Nissan Ariya review

We’re not entirely sure how an inanimate object can be ‘honourable’, but that’s the meaning of this electric SUV's name. The Nissan Ariya is the Japanese brand’s second proper electric car and its first new one in more than a decade. 

We say ‘proper’ because we’re not counting the Nissan e-NV200 Combi – that’s effectively a van with windows. We are, however, counting the Nissan Leaf (which was responsible for revolutionising the electric car). 

Why has it taken Nissan so long to launch a follow-up to the Leaf? Well, it’s fair to say that electric vehicles (EVs) didn’t take off as quickly as the company hoped. So, while the Leaf was undoubtedly a pioneer, the Ariya starts its life (we’re doing the personification now) on the back foot with a battalion of rivals to contend with.

Those rivals include regular boxy electric SUVs such as the Skoda Enyaq iV, coupé-shaped models including the Tesla Model Y and the Volvo C40, and slightly lower-riding cars like the Kia EV6 – which is a former What Car? Car of the Year.

The Ariya is available with a choice of two batteries, and two or four-wheel drive. The four-wheel-drive ‘e-4orce’ variant is pretty quick, matching the Ford Focus ST hot hatch's 0-62mph sprint time.

This review will tell you everything you need to know about the Nissan Ariya, including what it’s like to drive, its range between charges in real-world driving and how quickly you can top up the battery when you’re running low. We’ll also tell you which version we think makes the most sense.

We can also help you save a heap of cash off your chosen model if you search our free New Car Buying pages. They list lots of new electric car deals.

The Nissan Ariya's range between charges depends on which battery you choose. The cheapest 63kWh option can officially manage 250 miles on a full charge – just a few miles behind the Enyaq 60. That said, we’d expect 170-210 miles in the real world, depending on the weather.

If that’s not enough for your needs, the 87kWh battery is the one to go for. It pushes the cost up but also increases the official range to 329 miles. In our real-world winter range test it managed 269 miles, so expect close to 300 miles in the warmer summer months.

The Ariya is easy to drive smoothly thanks to its well-judged and predictable response to accelerator inputs. Both battery options come with a single electric motor as standard, which drives the front wheels. Acceleration isn’t particularly rapid by electric car standards, although it's still quicker than most petrol or diesel alternatives. In our tests, the 63kWh battery version managed to do 0-60mph in 7.6 seconds, with the 87kWh taking 8.3 seconds.

If you want faster acceleration, the 87kWh battery is available with two electric motors and four-wheel drive (called e-4orce by Nissan). That drops the official 0-62mph sprint time to 5.7 seconds and increase the top speed from 100mph to 124mph. However, the extra weight cuts the official range to 285 miles. A Model Y Long Range is even quicker and can officially travel 331 miles on a full charge.

The Ariya isolates occupants from speed bumps well enough, but tends to clomp clumsily over sharper bumps, and rocks you back and forth in your seat along faster roads. That’s on standard 19in wheels and with optional 20in rims things are amplified, so if ride comfort is a priority, take a look at the Enyaq or the Genesis GV60.

Things do improve in the e-4orce version, though, which comes with tweaked suspension to deal with the added weight of a second electric motor. As a result, it ends up being much calmer than the single-motor versions, with less of the pogoing effect.

Around town, the steering is light enough to make low-speed manoeuvres straightforward. However, at faster speeds, the steering has a tendency to weight up unnaturally, giving you less confidence than in the smoother-steering Enyaq and GV60. The Ariya also leans more than either of those rivals through tight twists and turners.

The response from the brake pedal isn't quite as smooth or predictable as in an EV6 or GV60, but it still deserves a special mention. In some electric cars it can be tricky to judge how hard to push the pedal to slow down smoothly because of the regenerative braking. In the Ariya, you don’t even make a conscious effort – it happens naturally, just as it should.

The Ariya is fairly hushed at town speeds – even by electric car standards – but there's more wind and road noise than in an Enyaq or GV60 at a steady 70mph. There's more road noise in versions with 20in alloys.

For anyone thinking of taking an electric SUV off road, the Ariya’s 170mm ground clearance is more generous than on the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the GV60 and the EV6. However, the nose is still too low for most shallow inclines and the road-biased tyres don’t generate much grip.

Meanwhile, the Ariya’s Snow drive mode, which is designed to help maintain traction in slippery conditions, simply cuts power to the driven wheels as soon as they slip rather than metering it out to maintain progress. As a result, you’re not going to get you very far off the beaten track (a Subaru Solterra is a more capable electric 4x4).

Driving overview

Strengths Easy to drive smoothly; good range of battery and performance options

Weaknesses Noisier than rivals at motorway speeds; unsettled ride

If there’s one thing that’ll really impress you about the Ariya, it’s the interior. It looks and feels surprisingly upmarket – especially when you consider that interior quality has long been an area of weakness for the smaller Nissan Leaf.

There's lots of soft-touch material on the top of the dashboard and on the insides of the doors, along with a big slab of what looks like wood across the dashboard face. The touch-sensitive air-con controls glow through it, and you press the dashboard to adjust the interior temperature. You get haptic feedback when you press them, but they're not as user-friendly as proper buttons and can be a little difficult to see in bright sunlight.

How about the driving position? In short, it’s mostly good. You’re well elevated above the road (more so than in the GV60 and the EV6) and the seat lines up neatly with the steering wheel and pedals. However, it's let down a bit by a central armrest that sits higher than the one on the door, leading to a crooked seating position when resting both your elbows. All models have electric seat adjustment, including for the lumbar region.

