What’s inside counts

EDWARD STEPHENS COMFORT IN TEST DRIVING THE NISSAN ARIYA

THE first time you sit in the Nissan Ariya you have to take time out to absorb a two-tone interior which is, well, different to anything else on the road today.

And that’s different in a good way, with a vast amount of legroom not only for the driver and front passenger but in the footwell area between them too.

There’s a lot of soft touch material on the upper section of the dashboard, with its panoramic 25-inch control screen, while the lower part of it and the upper section of the huge centre armrest is covered with a tasteful veneer finish which incorporates hidden control buttons. Only when you switch on the ignition do the buttons become visible and useable.

The screen is made up of a 12.3inch digital instrument display and a similar sized touchscreen, both of which stand proud on the dashboard, which has imaginative bronze highlights set into it. Unusually, the large centre armrest is electronically controlled so you can have it set mainly between driver and front seat passenger or move it backwards between the rear seat occupants.

And while the car has a conventional glovebox it also has a capacious hidden draw which magically glides towards you out of the lower part of dashboard at the touch of a button.

The interior designers of the car have gone to great lengths to try to make their creation stand out and in doing so have created a tasteful, elegant space with a relaxing ambiance.

Not to be outdone, the exterior is equally impressive and different, with a series of curves and contours along each side, a sleek sporty tapering roofline and a dramatic front with an all-black grille.

The 238bhp top-of-the-range Evolve model, driven here, also comes with an impressive range of features as standard, including a double glass sunroof, a head-up display, a mobile phone charging pad and a Bose audio system.

The electrically-adjustable ventilated front leather seats can be both heated and cooled while rear seat passengers also get heated seats.

While the height of the Ariya means general all-round vision is good the length of the car and the tapering roof means that when the back seats are occupied rear vision is somewhat limited. So sensibly Nissan have added an interior mirror which can be switched to a view from a rear facing camera. And when it comes to reversing you have the benefit of both a bird’s eye view and rear view on the touchscreen.

Approach the Ariya and the car automatically unlocks and as you open the door the driver’s seat moves backwards to allow easy entry before resuming your preset position as you hit the starter button.

On the road the Ariya majors more on comfort and smoothness than on the outright dynamic performance of some electric cars but with a 0-62mph time of just 7.6 seconds it’s no slouch either.

Switch to Sport mode and things liven up somewhat but you pay the penalty of watching the range drop much quicker.

Nissan claims a range of 322 miles but you’ll be hard pressed to get close to that, with motorway work taking a particularly heavy toll.

Other than that it’s hard to find any major criticism of the Ariya, except perhaps the aforementioned hidden buttons which, while clever and different, can be difficult to see in the evening when the light is fading but it’s not yet dark.

But if you want an electric car that offers limousine-like space, a super-smooth ride and top quality comfort the Ariya could be just the answer.