Nissan Ariya electric SUV revealed

The Nissan Ariya battery-electric SUV has been unveiled and could be a genuine game-changer.

Cheaper than a Tesla, faster than a 370Z sports car, delivering a mega driving range and offering high levels of functionality and style, the 2021 Nissan Ariya looks set to restart Nissan’s electric vehicle assault.

Unlike Nissan’s current single mainstream EV, the LEAF small hatch, the Ariya has an impressive cruising range of between 430-610km, based on WLTP testing in Japan, plus a generous boot and seating for five – all wrapped up in a consumer-friendly and good looking mid-sized SUV body.

Taking aim at the Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla Model Y, pricing and arrival details for the Ariya electric SUV have not been revealed yet but the new model will arrive in Japan from mid-2021.

We could be soon after… And Nissan insiders are already hinting that when Ariya does comes to Australia, pricing will be in the $60,000 region.

Nissan has made no official announcement regarding the Ariya’s local arrival but Nissan Australia’s corporate communications director, Karla Leach, said the company “definitely wants it” here.

The new model is priced from five million yen ($A66,000) in Japan and will be on sale in China, North America and Europe by the end of 2021.

Revealed in Yokohama and streamed live to a global audience today, the Nissan Ariya will be offered with two battery sizes in Japan, 65kWh and 90kWh.

There will also be 2WD single and AWD dual-motor versions that offer a choice of low and high power outputs.

Using a fast-charge point and charging at its peak 130kW rate, the Ariya can recover up to 375km in 30 minutes, says Nissan.

The range-topping dual-motor AWD model belts out 290kW and 600Nm – more power than a 370Z sports car and almost as much torque as a Nissan GT-R supercar.

It’s not clear what models will be offered in Australia but the four powertrain versions announced at launch are as follows:

Ariya 2WD – 65kWh battery, 160kW/300Nm, 450km range, 7.5sec 0-100km/h

Ariya 2WD – 90kWh battery, 178kW/300Nm, 610km range, 7.6sec 0-100km/h

Ariya AWD – 65kWh battery, 250kW/560Nm, 430km range, 5.4sec 0-100km/h

Ariya AWD – 90kWh battery, 290kW/600Nm, 580km range, 5.1sec 0-100km/h

While the front-drive single motor models have greater range, the dual-motor AWD Ariya SUVs take advantage of Nissan’s new e-4orce (pronounced: e-force) torque vectoring system that uses principles developed for the GT-R supercar, namely its ATTESA AWD system.

After testing the new system in a Nissan LEAF mule in Japan, we can confirm the new setup is seriously satisfying and feels more like it was developed for a sports car than a family SUV. Perhaps the next GT-R will go all-electric after all?

The Nissan Ariya electric SUV is a crucial new vehicle for the Japanese brand and one that must be a mainstream sales success. Via the Nissan Renault Alliance, it is also a blueprint for all of Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi’s future EVs.

Based on a new EV platform architecture that is expected to underpin everything from hatchbacks to sports cars, the Ariya also ushers in fancy new cabin design.

Shorter and lower but wider than a Nissan X-TRAIL, new Nissan Ariya battery-electric SUV’s interior is more like a ‘sleek cafe lounge on a starship’ than a regular car, says the company.

We’re not quite sure about that particular claim, but the cabin is pretty cool, dominated by a pair of 12.3-inch LCD screens. The driver’s instrument panel displays vehicle range, road speed and so forth, while the central screen is for infotainment which can facilitate wireless software/firmware updates.

A tiny gear shifter opens up more space around in the cockpit and sleekly integrated new heating/cooling controls below the central infotainment screen add a little concept car razzle-dazzle (and will give the Tesla Model Y a run for its money in the tech-doodad stakes).

There’s also the usual mod cons like ambient interior lighting and a head-up display.

Back seat room should match or indeed improve upon mid-sized SUVs such as the Hyundai Tucson and Mazda CX-5 – indeed Nissan’s design chief Alfonso Albaisa says it’s almost a class size up!

The Ariya certainly gets a rangey 2775mm wheelbase although boot space is compromised a little by the underfloor mechanicals -- you get 466 litres for single motor and 408 litres for dual-motor models.

Vehicle weight is between 1900-2200kg depending on the variant.

The new electric SUV represents Nissan’s new EV brand identity and also shows off Nissan's new corporate badge (the first time its changed in 20 years). And if you believe the PR spin, the Ariya provides a sneak peek at a future where electrification and self-driving vehicles will be common.

Fitted with a suite of sensors that would make the KGB blush, the Nissan Ariya has five millimeter-wave radars, seven cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors, which combine to deliver semi-autonomous driving via the Nissan ProPilot 2.0 system.

The usual Level 2 stuff is offered, including hands-and-feet-free autonomous acceleration, braking and steering to keep the car in its lane on the freeway or slow down when approaching heavy traffic ahead.

ProPilot 2.0 also draws on the car’s high-def 3D map data to display adjust vehicle speed depending on the road surface, direction and speed limits.

The Ariya also gets a remote parking function where the driver can leave the vehicle and it will park itself, which is useful for super-cramped car spots.

Nissan wants to be a household name when it comes to electric cars and it’s banking on the Ariya EV to make that happen.

If Nissan can get the pricing and specification neat and tidy, it has a very good chance of doing just that.