Nissan Ariya review
Comfortable, refined and striking, Nissan’s follow-up to the pioneering Leaf is a strong contender in the electric family-car class
Pros
- Excellent visibility
- Very spacious and refined
- Looks great inside and out
Cons
- Premium price
- Average boot space
- Charging could be faster
| Model | Range | Wallbox charge time | Rapid charge time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63kWh FWD | 250 miles | 10hrs (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 31mins (10-80%, 130kW) |
| 87kWh FWD | 329 miles | 14hrs (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 35mins (10-80%, 130kW) |
| 87kWh 4WD | 310 miles | 14hrs (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 35mins (10-80%, 130kW) |
Nissan Ariya verdict
The Nissan Ariya stands out in the electric family SUV class thanks to its unique styling, wonderfully spacious cabin, excellent functionality and decent on-board technology. Performance and refinement are impressive, too, as is the range and efficiency in all the versions we’ve tested.
It doesn’t offer vast amounts of boot space like its key rivals from Tesla, Skoda or Hyundai, and it’s more expensive than them, too. But the Ariya is a premium-feeling product that gets loads of kit for the money, and an excellent family car overall.
Range details, specs and alternatives
In 2010, the Nissan Leaf came to market and thrust electric cars into the mainstream. Since then, over half a million examples of the zero-emissions hatchback have been sold, but despite the Leaf’s success, it took Nissan over a decade to launch a follow up: the all-new Ariya.
The Ariya is an electric family SUV, similar in size to Nissan’s X-Trail, and based on the same EV-specific platform as the Renault Megane E-Tech hatchback. It’s the same technology that’ll eventually underpin the crossover SUV set to replace the Nissan Leaf, as well as the electric successor to the Nissan Micra supermini. Both are due to arrive by 2025.
There is a sea of acclaimed electric family cars the Ariya must fend off, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y, Volkswagen ID.4, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Skoda Enyaq iV, Kia EV6 and Toyota bZ4X. Though it’s worth noting that the Ariya has one of the highest starting prices of any of them: currently, just over £46,000.
Buyers get a choice of two battery sizes, front or e-4ORCE all-wheel drive and two trim levels: Advance or Evolve. Entry-level models get the smaller 63kWh battery which, according to Nissan, will allow the Ariya to cover 250 miles on a charge. Upgrading to the larger 87kWh battery increases the car’s range to 329 miles if you stick with front-wheel drive, while dual-motor e-4ORCE models will go 310 miles before the battery runs flat. There is a Performance edition Ariya still to come though, with close to 400bhp on tap.
You get lots of standard kit for the money in the Ariya, including a heat pump, LED headlights, heated seats, a powered tailgate and a 360-degree camera setup. While inside every model gets wireless smartphone charging, a dual-screen infotainment system and driver-assistance tech such as lane-keeping and blind-spot assistance.
For a more detailed look at the Nissan Ariya, read on for the rest of our in-depth review…
