Nissan Ariya should become the Qashqai of electric SUVs [UPDATE: prijzen bekend]

And by that we mean, of course, the huge sales success of the Nissan Qashqai in Europe. Because Nissan expects a lot from the new Ariya and immediately brings no fewer than four versions on the market. The Nissan Ariya prices start at 47,390 euros.

In October 2019, we saw a pre-announcement of the Nissan Ariya at the Tokyo Motor Show. In addition, it is nice to see that the final production car is surprisingly similar to the concept car. Nissan consistently calls the Ariya a coupé SUV, but that seems a bit exaggerated to us. It’s funny to see how various car manufacturers deal with the fact that electric cars don’t need a grille. Tesla simply omits the grille completely, but Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan also give their plug models an illusion of a grille. Nissan calls it a shield. Behind it are the sensors of the semi-autonomous driving assistants.

Nissan Ariya should become the Qashqai of electric SUVs

No buttons and switches

The Nissan Ariya – which is 20 centimeters longer than the Nissan Qashqai – seats five people. The driver looks out over a minimalist dashboard, which Nissan proudly reports that there are “no buttons and switches” to be found. As if that is necessarily a positive development (read our column about it). The buttons you can see below the central infotainment screen are actually small touchscreens with haptic feedback; when the Nissan Ariya is turned off they cannot be seen. Nissan says it has made the front seats as slim as possible to create more space in the rear.

Nissan Ariya in four versions

As with virtually all EVs, the Nissan Ariya’s battery pack is located under the passenger compartment. Nissan offers four variants of the Ariya, two of which have four-wheel drive. See below for the overview:

Nissan Ariya 2WD 63 kWh – 218 hp, 300 Nm – 7.5 s to 100 km/h – top: 160 km/h – range: 360 km
Nissan Ariya 2WD 87 kWh – 242 hp, 300 Nm – 7.6 s to 100 km/h – top: 160 km/h – range: 500 km
Nissan Ariya 4WD 87 kWh – 306 hp, 600 Nm – 5.7 s to 100 km/h – top: 200 km/h – range: 460 km
Nissan Ariya 4WD 87 kWh Performance – 395 hp, 600 Nm – 5.1 s to 100 km/h – top 200 km/h – range: 400 km

Suitable for 130 kW fast charging

The 63 kWh versions come with a 7.4 kW home charger. Those with 87 kWh get a 22 kW 3-phase charger. According to Nissan, the Ariya is suitable for fast charging up to 130 kW. The manufacturer does not yet report how long it takes for the battery to be full again. Like the Nissan Leaf, the Ariya features the so-called e-Pedal. That means nothing more or less than that you can also brake to a standstill without using the brake. One-pedal driving, it is also called.