Nissan Ariya first drive | brand enters new segment with premium EV

Nissan has launched its most premium model yet with a clear desire to capitalise on fleets’ surging interest in electric cars. The carmaker hopes the generous levels of technology and comfort, practical range and elevated driving position of the Ariya crossover SUV will be enough to draw some company car user-choosers away from their combustion-engined Audis and BMWs.

The Ariya is available in two grades – Advance and Evolve – with a choice between two batteries: a 63kWh capable of 250 miles on a full charge through its 217PS motor and a 87kWh which will deliver a maximum of 329 miles range through its 242PS motor. Two all-wheel-drive versions, using the larger battery, are offered additionally. They offer 306PS or 394PS, and have an increased towing capacity of 1.5-tonnes.

Nissan’s engineers have worked hard on the driving experience. Careful weight distribution ensures the Ariya remains well balanced and secure on the road, even under hard acceleration, and the quiet and relaxing cabin allows for peaceful progress and easy conversations.

The spacious cabin means the Ariya is a car in which colleagues or customers can ride with utmost comfort, even in the rear. The EV platform allowed Nissan’s designers to use the whole length of the cabin and create a flat, open floor. Occupying the space between the driver and front passenger is a centre console which can be moved forward and back by electric motors, giving the driver the option to create an adaptable armrest or additional legroom.

Gimmickry aside, this console is also home to touch-sensitive ‘haptic’ buttons to activate ‘e-pedal’ mode and to change between driving modes, which, in practice, requires the driver to look down for them until they’ve become accustomed to the car and can put their finger on it straight away. It’s likewise for
similar haptic buttons in the centre of the dashboard for the climate control. The appearance is premium but the experience will be frustrating, at least for the first few weeks of ownership.

Luckily, the Ariya features Nissan’s ‘safety shield 360’ including forward collision warning and intelligent emergency braking to compensate for the driver being momentarily distracted. Plus Amazon’s Alexa has been integrated into Nissan’s personal voice assistant so drivers can also use that to change the
car’s settings or communicate with their home Echo devices without removing their hands from the steering wheel.

The instrument binnacle consists of a ‘monolith’ of two 12.3-inch screens, and Nissan claims displaying multiple facets of information on one horizontal plane, in a wave-like shape, helps information to be quickly digested. In Evolve trim, the Ariya is also equipped with a head-up display showing critical and practical information, such as navigation signals and speed limit changes.

With equipment aplenty, futuristic styling and zero emissions power, the Ariya is bound to help attract some new drivers to the Nissan family.