-
This is the Nissan Ariya, a new electric crossover that will go on sale next year.
-
It’s roughly the same size and shape as the Rogue, but this one is all-electric, with one or two motors and a choice of 63kWh or 87kWh batteries.
Nissan
-
Nissan wants to sell the Ariya in considerable volume.
Nissan
-
The interior is remarkably faithful to the concept we saw earlier in the year.
Nissan
-
The haptic controls seem to glow from the wooden board.
Nissan
-
I hope this infotainment system is better than Nissan’s current systems.
Nissan
-
It seems like a lot of cargo volume.
Nissan
-
The rear wing is a clue that aerodynamics was a priority for designers.
Nissan
A charismatic CEO with a penchant for the dramatic and a bold plan to build the world’s first mass market electric vehicle. You probably think I’m talking about Tesla, but years before the Model S rolled around, Nissan tried to conquer that terrain with its Leaf EV battery. Well, that CEO is gone, and the Leaf couldn’t sell at the volume Nissan expected. But next year, the Japanese automaker gets a second bite on the cherry with the Ariya, a new BEV that was revealed to the world on Wednesday morning in Japan.
You may be experiencing a touch of déjà vu, that’s perfectly normal, because a barely veiled concept from the Ariya was shown at last year’s Tokyo Auto Show and this year’s CES, where some lucky ducks were even able to drive it . (I guess that will teach me to stay home.) It’s roughly the same size and shape as the company’s best-selling Rogue crossover, and Nissan expects the Ariya to follow in that car’s footsteps regarding the sales chart, in the reveal. , its new CEO, Ashwani Gupta, said, “The company expects sales of its e-POWER electric vehicles and electrified models to be more than 1 million units per year by the end of fiscal year 2023. The Ariya will play a significant role in achieve that goal. ” “(Mark your calendars for the end of March 2023 to see if that works.)
Outside, it’s roughly the same size and shape as the best-selling Rogue crossover. Inside, it’s all tasteful minimalism, which Nissan’s press materials describe as “akin to a fancy coffee shop on a spaceship,” and I include that so I don’t make fun of whoever wrote that because I think they might be on something. As with the next Volkswagen Group MEB-based electric crossovers, the Ariya makes full use of the BEV skateboard design to maximize cabin space above the battery. With the car turned off, it appears to mimic the Model 3’s buttonless aesthetics, complete with a large touchscreen infotainment system. But power up the Ariya and backlit touch controls will appear, located on the black wooden board.
The powertrain is brand new and comes in a few different configurations. You will be able to specify it with a single 160kW (215hp) front motor or with a 290kW (389hp) two-motor all-wheel drive, which Nissan is called 4ORCE. We hope the latter is fun to drive, because Nissan says 4ORCE is the spiritual offspring of its legendary GT-R ATESSA all-wheel drive system.
And there are a couple of battery packs, one with usable 63kWh (65kWh total) and a longer range with usable 87kWh (90kWh total). Choose the biggest package and the single motor, and your Ariya should be able to do 300 miles (482 km) on a single charge (either by 7.2kW AC or 130kW DC using a CCS plug). You shouldn’t worry about battery life, either: unlike first- or second-generation Leafs, the Ariya will use active thermal management.
The Ariya goes on sale in about a year in Japan, and sales in the US will begin later in 2021 at a starting price of $ 40,000.
Nissan listing image
