Automatic
Tax: £0
Mileage: 27,999
Electric
Tax: n/a
Mileage: Unknown
Mileage: 720
Every major brand has been developing Electric Vehicles over the last decade. But only a few have been doing so with actual customers, selling cars from actual showrooms. One of these brands is Nissan, who established the concept of an all-electric family car with the innovative LEAF all the way back in 2011. Before bringing us a follow-up, that difficult second album, this car, the Ariya. Much of that time was spent creating the platform this car sits upon, the CMF-EV chassis that also underpins its very similar close cousin, the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric. That car is positioned in size and price very similarly to the current-day Nissan LEAF, so this one, its name based on the Japanese word for 'honourable', must be a slightly larger, slightly more aspirational, more up-market thing. A mid-sized Crossover aimed at entry-level Tesla territory and the EV market's most over-crowded segment.
There's no doubt that the Ariya is a massive step forward for Nissan. The problem for this brand though, is that every one of its rivals have made almost similarly seismic and well-funded improvements in order to move into the EV era. Having kicked the whole thing off with the LEAF back in 2011, you might have expected this Japanese maker to use this follow-up design to set another significant benchmark for competitors to strive after. Perhaps in driving range, charging speed, cabin space or value. None of those areas are advanced here: indeed the Ariya struggles to compete in some of them, notably driving range. Which is a pity because there's lots to like about this car - striking looks, some clever cabin touches and a classy vibe positioning this model as a more expensive thing than it actually is. The fundamentals are undoubtedly here for a very appealing family EV and no brand's better placed the Nissan to deliver on that promise.
Borrow £6,000 with £1,000 deposit over 48 months with a representative APR of 18.1%, monthly payment would be £172.36, with a total cost of credit of £2,273.28 and a total amount payable of £9,273.28.
