Nissan recently announced its first all-electric crossover, scheduled to hit the U.S. market in 2021. The Nissan Ariya was revealed to a global audience during a live-streamed event in Yokohama, Japan, by CEO Makoto Uchida and Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta.
“The Ariya, a key model in Nissan’s plan to roll out ten new models in 20 months, demonstrates our commitment to meeting customer demand for crossovers with the most advanced electrified, automated, and connected technologies,” Gupta said.
Even though the Ariya is new territory for Nissan, the automaker has a decade of experience manufacturing electric vehicles. The 2010 Nissan Leaf was the company’s first mass-marketed electric vehicle selling over 500,000 units to date. “The company expects sales of its EVs and e-POWER electrified models to be more than one million units a year by the end of fiscal 2023,” Gupta continued. “The Ariya will play a significant role in attaining that goal.”
Is The Nissan Ariya All-Wheel Drive?
The Ariya is available in a two-wheel drive (2WD) version and a new “e-4ORCE” all-wheel drive variant. The long-range 2WD model has a range of approximately 300 miles, based on Nissan’s preliminary estimate. Buyers will also have the option of two different size batteries.
Sportscar Performance In a Crossover
The Nissan Ariya has been designed to perform like a sportscar. The all-wheel drive model will produce 388 horsepower and 443 lb-ft. of torque. Gupta claimed to journalists in an online meeting that the Ariya will be able to hit 60 in about five seconds. This performance is similar to Nissan’s 370Z sports car.
In addition to the Ariya’s performance, Nissan claims the vehicle’s handling is optimized by the almost 50:50 front/rear weight distribution. Another benefit to the vehicle’s handling, according to Nissan, is the battery pack located beneath the floor.
Nissan Ariya Technology
Nissan has replaced most of the buttons and switches previously used to adjust settings such as the climate control and stereo in the Ariya with touch-sensitive icons illuminated on the dashboard. The new Ariya will also include Amazon Alexa as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Safety & Security
The new Ariya is available with ProPILOT Assist 2.0 and Nissan’s Safety Shield 360. The latter package includes:
- High Beam Assist
- Blind Spot Warning
- Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
- Rear Automatic Braking
- Lane Departure Warning
Nissan’s Around View Monitor and Intelligent Forward Collision Warning are also available on the Ariya.
Nissan Ariya: Pricing & Availability
The all-new Nissan Ariya is scheduled to hit the market in Japan in mid-2021. Following the release in Japan, the Ariya will be available in the United States and Canada. Ariya pricing will start at around $40,000 in the U.S. market.
Born and raised in the Motor City by an autoworker’s family, Michael Turashoff has a love of cars woven into his DNA. Michael is a professional content creator, marketing expert, and successful entrepreneur with over a decade of experience.
Nissan Ariya Gallery
Photos & Source: Nissan North America.
