Nissan Ariya Review: Is this electric SUV more style than substance?

Nissan’s first all-electric crossover delivers on its lofty ambitions

Nissan have an impressive pedigree when it comes to building popular family cars. The Qashqai has been one of the UK’s best-sellers over the past decade and for good reason.

The success of which created plenty of excitement for the announcement of Nissan's first electric crossover, the Ariya.

Bigger and wider than the Qashqai, it’s a notable step up from the family favourite and it’s gunning for the likes of the Tesla Model Y, Skoda Enyaq, Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ford Mustang Mach-e. Tough competition.

We’ve been behind the wheel of an 87kWh Evolve, the top-spec option available in the range to see how it compares.

What did we drive?

Model: 178kW Evolve 87kWh 22kWCh

Transmission: Automatic

Power: Electric (HP)    

Colour: Warm Silver with Pearl Black roof and door mirrors

Wheels: 19-inch alloy wheels with aero cover

OTR: from £46,145*

Price of model driven: £57,925*

*Prices correct at the time of publication

Price

The entry-level Nissan Ariya starts from just over £46,000, but you’re looking at the smaller battery pack and the Advance trim level.

The default competitor for any electric SUV is the Tesla Model Y, where the Rear-Wheel Drive variant is priced just below the Ariya at £44,990 and offers slightly more range at 283 miles (compared to 250 miles).

This can rise to at least £58,590 e-4ORCE 87kWh Evolve, which does edge out the Model Y Performance. The Nissan offers some small savings, but you do lose all of five miles of claimed range, with the latter only offering 314 miles compared to the 319 on offer in the Tesla.

As Tesla and Nissan do battle, the biggest winner is arguably Skoda. The Enyaq iV 80x SportLine Plus is priced just below £51,000 and can match the Model Y on range at 319 miles.

Given the generous kit list that comes as standard, some of the entry levels models are where you’re going to find the best value for money.

If you’ve got your heart set on an Ariya and would prefer the option to pay monthly, a Nissan Ariya lease deal allows you to do just that. Enjoy a more affordable driving experience with fixed monthly payments and flexible lease terms designed around you.

Batteries, electric range & charging

The Nissan Ariya offers a choice of two batteries and depending on your needs, you might prefer one over the other.

The first is the smaller (though still reasonable) 63kWh battery pack. Here you sacrifice a little on the claimed range, where Nissan claim that this battery will do up to 250 miles on a full charge.

If you require more range from your next car lease, you can upgrade to the 87kWh battery pack. This takes the range up to an impressive 314 miles.

For that added performance you will be required to sacrifice on charging times. Naturally, the bigger battery will take longer to charge. The Ariya can be charged at up to 130kW and will take approximately 10 hours when plugged in at a 7kW home charger.

If you can plug yourself into a public rapid charger, you’ll see the Ariya go from 20-80% in around 40 minutes, depending on your battery size.

Drive

The Ariya delivers a comfortable drive. There’s a sufficient level of support in the driving position and comfort levels throughout the vehicle are good.

However, the ride is firmer than most. It’s manageable and very much dependent on where you’re driving but can be particularly noticeable at times.

It’s not perfect. Though Nissan have done a good job of limiting cross-wind and road noise, the Ariya does feature one of the more prominent ‘electric hums’. It’s something that soon fades into the background, but it does stand out, to begin with.

You have three different driving modes to choose from; eco, standard and sport. There’s also the e-pedal which can be turned on and off as you wish. This allows for regen braking and a gentle creep when at lower speeds.

There’s a nice balance in the braking, it’s firm enough to be utilised for regen, but also not too grabby, which wouldn’t be comfortable in an EV of this size. It’s nowhere near as strong as something like a Tesla Model Y, for example.

Its steering is reassuringly weighty. I wouldn’t describe it as agile, but there’s enough freedom to give a vehicle of this stature the agility it needs.

We averaged 3 miles per kWh during our time reviewing the Ariya, giving us a real-world range of just over 260 miles. I’m confident this could be much closer to 300 miles, if not exceed that in optimal conditions with more consistent frugal driving.

Design & Interior

Nissan have made some fantastic strides forward with the Ariya. Despite the size of the vehicle, the swooping lines and the soft curves make the car feel more compact and closer to that of a Qashqai, without losing any presence.

The quality of the interior is up there with the best in its class, too. In what is a well-thought-out and spacious cabin, there are plenty of high-quality suede materials. A wood effect finish on the dash complemented what was a bright and airy cabin.

