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Nissan's fastest Ariya EV, this Nismo model, isn't the quickest or most dynamic mid-sized performance electric crossover you could choose, but it might still charm you with its rapid pace, attractive looks and classy cabin.
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Driving experience
You might have thought that no niche had been left unaddressed in the over-crowded market for mid-sized electric crossovers, but Nissan thinks it's spotted one here. In terms of performance models in this segment, there's quite a performance gap between something like a Volkswagen ID.4 GTX (340PS) and a wild Hyundai IONIQ 5N (650PS), with most contenders (think Kia EV6 GT or Ford Mustang Mach-E GT) offering either just above or just below 500PS. Developing 435PS, this Ariya might not be quite as fast as you'd hoped, but it strikes a useful middle ground between these two extremes. Though it's worth pointing out that this output is only 130PS more than you'd get in the top standard Ariya model, the Evolve e-4ORCE. The only other rival to offer this kind performance balance is the Tesla Model 3 Performance, which has 459PS, but beats this Nissan's 5.0s 0-62mph time by around two seconds.
Nissan wants you to know that the more important 50-70mph overtaking stat increment (2.4s) looks a lot better (faster than the rorty old 370Z Nismo sports coupe). As in an ordinary top Ariya, there's a dual motor e-4ORCE four-wheel drive system, but here the torque output is more biased towards the rear, variable to the road surface beneath. The front can take up to 60% of motor output, the rear up to 75%. But there's no system to shuffle torque around between the wheels - and certainly nothing that would allow circuit drifts a la IONIQ 5N.
Disappointingly, Nismo hasn't uprated the brakes to better cope with the extra power (though the ABS has been re-tuned), but all the splitters and skirts apparently up downforce by 40%. Aided perhaps by the prodigious 2.2-tonne kerb weight. There's grippy Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres. And the drive modes get a feistier top 'Nismo' setting. The fake powertrain noise (that apparently mimics Formula E racers) isn't fitted to European-spec cars.
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Design and build
One of the things that might well convince you into an Ariya Nismo is the way that it looks. Even in standard form, this is an attractive car and its form has been spoiled in any way by all the carefully integrated splitters and skirts of this top version. These have added 40% more downforce without affecting the standard version's sleek 0.30Cd drag coefficient. Red lower trimming, a subtle roof spoiler and big 20-inch Enkei wheels mark out this Ariya's Nismo status.
It's nicely done inside too, where the cabin's unlike anything else in the segment. There's more red detailing, but Nissan's refused the temptation to add carbon fibre trim. The alcantara upper dashboard treatment looks classy and there are wood-like inlays (that look better than that sounds).
The Ariya is certainly a striking-looking thing, it's front end featuring a bold 'shield'-style design with a 3D 'kumiko' pattern under a smooth surface and the Nissan logo is backlit with 20 LEDs. From the side, there's a low-slung coupe silhouette and a single crease line linking the front and rear of the car. At the back, you get a distinctive C-pillar design, plus a high-mounted rear wing and a single-piece light bar. To suit the current zeitgeist, there are big alloy wheels of 19 or 20-inches in size. Thanks to its new electric vehicle-specific CMF-EV platform, this is quite a large car too, 4595mm long, 1850mm wide and 1660mm tall. Which, to give you some perspective, makes it almost the same size as its closest rival, Volkswagen's ID.4.
The 2,775mm wheelbase makes possible a decently large cabin too. It'll certainly feel futuristic, with 'Zero Gravity' slim profile seats and a very minimalist design, with almost all the physical buttons replaced by capacitive haptic-feedback switches integrated into the fascia surface. There's a 12.3-inch central touchscreen; and a digital instrument binnacle display of the same size, plus what Nissan reckons is one of the biggest head-up displays in the segment. There's also a fold-out centre stowage box beneath the main instrument panel. There's a reasonably-sized rear bench, but it would be more comfortable for two than three. The boot capacity is 466-litres for 2-Wheel Drive variants, but the e-4orce AWD derivatives lose some of that because of the extra motor they use: their cargo area is rated at 408-litres.
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Market and model
Expect Ariya pricing to start where pricing of top LEAF 'e+' models finish. That means a likely price span between £37,500 and £50,000 for this car. There's plenty of kit included for that of course, including ultra-slim full-LED headlights which incorporate four 20mm projectors and are combined with animated indicators. Inside, there's a sophisticated centre dash infotainment screen which incorporates a 'digital assistant' incorporating Amazon Alexa voice control and activated by the phrases "Hello Nissan" and "Hey Nissan". This set-up includes 4G connectivity and can receive over the air updates for infotainment elements and chassis and EV settings. There's plenty of smartphone integration too of course, which will enable appointments to be fed to the car in advance any journey.
As you'd expect, you'll get Nissan's latest suite of 'Safety Shield' camera safety equipment. The front grille houses a whole range of sensors that drive Nissan's 'ProPILOT' driver assistance systems - features like Lane Keeping Assistance and Adaptive Cruise Control. The Ariya can be ordered with a choice of six 2-tone paint finish combinations, each with a contrasting black roof; as well as four full-body paint finishes. These are complemented by an eye-catching single 'light blade' at the rear that is designed to look black when the car is switched off.
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Cost of ownership
You'll want to know about driving range. The base 63kWh model can go 223 miles between charges. If you need more, you'll be directed to the 87kWh variant which has a 310 mile range. Adding in the weighty 'e-4orce' 4WD system inevitably reduces these figures - respectively to 211 and 285 miles. The top 87kWh e-4orce Performance model has a 248 mile range. There are the usual controls for increasing the level of regenerative braking so that you can maximise this car's range potential. Like the LEAF, the Ariya operates with an 'e-Pedal' system when braking regeneration is at its maximum, meaning that in normal driving, you'll be able to launch, accelerate and decelerate only using the throttle pedal.
As you'd expect with an electric car, there's a special smartphone app allowing you to remotely check on battery status and set climate controls to precondition the temperature of the cabin before you reach the car. The 63kWh version features a 7.4kW AC charger for home connections, while the 87kWh variants have a 22kW three-phase setup. Nissan says the Ariya can support up to 130kW DC charging, technology that will allow around 230 miles of range to be added to this car's battery pack in around half an hour. A nice touch is the inclusion of an LED inspection light in the car's charging point so that owners won't have to rely on street lighting to connect their cars to an electric source at night.
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Summary
It's a strange confection this. Nismo spec is more than just an Ariya trim upgrade, but it stops short of being the properly engineered stand-alone performance model we might have hoped for from a sub-brand with 40 years of motorsport heritage. It's hard as well to see who it might sell to. Someone taken by an Ariya EV is unlikely to be a Nismo fan - and the reverse also certainly applies. If you do want a fast mid-sized EV crossover like this, it's hard to ignore the fact that for not much more than Nissan is asking here, you could get a lot more power with other rivals, notably Hyundai's IONIQ 5N.
But power isn't everything and it's true to say that this Ariya Nismo gives you as much of it as you can reasonably use. It also looks less 'Max Power' than many of its rivals - so you'll avoid the midlife crisis allegations that might come with purchase of something like an IONIQ 5N. We still feel though, that Nismo can do better than this. Apparently their engineers are open to the idea of a faster Ariya Nismo RS model. Perhaps that's a car this one should have been.
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