NISSAN EVOLVES WITH NEW ARIYA
EV offers impressive range, cabin
What's interesting about EVs when it comes to user case discussions is that instead of fitting into several segments as internal combustion engine vehicles do, all electric vehicles, regardless of style — pickups, SUVs, sport sedans, compacts — are lumped into the same category: EVs. Perhaps that's because of the newness and novelty of battery-powered vehicles.
More often than not, the user case for an EV revolves around fullcharge range and charging time. With the vast majority of new electric vehicle models cresting 350 kilometres of range — and plenty surpassing 400 km — the user case of an EV as a commuter car is airtight. Even if you don't have a home charger, and unless your daily, round-trip commute touches 200 km, you can easily use public chargers to keep your battery topped up with just one or two charging sessions a week.
Where the user case separates itself between different EVs comes to charging capabilities. If you're looking for a road-trip vehicle — in other words one where you won't be spending as much time charging up as driving — you're going to want one with enhanced battery charging, particularly in the DC, or fast charging, capability.
After living with the 2023 Nissan Ariya Evolve+ FWD for a couple of months, I was thoroughly impressed with the full-charge range, which topped out at 465 km during a couple of charging sessions. That's a number that allowed for days and days of city driving before plugging in, and a weekend getaway round trip from Vancouver to Whistler (about 250 km) without needing to charge up at all.
CHARGING UP
The “+” in Evolve+ indicates the larger, 87-kWh battery pack. The base battery is 63 kWh with a reported 348-km range. (Both those battery sizes reflect usable capacity.)
While I was very happy with the range of my test Ariya, the charging capability wasn't as impressive. I primarily charged up on a Level 2 charger, and with a charge rate that maxes out at 7.2 kW it took longer than I would have liked to fill the battery.
For example, a three-hour and 45-minute session typically put 21 kWh of juice in the pack from a relatively low battery. That represents just a quarter of the battery pack size, so do the math and a full-charge on Level 2 is more than a 12-hour session.
Likewise, DC charging is capped at a rather low 130 kW, which means if you are plugged into a 150-kW DC charger, which is most of them in B.C., you're not getting the full pull from the charger.
For comparison's sake, the Ariya's competition — the Mustang Mach-E, Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Polestar 2 — all offer better charging capabilities. The Mustang Mach-E maxes Level 2 at 11 kW and can charge up to 350 kW; the Ioniq 5's numbers are 11 kW and 221 kW; the Kia EV6 at 11 kW and 233 kW; and the Polestar 2 at 11 kW and 151 kW. The Volkswagen ID.4 base model offers 7.2 kW and 118 kW; while the enhanced model has a Level 2 rate of 11 kW and a DC rate of 125 kW.
Bottom line, if your user case for an EV involves more than one or two big road trips a year, you will be spending a little more time at a public charger in the Ariya than you will in a competitor. Something to consider. I would expect the Ariya's charging capabilities to improve with the next generation in a few years.
FAVOURITE FEATURES
While the charging capability of the Nissan Ariya Evolve+ is most definitely a criticism, my overall impression of the all-electric SUV is highly positive. In addition to the great cabin and solid driving capabilities, there were several other aspects of the Ariya that I only came to appreciate more over time.
I loved the centre storage box for its sheer size and accessibility, and the unique fold out tray in the centre of the dash solved the eternal dilemma of where to put my phone, wallet and gloves.
I have written before that the latest generation of the Nissan Leaf has the best one-pedal drive system in the EV business, and the Ariya follows suit. Called “e-step,” unlike its competitors it doesn't have that jarring and neck-snapping sensation for you and your passengers when you lift off the accelerator, and likewise provides gradual and even deceleration to a complete stop.
And finally, and as I've also raved about in my Leaf reviews, Nissan's driving assistance features are first rate.
ProPilot Assist with Navi-link is standard in all Ariyas, and under certain conditions allows you to take your hands off the steering wheel. With your hands off the wheel you can change lanes and pass vehicles with just the activation of the turn signal. That Navi-link connection taps into the 3D map data to detect the roadway type, direction and speed limits and will adjust to changing speed limits with no driver intervention. Yes, other automakers offer these driving assist features, but in my opinion Nissan's suite of them is among the best. Very easy to use.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So, after this long-term test would I recommend the front-wheel drive over the all-wheel-drive Ariya, dubbed the e-4orce? Well, back to my opening thoughts about user case. If you plan on driving in snowy and muddy conditions on a frequent basis, the all-wheel drive is the way to go. But slap some good winter tires on the front-wheel drive Ariya — as my tester was shod — and there are very few places you won't be able to go without confidence.
COST IN CANADA
The 2023 Nissan Ariya Evolve+ FWD I tested had a base price of $64,998, and with a single option of Pearl Metallic paint ($950) and Freight and PDI ($2,095) came in at $68,043.