Nissan Ariya review: The best electric SUV from Japan?
A TEST REPORT from Dominic Lux 
on July 01, 2023, 7:00 | Write a comment
With the Nissan Ariya, the Japanese are finally bringing a competitive electric car onto the market. It's an SUV through and through, but it's still a really good electric car. Next to the Honda E. in the small car segment, the Nissan Ariya is definitely the best choice from Japan when it comes to an electric SUV.
The Nissan Ariya is a very good car as a whole. It's also a good electric car. It offers all the features one would want in a modern car. In addition to numerous assistance systems, there are also many gimmicks (such as the second electric glove compartment) and a sliding center console. Unfortunately, the infotainment still seems a bit expandable - at least as far as the resolution of the display is concerned, it is not quite up to date. But you can still reach and operate everything easily.
The processing quality is typically Japanese. Everything is processed in very good quality in the interior. The seats are comfortable and thanks to Nissan's "Zero Gravity" technology you feel like you're on a space station, at least as far as the height of the seats is concerned. However, the quality of the 360-degree camera is not up to date. It is still sufficient for parking.
Fast charging is possible with 130 kW at peak, AC it even manages 22 kW as standard. This means that it is actually well equipped for both the urban charging station and for long distances. But if you plan to take longer trips, you might want to look at the larger battery version.
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Test report as video
What could be (even) better?
In general, the Nissan Ariya is very well positioned in many areas. But among other things, the 360-degree camera mentioned could be significantly higher resolution, especially in 2023. The infotainment display isn't the sharpest on the market either. Furthermore, the operation feels like pressing on a glass pane in front of a display. That could definitely be changed in future Nissan models.
Faster loading would be desirable
Yes, 130kW at peak is good for everyday use. But not even close to the 250kW, which eg a comparable Tesla Model Y offers. But this offers just fewer features in the interior. From 20 to 80 Procent, Nissan specifies a charging time of about 35 minutes. With a charging peak of 150kW or more, shorter times would of course have been possible. But these specifications come from the common Renault platform. So Renault would have to work on their platform a bit.
Illuminated Nissan logo possible unique selling point
In Japan and the US, the Nissan logo is front lit. In my opinion, that would be another unique selling point for the Ariya. According to insider information, the illuminated logo seems to be installed with us as well. Only one cable should not be plugged in behind the front apron. Of course, if you connect this, the operating license should expire. But now illuminated logos are allowed on the front or rear.
Prices
Our test car with the Evolve Pack was around 58.000 euros (incl. 19% VAT). That is of course a proud sum, but the buyer really gets a lot of space and a lot of car for the price. In the small version, i.e. with front-wheel drive, the electric motor still delivers an impressive 160 kW. That would be 218 hp in old currency. It feels comfortable under acceleration and you can definitely get up to country road speeds from a standstill.
In terms of price, the Ariya starts at 47.490 euros (incl. 19% VAT) in the basic configuration.
