be wowed by the minimalist interior with its upmarket, premium upholstery and wealth of on-board technology. This is the sort of refinement we would expect to find inside the premium big-hitters, and whilst this Nissan is not cheap, it is a huge step up in quality for the Japanese carmaker.

There are blue Nappa leather seats that are power-operated and can be heated or ventilated. The flat-bottomed steering wheel is also power-adjustable and can be warmed to fend off the winter chill and you are surrounded by the most elegant fixtures and fittings with blue suede-like coverings to the dashboard, doors and armrests, plus fluffy black carpet throughout.

The powered centre console can be moved back and forth at the press of a button to free up extra space in the back when required and it features haptic touch controls to access the likes of the drive modes, parking assist system and e-Pedal functions.

The main focal point within the cabin is the 12.3-inch navigation infotainment screen offering access to the sat nav, Bose sound system, media, Bluetooth, DAB radio, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone systems.

There is also a 12.3-inch driver information display that highlights all the vital data such as speed, charge levels and driving range. A head-up display shows your speed and speed limits directly in your eye-line and there is a clever virtual personal assistant to help with all manner of requests such as plotting navigation routes, making a phone call or finding a radio station.

For added convenience and to avoid driver distraction, the temperature controls are located in a separate panel and are touch-sensitive. These take a little getting used to initially as they are not as simple to operate as traditional dials.

Another feature inside this highly impressive car is the intelligent rearview mirror that offers a camera view of exactly what’s happening behind you. I found this a bit too distracting but it was simple to switch back to the more conventional style mirror.

So the Ariya looks amazing inside and out, but what about the handling? Despite being quite tall and weighty, it puts in an impressive performance when put to the test. It is well balanced when pushed hard through twisting B roads and, with the battery pack stored beneath the centre of the car, it boasts a low centre of gravity. Drive modes called Sport, Standard, Eco and Snow alter the driving characteristics of the car with Sport really sharpening up the reactions.

It will cruise effortlessly at 70mph on motorways, but at that speed you will notice the range drop faster than normal. However, some of those miles can be recouped through the excellent regenerative braking system when driving through busy city centres with lots of stopping and starting. And there is an e-Pedal that makes single pedal driving possible too.

The suspension is a little firm, but not really noticeable unless you are looking for something to complain about and the steering is well weighted with ample driver feedback.

Passenger space within the Ariya is generous with room for a trio of adults in the back. And the boot, which is accessed via a powered tailgate, can hold 408 litres of kit – this limit is increased further with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped flat.

Elsewhere, there is a large hidden tray that pops out from the dash at the press of a button, a glovebox, a central cubby with wireless charging pad, door bins with space for a bottle, a sunnies compartment, seat back pockets, plus front and rear cup holders.

The Ariya secured a maximum five-stars when tested for its Euro NCAP safety rating and is kitted out with a comprehensive list of safety features and driver assistance aids. These include ProPilot Assist with Navi-Link and ProPilot Park, intelligent front emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, intelligent rear emergency braking with pedestrian recognition, blind spot intervention, rear cross traffic alert, intelligent cruise control, intelligent driver alert, traffic sign recognition, traffic jam assist and plenty more besides.

When it comes to charging the Ariya with the larger 87kWh battery, as tested, it can be boosted from 20 to 80 per cent in 40 minutes via a 130kW fast charger.

All in all, the Ariya is a superb family SUV that’s very big on style, performance and all-round appeal. No, it’s not cheap but many comparable rivals cost a whole lot more.

Test Drive

Nissan Ariya 63kWh Advance (2022)

Nissan has a sterling reputation for developing top quality SUVs and, with years of EV experience thanks to the Leaf, has built up plenty of electrification know-how. Now the company has put the two together to create the Ariya.

It’s a five-door medium-sized crossover that is competitively priced, very easy on the eye, packed with technology and pleasant to drive. There is a choice of 63kWh or 87kWh batteries and customers can select between generously-equipped trims called Advance or Evolve with the option of adding e-4ORCE which is Nissan’s all-drive system.

We tested the entry-level Advance model powered by the smaller battery pack. Costing £43,845 (£46,365 with options) the 2WD car delivers 217PS with 300Nm of torque. It can sprint from 0-62mph in just 7.5 seconds and tops out at 100mph with a combined driving range of 250 miles between charges.

There’s no denying the Ariya is a beautifully styled model with lots of road presence, especially if customers opt for the stunning Akatsuki Copper paintwork with Pearl Black roof.

There are LED headlights with auto high beam assist and LED daytime running lights, plus LED tail lights, rear privacy glass, heated and folding mirrors, a handsfree tailgate, satin chrome window surrounds, a shark fin antenna and 19-inch alloy wheels with aero covers.

The interior is upmarket and very premium in its design and layout with black synthetic leather upholstered seats with fabric inserts. These, along with the steering wheel, can be heated to fend off the winter blues.

The main nerve centre within the cabin is the 12.3-inch navigation infotainment screen. There is wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity and a cabled Android Auto facility, along with a virtual personal assistant to help with all manner of requests from planning routes, making a call or finding a radio station.

The temperature controls are located in a separate panel and are touch-sensitive. These work well once you get familiar with them, but are not as simple as a traditional dial.

The 12.3-inch digital display screen behind the steering wheel offers all the vital driving details such as speed and battery range and everything is very driver-focused and easy to use on the fly.

The all-round driver visibility is good and, with a 360-degree camera that detects moving objects, reversing is made safer and simpler.

When it comes to performance, the Ariya is a pleasure to drive with instant acceleration and impressive power levels. It is well grounded on twisting country lanes with minimal body movement and can cruise at 70mph on motorways – although this will see the range drop quicker than in-town driving where the regenerative braking boosts the battery levels in the background.

The steering is nicely weighted and drive modes called Eco, Standard and Sport change the driving characteristics of the Ariya. There is also an e-Pedal which means you can drive using just the accelerator in congested traffic and as you ease off the pressure, so the car begins to brake.

Noise levels are well supressed and the suspension system does an excellent job of smoothing out any bumps and dips along the way too.

From a practicality point of view, the Ariya is deceptively spacious with plenty of rear legroom for occupants to stretch out. Taller passengers may find their hair brushing up against the headlining though due to the car’s sloping roof design.

The boot can swallow 466 litres of kit and there are a number of practical storage options throughout the car, including two gloveboxes, door bins, front and rear cup holders, a charging pad beneath the front armrest, a sunglasses compartment, front charging ports that are rather awkwardly positioned, along with a couple of ports in the back too.

Although the Nissan Ariya is yet to be crash-tested for its Euro NCAP safety rating, the car is packed with features to protect occupants and help prevent accidents happening.

These include speed assist, blind spot intervention, rear cross traffic alert, intelligent cruise control, traffic jam assist, intelligent driver alert, traffic sign recognition and plenty more besides.

When it comes to charging the Ariya with the smaller battery, as tested, it can be boosted from 10 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes via a 130kW charger or 10 hours from 10 to 100 per cent using a 7.4kW home wallbox.

All in all, the Ariya is an excellent follow-up to the highly popular Nissan Leaf. It has been a long time coming, but some things in life are worth the wait and the Ariya is one of them.