Following the debut of Nissan’s Ariya prototype in 2019 in Tokoyo, the company promised a powerful production model of the electric vehicle. Now the Japanese automaker is making good with its promise.
According to Ashwani Gupta, Nissan’s chief operating officer, the Ariya will have a 0 to 60 mph time of about 5 seconds. It will use a twin motor powertrain and offer two battery packs options, 63 kWh and 87 kWh. Very little information has been released by Nissan regarding the range of the smaller of the two batteries, but the 87 kWh battery is expected to offer a range of 300 miles for the all-wheel-drive configuration. It will be available in two or four-wheel drive and come equipped with Nissan’s ProPilot Assist, allowing some hands-free driving on highways when laws allow.
The interior of the Ariya is quite spacious, which in part is due to the absence of an engine taking up ample space under the hood. In turn resulting in the placement of things, like air conditioning, less invasive making for a roomier vehicle. In addition, the battery pack is mounted under the floor making its floor flat resulting in even more available space.
As for the exterior, a Nissan logo made up of 20 LED light can be seen in front of a Kumiko traditional 3D pattern found on the front grille. On the back end, an LED light bar is found in replacement of the taillights giving the vehicle a more sporty presentation. Buyers can choose from six two-tone paint combos, coming standard with a black roof, and three full-body colors.
Nissan plans for the Ariya to be available in Japan in mid 2021 with models available in the US just a year later. It will come with a starting price of $40,000 (USD).