Nissan’s game changer
SUCH a long time coming, but Nissan’s new electric Ariya family crossover is set finally to charge into UK showrooms in the New Year. The Japanese giant this week announced that it’s now available to pre-order with first UK deliveries in summer.
Perfect timing, as the Ariya has just been named Most Anticipated Electric Car of 2022 by voting consumers in the annual DrivingElectric Awards, in which the MG ZS EV was named best value car and overall Car of the Year.
Prices start from £41,845 for the lowest powered two-wheel drive version, with a range of 223 miles, aimed at families using their vehicle mainly in urban or suburban areas.
There’s plenty of sizzle from the top of the range, all-wheel drive performance model, but none of the versions qualifies for the recently cut plug-in car grant. I first saw and crawled around the near production-ready Ariya prototype in Japan when it was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in pre-Covid 2019 — which now seems like a lifetime ago — ahead of the production model’s virtual online unveiling nearly 18 months ago in July 2020.
From launch, there are four versions — in two battery sizes — of increasing power and with either two or four-wheel drive, depending on model: Advance (63kWh), Evolve (87kWh), e-4ORCE Evolve (87kWh) and e-4ORCE Performance (87kWh). This last, priced at £58,440, tops the range with all-wheel drive from twin electric motors. It accelerates from rest to 62mph in 5.1 seconds up to of 124mph and with a range of 248 miles.
Premium features include 20 in alloy wheels (19 in is standard), a panoramic sunroof, ten-speaker Bose sound system, advanced head-up display, an intelligent rear view mirror, and distinctive blue nappa leather seat fronts.
The two-wheel drive 242hp version gives a maximum extended range of 310 miles with a top speed of 99 mph and rest to 62 mph in 7.6 seconds.
Nissan Motor GB managing director Andrew Humberstone said: ‘Ariya is a bold new chapter in Nissan’s electrification journey and we are thrilled that the public is just as excited as we are at Nissan.’