Hot Nissan Ariya NISMO EV in the works

A high-performance Nissan Ariya NISMO is secretly being developed to intercept the Kia EV6 GT, Hyundai IONIQ 5 N and other new fast battery-electric SUVs.

Already spied carrying out high-speed testing at Germany’s Nurburgring, early engineering development cars show the hot Nissan Ariya NISMO sporting a deep front splitter, side sill extensions, a rear diffuser and tailgate spoiler – all in the name of maximising downforce without adding range-sapping drag.

It’s also expected to reduce weight via composite materials instead of metal on select body panels, while new lightweight 20-inch wheels have also been spotted.

Inside, there should be a pair of more supportive bucket seats and a cabin design that trades some of the standard car’s elegance for a sportier, racier feel.

Beneath the skin expect an all-new dual- or triple-motor powertrain that should at least match the incoming Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, which produces 478kW/740Nm and can reach 100km/h from rest in 3.4sec.

The Ariya NISMO should also get extensive chassis tweaks, bigger brakes and an upgraded version of Nissan’s e-4ORCE all-wheel drive tech that uses the motor to reduce pitch and dive associated with acceleration and hard driving while offering torque vectoring well beyond mechanical 4WD systems.

The regular Nissan Ariya has been confirmed for release in Australia, but there’s no firm word on launch timing at this stage.

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