• Battery efficiency is good, but not class-leading
• Claimed range up to 329 miles
• Supports rapid charging up to 130kW

How much is it going to cost to run?

How much the Ariya costs to run comes down to where you charge it. Public charging for electric cars is expensive, especially if you want to use rapid or ultra-rapid charge points, and you don’t have an up-front subscription. Do it at home overnight and choose a low-cost tariff – or just charge for free at work – and the picture changes radically.

Also, its excellent MPP figure of 4.9 - 10.3 is a boon, as are the huge tax savings that go hand-in-hand with electric cars (for now).

Range and charging

The 63kWh Ariya gets a 7kW charger for home connections and the 87kWh versions come with a 22kW three-phase set-up, where the home (or more likely work) set-up can deliver this. The good news is that unlike the Leaf it uses the common CCS charger set-up, and can support rapid public charging of up to 130kW. That’s good, but still some way off the 350kW capability of the Kia EV6.

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The entry Ariya 63kWh Advance model makes a claimed 250 miles on the official WLTP test, while the larger 87kWh version improves that to 329 miles. The higher-power twin-motor e-4orce, on the other hand, travels 285 miles in official tests. That puts it on a par with the Volkswagen Group (Skoda Enyaq, Audi Q4 and VW ID.4) but behind Hyundai-Kia (Ioniq 5, EV6 and Genesis GV60) rivals. It’s certainly more efficient than the Toyota bZ4x and Subaru Solterra.

With 130kW rapid charging on offer, the fastest public charge points will give you an 20-80% top-up of the battery in around 30 minutes. At home, it’s easily charged up overnight, and Nissan will help you purchase a wallbox thanks to its partnership with E.ON Drive and PodPoint.

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Servicing and warranty

Because it’s an EV, it should be much easier to keep an Ariya on the road than a traditional SUV with an engine under the bonnet. An electric motor requires little maintenance, so owners only need to worry about consumables such as tyres and brake pads come service time.

Nissan delivers every new Ariya with a three-year (or 60,000-mile – whatever comes first) vehicle warranty. The battery pack and electric motor are covered for eight years or 100,000 miles. These are okay, but lag behind Kia, MG, Hyundai and Toyota.

Reliability

• Overall, Nissan reliability is rated highly
• EV powertrain has fewer mechanical parts… 
• …which means there’s less to go wrong in theory

The Nissan Ariya is a recent addition to the market, but if the performance of the Leaf is anything to go by, it’s going to be a reliable choice. That car’s owners are happy to share tales of problem-free driving in keeping with Nissan’s claims of a 94% customer satisfaction rate. Let’s see if the younger car follows the same pattern.