Overview

If there’s any electric SUV out there that could be accused of having an unfair advantage, it’s the Nissan Ariya. After all, the Japanese brand has been pumping out the Leaf electric car since 2010, so you’d expect them to have learned a thing or two. The Ariya is packed with the latest battery and motor technology that should re-establish the company at the head of the EV grid. That’s the thinking, anyway.

It sits in between the Qashqai and X-Trail in Nissan’s range in terms of size, pitching it right at the heart of a very busy market sector. The main opposition comes from our 2022 Car of The Year, the Skoda Enyaq iV, as well as already established electric cars like the Kia Niro EV and Ford Mustang Mach-E, Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Volkswagen ID.4.

The Ariya is certainly more stylish than the Leaf, proving genuinely appealing inside and out. There are ultra-slim LED headlights up front, with a contrasting light blade at the rear. It gets animated indicators, two-tone paint schemes and strikingly large wheels. Importantly for some, it ushers in a new design ethos and it looks different from other Nissan models you can buy. In the metal it’s a little futuristic, while the interior is spacious and looks fabulous, especially at night.

There’s also a coupe-ish shape that’s proving popular with SUV buyers. Rather than a traditional two-door coupe silhouette, such as a BMW 2 Series, it’s a five-door SUV with a sloping roof line. It’s full of sculpted lines to help break up the fact it is a bit gelatinous in shape. These lines get a bit lost in dark colours though.

You get the choice of 63kWh and 87kWh batteries and a range between 250 miles and 329 miles. Two trim levels are available – Advance and top-spec Evolve – and there’s a four-wheel-drive e-4orce model that has more power and far better traction.

Click through the next few pages to read everything you need to know about the Nissan Ariya including its practicality, how much it costs to run, what it’s like to drive – and whether we recommend buying one.