The five-seat electric crossover overcomes delays and the arrival of newcomers to distinguish itself from the Volkswagen ID.4, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Hyundai Ioniq 5 with a warm, inviting interior and a loaded feature set.
The Nissan Ariya is the best crossover SUV produced by Nissan in a long time, and its excellent standard features, upscale interior, and superlative use of interior space beat rival electric crossovers in those categories. That offsets its mid-pack range and performance (at least in front-wheel-drive form to boost it to a TCC Rating of 8.6 out of 10, pending crash-test results. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
The Ariya is new for 2023, and it represents Nissan’s second and best electric vehicle behind the aging Nissan Leaf hatchback that started this whole electric thing more than a decade ago.
Nissan welcomes electric vehicle shoppers with a five-seat crossover meant to behave as familiarly as an internal combustion car but without all the tailpipe emissions. Sized like the compact Nissan Rogue, the Ariya has a cabin as spacious as the mid-size Nissan Murano, and it takes advantage of the clean sheet approach afforded by its electric platform. With wood trim, twin 12.3-inch screens, and an uncluttered dash, it’s also the nicest Nissan interior on the market.
Performance with single-motor front-wheel-drive versions is adequate, and as such the Ariya makes 214 hp with the smaller 63-kwh (usable) battery pack or 238 hp with the larger 87-kwh pack. Adding e-4orce all-wheel drive and its dual-motor layout bumps output to 335 hp with the smaller pack or 389 hp with the larger one. EPA driving range spans from as little as 205 miles with the smaller pack and all-wheel drive up to 304 miles for some versions with the larger pack and front-wheel drive. DC fast-charging to 80% on the CCS protocol favored in North America takes about 40 minutes, or Level 2 home charging takes up to 14 hours. An independent suspension tends to bound more than other electric crossovers, but overall it’s quiet, calm, and tuned for comfort.
Nissan extends the comfort with heated power front seats that are covered in synthetic leather on most trims. A power-sliding center console adds both refinement and versatility, as well as an available wireless smartphone charger. In back, the heated rear seats with ample leg room fold flat to expand the cargo area to nearly 60 cubic feet, with the tiered cargo floor on its lowest setting.
A hands-free driving system similar to GM’s Super Cruise debuts on the Nissan Ariya’s top trims, but Nissan equips all Ariyas with all kinds of standard driver-assist tech, from automatic emergency braking to adaptive cruise control. We’ll update this once the IIHS and the NHTSA crash-test the Ariya.
How much does the 2023 Nissan Ariya cost?
The Ariya comes in a vast lineup with five trim levels in front-wheel-drive form and four with all-wheel drive. Among them are the two battery pack options. The entry-level Engage trim is the only model using the 63-kwh battery pack, and it costs $44,485, including the $1,295 destination fee. It’s loaded with standard features, including twin 12.3-inch screens with wireless Apple CarPlay as well as heated front and rear seats covered in synthetic leather. Nissan dials some of the feature content back for the $48,485 Venture+ trim that serves as the base model for the 87-kwh battery pack, but it steps up features in the Evolve+ and Empower+ trims before topping out in the $55,985 Premiere trim.
The AWD versions are effectively a $4,000 upsell, starting at the $48,485 Engage version and topping out with the $61,485 Platinum+ version.
Where is the 2023 Nissan Ariya made?
In Nissan’s Tochigi Plant, near Tokyo, Japan. Nissan’s Canton, Miss., plant will make two new EVs in 2025—one of them already previewed in a sedan-like shape. Nissan hasn’t disclosed if North American production of the Ariya will shift to Canton, or Smyrna, Tenn., where the Leaf is made.
#Nissan #Ariya #Prices #Photos #Reviews #Specs
