Let’s party with Nissan Ariya

Ariya will be Nissan’s first electric Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) when it goes on sale in the United States later in the year. The compact SUV has a starting price around $40,000. If the 2022 Ariya is any indication, Nissan’s future is promising. The Ariya’s styling is clean inside and out, and there’s a sensible use of technology, reports TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO with agency addition.

The 2022 Nissan Ariya is an all-electric crossover SUV that will go on sale at the end of 2021. Prices will start around $40,000 for the base model that features a 63-kWh battery. Nissan will also offer an 87-kWh battery that is projected to return 300 miles of range. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive (Nissan calls it “e-4orce”) will be available with both batteries.

Importantly, the 2022 Ariya marks a turning point for Nissan. The brand has been revamped, moving forward with a sophisticated design philosophy that appears to be more thoughtfully executed. There’s even a new Nissan logo.

Power output ranges from 215 to 389 horsepower depending on the battery size and whether it’s front- or all-wheel drive. The Ariya’s torque output ranges from 221 to 443 lb-ft.

The Ariya will come with a full suite of active safety and driver assistance systems, including Nissan’s answer to Tesla’s Autopilot, which it calls ProPILOT Assist v2.0. Under certain conditions—primarily divided highways that aren’t too twisty—ProPILOT will allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel. Like Cadillac’s Super Cruise, the Ariya has a monitoring system that attempts to ascertain whether the driver is paying attention to the road ahead.

Interestingly, Nissan’s spec sheet said the Ariya will have DC fast-charger capability using the Combined Charging System (CCS). This is different from the CHAdeMO-style connector Nissan has been using on its Leaf EV. Nissan says the Ariya can fast-charge up to a rate of 130 kW, which is enough to replenish 80 per cent of range in only 20 minutes.

The battery, platform, and motors were all developed under the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, foreshadowing the potential Renault-ification of the Ariya for other markets.

The Ariya will also offer a version of the Nissan Leaf’s e-pedal that allows the driver to accelerate, decelerate and stop by using only the accelerator pedal. This one-pedal driving system helps to alleviate fatigue in heavy traffic.

Another interesting note is how the SUV’s regenerative braking is tuned; Nissan said the Ariya could be brought to a complete stop without depressing the brake pedal, thanks to the drag from the regenerative-braking system, but customer feedback revealed this pseudo-autonomy proved a bit unnatural. As a result, engineers designed a small amount of creep into the setup.

For years, the Leaf has been one of the most affordable electric cars available. With the Ariya’s Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) body style and range of up to 300 miles, however, Nissan says to expect a base price of around $40,000. Even though that’s many thousands above the base Leaf, the Ariya’s pricing may actually prove to be competitive with upcoming competitors including Chevy’s electric SUV and the Volkswagen ID4.

Ariya’s stark interior design is similar to Tesla’s simple horizontal dash. But rather than use a large vertical center screen, Nissan went with two wide screens in a single and striking glass ribbon that is similar to Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX infotainment system. Capacitive-touch climate control buttons are integrated into the lower wood (or a very convincing wood-substitute) trim.

Less noticeable but no less noteworthy is the almost flat floor and delicately perforated metal trim element that separates the driver’s footwell from the front passenger’s. The centre console holds the “gear selector” and can also slide forward or back to suit the driver’s preference. Nissan’s praiseworthy Zero Gravity seats are also present.

In addition to the typically advanced safety features contained within Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 suite, the Ariya will offer ProPilot 2.0. This next-generation semi-automated driving system promises hands-free driving on single-lane highways. The driver will still need to pay attention to the road, and sensors will disable the system if the driver is distracted.

Voice control should be able to make up for the lack of physical buttons, and Amazon Alexa control and monitoring are included. The system will also evolve over time thanks to over-the-air-updates. Apple CarPlay and Android will also be included.

In Southwest Nigeria, Ariya means merriment and Nissan Ariya will definitely thrilled partygoers.

Nissan’s stated cargo capacity is similar to what drivers would expect from a family sedan rather than a small SUV. The front-wheel-drive Ariya can accommodate up to 16.5 cubic feet of cargo, while the all-wheel-drive variant drops to 14.6 cubic feet. Presumably, these figures represent what’s behind the second-row seats. Drivers can fold down the rear seats to open up additional cargo space.

Interior storage doesn’t appear to be generous from the pictures — it’s limited to the armrest bin, a smaller bin next to the shifter, and some moderately sized door pockets.

With the lion’s share of mechanical gubbins left on the shelf, the 2022 Nissan Ariya makes strong use of the flat-floor design to maximise passenger comfort. To round out the Blade Runner vibe, Nissan did its best to eliminate physical buttons from the interior, instead of functioning with a suite of haptic touch panels that operate the climate control and drive selection. For regular infotainment duties and for the gauge cluster, dual 12.3-inch screens dominate the dash, presumably loaded with enough requisite techy features to woo Silicon Valley types.