Electric Nissan Ariya SUV patents leaked

Pictures of the production version of the Nissan Ariya have surfaced on Instagram, providing our first look at how the Japanese car-maker's flagship pure-electric SUV is shaping up.

The renderings, leaked by cars_secrets, are thought to be genuine design images created to patent the new Nissan Ariya's distinctive styling.

They're also telling, as the pics likely depict the final production version that's scheduled to arrive by the middle of 2021.

If so, the good news is the 'real' Nissan Ariya will share most of its stunning looks with the 2019 concept that was unveiled at the Tokyo motor show last October, when Nissan confirmed the Ariya for production.

For the transition from concept to production model, however, there have inevitably been some changes to meet regulations and mandatory safety tests.

That said, the front-end of the car in the patent images looks nearly identical to the show car's, featuring slimline headlights and a dominant inverted trapezoidal grille.

What's different are the slim triangular air intakes that appear to have adopted small additional indicators or fog lights at their base.

It's not known if the absence of door mirrors is an indication that Nissan plans to use rear-view cameras for the production Ariya.

The concept car's design continues at the rear, where the production version possesses a black outline where the rear wiper will be positioned.

We already know many of the production car's secrets and have even driven a mule that features its dual-motor powertrain.

Set to be powered by two electric motors that will muster around 227kW and 680Nm of torque, Nissan promises the Ariya will be "almost as fast" as the ballistic Nissan GT-R.

Expect a 0-100km/h time of around three seconds but a significantly lower top speed than the GT-R.

Clever regenerative braking tech, meanwhile, aims to reduce the dive and pitch associated with electric cars.

Created to be a direct rival for the Tesla Model Y, the zero-emission Nissan SUV will also boast a 500km range and should be capable of Level 3 'eyes-off' autonomy on the highway.

Inside, the Nissan Ariya will get a modern, upmarket cabin offering the space of an SUV from a class above.

It's thought the car-maker's next-gen infotainment operating system will also be introduced alongside the EV's 12.3-inch infotainment touch-screen.

There's no word on pricing for the Nissan Ariya, but if it is a direct competitor for the Tesla Model Y it could kick off around $100,000.