The elevated driving position means you're treated to a great view out of the front. Rear visibility is decent enough too, so you shouldn’t struggle when it comes to seeing out over your shoulder. As for parking, you get the added support of front and rear sensors, and a 360-degree bird’s eye view camera.

Regardless of which trim you go for, you’ll find a 12.3in digital display behind the steering wheel and a touchscreen infotainment system (of the same size) in the centre of the dashboard. The top-spec Evolve trim adds a clear windscreen head-up display.

Anyway, back to the infotainment. Disappointingly, it’s slow to boot up and features the same dated graphics as older Nissan set-ups, looking a tad fuzzy compared with the screens in most rivals. It’s certainly not as clear as the high-def touchscreen in the GV60 and the Model Y nor is the operating system as user-friendly as it is in those cars.

You get plenty of infotainment gadgets, though, including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, a DAB radio, built-in sat-nav, Amazon Alexa voice control and wireless phone-charging. The standard six-speaker sound system lacks punch, but the optional 10-speaker Bose system delivers much better sound quality.

Interior overview

Strengths Interior looks and feels upmarket; good visibility

Weaknesses Infotainment system could be sharper to use

Despite the Ariya’s sleek and stylish roofline, there’s a surprising amount of room inside. In fact, Nissan has maximised the space by using the Japanese concept of Ma or ‘the mastery of empty space’. There’s loads of space in the front, with enough head and leg room for really tall occupants. The car is wide enough that the chance of bashing elbows with the person sitting next to you is low.

For odds and ends, there’s a small cubby (and a wireless charging pad) under the centre armrest, plus a couple of cupholders and decent-sized door pockets. The glovebox is fairly small, but in Evolve trim models, you can press a button behind the gear lever and a tray is magically summoned from the middle of the dashboard. 

Nissan says this tray can be used for charging an iPad or as a desk for a small laptop, so you can do some work while waiting for the car to charge. It's not likely to have a huge impact on your life, but it’s a neat touch nonetheless.

The optional panoramic sunroof (standard on Evolve trim models) lowers the height of the ceiling slightly, to the point that six-footers in the back are likely to find there hair brushing the rooflining. Without the feature, rear head room is better than in the EV6 and GV60, though not the Skoda Enyaq.

Leg room, on the other hand, is hugely generous no matter which version you go for – broadly on a par with the Enyaq. The floor is flat so a middle rear passenger doesn’t have to splay their feet, as they would in a C40. 

When it comes to rear storage, you get a pair of cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest, storage pockets on the backs of the front seats and space for a drinks bottle in the door cubby.

The Arya’s rear seatbacks can be reclined by a small degree to improve long-distance comfort. For times when you need a little more luggage space, all versions come with 60/40 split-folding rear seats that lie almost flat, giving you a big extending load bay. All versions come with a powered tailgate, too.

On paper, the Ariya’s 466-litre boot falls short of some rivals, but we managed to fit eight carry-on suitcases below the load cover, matching the BMW iX1 and beating the seven we squeezed into the EV6.

Opting for the e-4orce four-wheel-drive version reduces that space to 408 litres – about the same size as the C40’s boot. If boot space is a top priority, take a look at the Enyaq (585 litres).

Practicality overview

Strengths Plenty of space for occupants

Weaknesses Optional panoramic roof eats into head room; 4x4 version loses boot space

As a cash buy, the cheapest Nissan Ariya in Engage trim costs less than all its rivals. In our preferred Advance trim level, it’s competitively priced against the Enyaq and the Model Y. An iX1 or a GV60 costs significantly more, and that’s before you take into account any discounts.

If you go down the PCP finance route, you might find that the Ariya is cheaper than most of those rivals – although this varies on a monthly basis as manufacturers adjust APR rates and offer various incentives.

We reckon the 87kWh battery is worth the premium over the 63kWh version, because it gives you a considerably longer range. Entry-level Engage trim comes with the 12.3in infotainment touchscreen, parking aids, fabric upholstery, LED headlights, dual-zone climate control and a heat pump (for more efficient warming of the interior).

Advance trim adds heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, heated front windscreen, powered tailgate, wireless phone-charging and rear privacy glass.

Top-spec Evolve trim adds even more bells and whistles, including ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a panoramic glass sunroof, a head-up display and an upgraded Bose stereo system. However, at that price, the Ariya no longer seems such a good deal.

Unfortunately, the Ariya can't charge as rapidly as some electric cars. It can accept a maximum of 130kW from a CCS public charging station. That's on a par with the iX1, but the EV6, the GV60 and the Model Y can all accept well over 200kW.

In ideal conditions, the 63kWh version of the Ariya takes just over half an hour to charge from 10-80%. The larger 87kWh battery will take around 35 minutes. A 7kW home wall box should deliver a 0-100% charge in about 10 hours on the 63kWh model, and 14 hours on the 87kWh version.

The model scored five stars out of five for safety when it was tested by Euro NCAP. However, a closer examination of the scores shows that the EV6 and GV60 did a slightly better job of protecting child and adult occupants in a simulated crash. 

Every Ariya has an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system that can detect cars, stationary objects, pedestrians and cyclists, as well as lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert (to warn you of the presence of other vehicles when you’re reversing). 

We don’t have any reliability data on the Ariya, but the Leaf was reported to be one of the most dependable electric cars in the 2022 What Car? Reliability Survey. Nissan as a brand didn’t fare so well, claiming joint 25th place out of the 32 manufacturers, below Kia, Tesla and Volvo.

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Costs overview

Strengths Well-equipped

Weaknesses Plenty of faster-charging rivals