It looks minimalist but detailed at the same time. The way the buttons have been embedded into the dashboard is seamless and looks classy. How practical they are - we’ll come onto that later - but it looks fantastic.

One area that is letting the Ariya down is the air condition and particularly the design of the vents, once opened, they disrupt the clean flowing lines across the dash and you’re left staring at open air vents – making the car look unfinished in a way.

Rather than a single floor mat, our Ariya included the Exclusive Mat (an optional extra for £315), which spans the width of the cabin. We say mat, it felt more like a carpet, it was that soft and fluffy! It was a lovely, unexpected touch and made for a very comfortable driving experience.

Space & Practicality

In the rear, there’s 466L of boot space. It’s competitive enough for this class but there are now too many rivals that offer better alternatives.

The Tesla Model Y remains the class leader in this area with a huge amount of space on offer at 854L, but you could also consider a Volkswagen ID.4, which has 543L and comes in below the Ariya’s price range.

The space you do have is very practical, however. There’s plenty of hooks and tie down points, plus the floor is divided in two to allow for flexible options.

Elsewhere in the cabin, you have an adjustable centre console, a fold out laptop/tablet stand and a decent sized glovebox and door bins. There’s also ISOFIX points in the outer rear seats and the anchorage points in the front seat too.

It’s a comforting place to be and with the addition of the panoramic sunroof, you couldn’t ask for more natural light.

Technology

Its technology is probably the Ariya’s biggest weakness area. It’s by no means a poor offering, but it’s not as advanced as some of its rivals.

You get a great amount of kit as standard. There’s wireless charging, two USB ports – one standard and one type C - a 360 degree round view camera and Google Maps services.

The quality of the rear-view cameras are impressive and offer great clarity when trying you’re trying to park.

The Nissan Ariya is also one of the many cars that include wireless Apple CarPlay and there is also wired Android Auto too.

The actual display itself just looks dated in comparison to something like a Model Y, or even a Kia Niro.

It’s responsive enough and easy to use on the move, it just simply doesn’t match the modern looks of the exterior. Nor is it as advanced as the possibilities that come with the Model Y’s system. Improvements here would make the Ariya a real stand out contender in this class.

Safety

Published back in 2022, the Nissan Ariya scored five stars during its Euro NCAP safety tests.

It was given an 86% score for an adult occupant and an 89% score for child occupants, as well as a 93% score in the safety assist category.

The Ariya offers a plethora of safety equipment as standard, including a rear-view camera, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree around-view monitor for peace of mind.

There’s also a host of driving assists included as safety, such as intelligent cruise control, intelligent lane keep assist and corner and junction speed assist.

Model lines & equipment

Nissan have kept things simple with the Ariya; two batteries, two trim levels and the option of a four-wheel drive variant.

Detailed below are some key highlights and differences between the Advance and the range-topping Evolve trim.

When including the four-wheel e-4ORCE option, both the Advance and Evolve trims are treated to the same visual changes.

Advance - £46,145

• 130kW DC CCS Charging Rate
• Automatic Dual Zone Climate Control
• 19” Alloy Wheels with Aero Covers
• ProPILOT Assist with Navi-Link
• 12.3” TFT Screen with 12.3” Navigation Screen
• 360° Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection
• On-board 22kW AC Charger (87kWh battery option only)

Evolve – from £50,140

(In addition to/replacement of Advance)

• Electric Panoramic Sunroof
• Power Moving Centre Console
• Ventilated (heated and cooled) front seats, with synthetic leather and Ultrasuede
• 10 Bose Speakers
• Intelligent Key with Memory function (Seats, Mirrors, Steering Wheel, A-IVI settings)
• On-board 22kW AC Charger (87kWh battery option only)

e-4ORCE – from £54,595

(In addition/replacement of Advance & Evolve)

• e-4ORCE All Wheel Drive drivetrain with Snow Mode
• Front e-4ORCE entry guards
• Rear e-4ORCE badge
• Dark Chrome Window Mouldings

Verdict

The Nissan Ariya is a fantastic addition to the electric SUV sector – it looks modern and futuristic and offers a viable alternative to the likes of Tesla or the trio of German heavyweights.

The best value is likely to come lower in the Ariya range, where the combination of a smaller battery and decent kit list makes it an enticing option.

Its touchscreen is one of the few elements holding it back from being a real contender with the very best in this class.

However, the quality on display within the interior is impressive and matched with a decent drive and competitive space, it’s an electric car lease that is worth shortlisting.