Nissan Ariya electric crossover SUV with up to 300 miles range introduced

Nissan has long been a leader in electric vehicle sales, even though it actually only has one EV, the functional and uninspiring Nissan Leaf hatchback, on the market. That changed today with the introduction of a new midsize SUV with up to 300 miles of range called the Ariya.

First introduced last year as a concept, the Ariya is slated to go on sale in Japan in mid-2021, followed by the US and Canada later in the year. Price will start at around $ 40,000, which is only a few thousand dollars more than the current average retail price of a vehicle in the US Nissan electric and hybrid vehicle buyers are still eligible for the federal tax credit full of $ 7,500 and various state incentives, which, depending on where people live, could help reduce the cost by as much as $ 10,000 in the U.S.

The Ariya was presented in the context of corporate turmoil, executive turnover, falling sales, and pandemic-related cost reduction at Nissan. The arrest and subsequent escape of Carlos Ghosn, former president of the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance, dominated the headlines for much of 2019, highlighting a carmaker that appeared to be at war with itself.

As such, the Ariya is the first major release of a new product in the post-Ghosn era for the company, and an opportunity to deliver a new sheet (pun). Nissan says the new electric crossover serves as a “key milestone” in the company’s four-year plan “to achieve sustainable growth, financial stability and profitability.”

But enough corporate intrigue; let’s go into the specifications.

Battery, performance and range

The transmission of the Nissan Ariya is what really sets it apart from the Leaf. Rather than opting for a simple front-wheel drive layout, the Ariya will come in multiple configurations, including a four-wheel drive version and a dual electric motor configuration that will allow for all-wheel drive performance, which Nissan calls the “e-4ORCE.” (because everything needs a ridiculous and confusing brand).

“I am not afraid to say that this is probably the most technologically advanced car Nissan has ever made in its history,” Nissan Senior Vice President Ivan Espinosa told reporters on Tuesday. “So we are putting all of our resources and knowledge behind this car.”

Espinosa said Nissan took what it learned from the GT-R sports car’s torque division system and applied it to the development of the Ariya’s twin engine configuration, including the vehicle’s movement, speed and road handling.

There will also be two battery sizes to choose from: a 63 kWh battery and an 87 kWh battery. Nissan claims the two-wheel drive version will be able to achieve up to 300 miles of driving range, although the automaker has not yet made the Ariya available to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for independent verification.

That said, the Nissan LEAF SL Plus 2020 has an EPA-rated 215-mile range per charge, so presumably it wouldn’t be too difficult for the automaker’s battery supplier, the China Automotive Power Supply Corporation. , go up that to 300 miles

Nissan is not disclosing the amount of time it takes to charge the Ariya. EV charging time can be a sticking point for potential buyers, especially for those vehicles that take more than 15-20 minutes to reach 80 percent capacity. This will be the specification to keep in mind as Nissan approaches production.

Advanced technology

Nissan is empowering the Ariya with the newest version of the automaker’s advanced driver assistance system, ProPilot Assist 2.0. The original ProPilot was a partially automated Tier 2 system, which allowed the vehicle to control speed, distance from other cars, and keep the car in the intended lane with minimal driver input. The cameras detect lane markings at highway speeds, and then adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, and blind spot detection systems keep you in that lane until you deliberately change lanes.

With the Ariya, ProPilot Assist is getting an active driver monitoring system to enable hands-free driving on freeways. Nissan first announced its plans to upgrade ProPilot Assist to enable hands-free driving last year. The only other automaker offering a similar system at the moment is the GM Super Cruise. Ford has said it would introduce its own hands-free system with the electric Mustang Mach-E, which will go on sale in the second half of 2021.

Previously, Nissan had included ProPilot Assist in the Leaf, the best-selling Rogue SUV, and the Altima under $ 30,000. With the addition of the Ariya, Nissan has established itself as the leader in offering partially automated driving in affordable vehicles for the mass market.

Design

The Ariya looks much sportier than Nissan’s other crossover, the Rogue, thanks to a low, wide stance. And the vehicle lacks many of the sharp, angular lines seen in many of the Japanese automaker’s vehicles, opting for a smoother, more familiar look. Despite being a tech savvy, Ariya lacks many of the idiosyncratic (and a bit ridiculous) frills that Nissan likes to tuck into its concept vehicles, like a virtual assistant that’s also a koi fish or fake engine noise that sounds like a musical version of THX’s Deep Note.

Still, it’s an EV, so it has to have ultrathin headlights for newer EV startups like Byton and Faraday Future, and brake lights that stretch out the rear like Tesla’s Cybertruck. And the solid faux grille probably won’t be as divisive as the Ford Mustang Mach-E, though it may still deter some buyers looking for something more familiar.

This is not an over designed car; if anything, it looks extremely normal, which can be a relief for an EV. Most electric vehicle designs tend to lean too heavily on the automaker’s idea of ​​”the future,” but they may seem imprecise. The Ariya’s wheels certainly stand out, but nothing else about this vehicle screams “electric,” which can help attract potential buyers who are weighing whether to switch from a vehicle to gasoline.

The photos Nissan shared with the media show the vehicle in a copper paint tone, but Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president of global design, said the Ariya would come in “caramel red,” “deep blue,” and other colors. schemes

Infotainment

Inside the vehicle are two 12.3-inch horizontal displays, one behind the steering column and the other in the center of the dash. The displays aren’t floating on the dash like the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, but are oriented in a waveform that looks like it would be easy to reach and operate.

Not everything is controlled through these two screens. The car’s HVAC system can be accessed through a set of capacitive haptic switches built into the wood panels below the center display that offer a mechanical-switch-like feel when vibrating when touched.

There is a large amount of legroom, which is typical of a car without an internal combustion engine. That said, it is a family vehicle designed for five people. “It really is a very unique feeling that you have when you sit in the car,” Espinosa said.

The Ariya comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wireless connectivity. And it will be the first Nissan model to include over-the-air firmware updates to update the infotainment system, electrical and electronic architecture, chassis, climate system and EV configuration of the car.

Car dealers are generally wary of OTA updates for fear of being cut off from the lucrative service and maintenance process. Basically, if you can repair your car with an OTA upgrade, you don’t need to take it to the dealership as often, and that means less money for them. But car buyers seem to like it, insofar as it reminds them of the constantly updating operating systems of their smartphones.

Nissan’s future

It is a difficult time for automakers, especially as they try to resume production that was halted by the coronavirus, and are now facing rising infection rates in many parts of the US Nissan has had to shut down its facilities and suspend employees in response to the crisis.

In that context, automakers are still struggling to sell electric vehicles, especially in the U.S., where gas sells for just over $ 2 a gallon. The tax credit helps soften the blow for many consumers, but Nissan will soon become ineligible as it approaches 200,000 electric vehicles sold in the US After that, the credit begins to fade and the value proposition in a $ 40,000 vehicle that takes an unknown amount of time to charge and can’t travel as far on a single charge as a Tesla begins to dwindle.

Fortunately, Nissan has a lot of experience selling electric vehicles that you can apply to the Ariya. And with its unique motor setup and regular design, but far from boring, it has as good a chance of success as the Leaf, if not more.