Nissan Ariya 2023 review: preview test

The Nissan Ariya SUV launches here in 2024, but ahead of its local on sale CarsGuide drove the electric vehicle for the first time in Australia at a special test track in Queensland.

Now, the Ariya Nissan gave us was the company's own evaluation vehicle - the car it had brought in from the United Kingdom to analyse and see how it performed in Australian conditions.

This car will also help Nissan decide what features should be included before confirming a price.

Read more about the Nissan Ariya

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So, I can tell you how the Ariya feels to drive at speeds up to 110km/h, how much room is in the cabin, including storage and boot space, but we can only speculate on pricing and which variants we’ll get because not even Nissan knows yet - or so the executives say.

Fear not! You’re in professional hands and we have a very good idea about how much the Ariya will cost, which models will come and their features, the batteries and motors they’ll have, even how far you’ll be able to drive on a full charge.

Ready? Let’s do this.    

Price and features – Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?

How much does the Ariya cost? Well, Nissan hasn’t announced pricing at this stage and won’t until much closer to the car's launch in 2024, but we think the list price will be close to $70,000.

How do we know this? We’ve zeroed in on the $70K mark because the Ariya’s direct rival is the Tesla Model Y which starts at $69,300 and tops out at $98,855 for the most powerful version.

Nissan would be barmy to price the Ariya higher than the Model Y and the company would also know Tesla could drop its prices in anticipation of the Ariya’s launch. 

Nissan hasn’t announced pricing for the Ariya at this stage.

What about the models in the line-up? Going by what’s offered in the UK, the Australian Ariya line-up could have two grades - an entry model and a fancy top-of-the-range version.

There will likely be a choice of two battery sizes as well as availability of an all-wheel drive version. 

So, with all that taken into account it’s likely the top-spec AWD could come in at about $90K.

We estimate that the Ariya will cost close to ,000.

That’s Nissan Patrol money for a mid-sized SUV, but it’s also not overly expensive given electric vehicles are still extremely costly to build and that extra spend is then passed onto the buyer in the asking price.

As for the features, well, in the UK the entry grade Ariya comes standard with dual-zone climate control, two 12.3-inch screens for media and the driver’s instruments, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav and a wireless phone charger.

There are also LED headlights and 19-inch alloys wheels on the overseas version. 

Upfront of the Ariya are two 12.3-inch screens for media and the driver

Multimedia has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and sat-nav.

The Ariya features a wireless phone charger.

There are LED headlights on the overseas version of the Ariya.

The Ariya wears19-inch alloys wheels.

EV Specs for Nissan Ariya 2023

Drivetrain	N/A
Battery capacity	(kWh) N/A
Battery type	N/A
Range	(WLTP or NEDC) N/A
Plug type	N/A
DC charge rate	(kW) N/A
AC charge rate	(kW) N/A
Motor output	(kW/Nm) N/A
Efficiency	(x.x kWh/100km) N/A

Complete Guide to Nissan Ariya

Design – Is there anything interesting about its design?

The Ariya is a mid-sized SUV, about 4.6m long, which is close to the same length as a Toyota RAV4 but its styling is very different to the SUV norm.

The Ariya looks like a hatchback that's eaten another car with that big, bloated face and puffed-out wheel arches. But somehow, this SUV looks stunning, in an intriguing way.

The Ariya measures in at 4.6m in length.

The cabin is also beautifully odd in places such as the climate controls which illuminate out of the wood-like dashboard. But then there are more familiar elements such as the screens for media and driver's instruments.

Yep, the Ariya’s design treads the line between avant garde and everyday that makes it interesting without scaring people off.

Tesla’s Model Y is a direct rival to the Ariya, only about 10mm longer and has its own quirky, but very-Tesla interior that’s far more futuristic than the Nissan’s relatively traditional layout. 

The Ariya's climate controls illuminate out of the wood-like dashboard.

Explore the 2023 Nissan Ariya Range

Nissan Ariya 2023 review: preview test

Practicality – How practical is its space and tech inside?

Leading up to the Australian preview of the Ariya I’d heard it was outstanding for space given its not-so-large exterior dimensions.

For the most part I found this to be true. Legroom in the second row is excellent, even for me at 188cm tall. Headroom back there isn’t as good as I expected with almost no room to place a hand between my noggin and the ceiling.

The flat floor in the second row creates more space and makes sliding from one side of the car to the other across the rear bench seat easy.

The sliding centre console is great for making more legroom for the unlucky middle seat passenger in the second row.

Up front there’s a large storage container Nissan calls the ‘Magic Box.’

Up front there’s a large storage container Nissan calls the ‘Magic Box’ probably because it retracts neatly into the dashboard, although not due to any actual magic.

The sliding centre console is great for making more legroom for the unlucky middle seat passenger in the second row and offers superb covered storage. But it’s electric and as slow as a turtle, or a tortoise, I forget which one has legs.

Hyundai, Peugeot and other brands have these, too, but are manually operated.

Legroom in the second row is excellent.

The rear doors open wide making this an easy car to get in and out of, too.

The boot isn’t enormous. Nissan says it has a cargo capacity of 466 litres but those aren’t the VDA litres other brands such as Toyota uses, rather ‘liquid’ litres which is handy if you absolutely need to know exactly how much milk you’re able to pour into there. The load lip on the boot is also high, and will mean you’ll have to hoist items up and into it. 

The Ariya is still very practical, but the hype was overstated I think.

Nissan says the Ariya has a cargo capacity of 466 litres.

Under the bonnet – What are the key stats for its motor?

Nissan hasn’t announced the motor specs for Australian Ariyas. But in the UK the Ariya can be had with a 63kWh battery and a motor sending 160kW/300Nm to the front wheels, or a bigger 87kWh battery version with the motor making 178kW/300Nm.  

There’s an all-wheel drive called the 'e-4orce' with the 87kWh battery and two motors (one on each axle) making a total of 225kW/600Nm. 

We might get all these versions or just some… we’ll probably know towards the end of this year.  

In the UK the Ariya can be had with a 63kWh or 87kWh battery.

Efficiency – What is its driving range? What is its charging time?

Nissan was still evaluating the Ariya for Australia at the time this preview was published and had not determined the ranges or energy consumption for the vehicle locally.

What I can tell you is in Europe the 63kWh battery offers a 403 km range, while the 87kWh gives you a more substantial 533km range. The all-wheel drive version offers a 500km range. 

The efficiency figures for the European cars are also indicative of those we could expect. The 63kWh battery version is claimed to consume 17.6kWh/100km and for the FWD Ariya with the 87kWh battery that figure rises to 18.1kWh/100km.

In Europe the 63kWh battery offers a 403 km range, while the 87kWh offers a 533km range.

Driving – What's it like to drive?

This was the first time the Ariya had been driven in Australia. Okay, sure, we were only allowed to do so at a test track and not on public roads. And, yes, the car we drove was an overseas version given to us to test by Nissan.

But the opportunity meant we could get a hint of what it might be like to drive in the real world.

Plus, we could drive it at 110km/h, which is about 30km/h faster than the maximum allowed for CarsGuide colleague Stephen Corby when he first drove the Ariya for us in Sweden, thanks to the overly cautious speed limits in that country. 

This was the first time the Ariya had been driven in Australia.

We drove the FWD Ariya with the larger 87kWh battery.

First impression is the Ariya is an easy car to drive, smooth thanks to the electric powertrain with good (but no ludicrous) acceleration.

Handling and brakes are excellent, while steering has a nice weight to it but remains light and accurate.

First impression is the Ariya is an easy car to drive.

At higher speeds there’s wind noise but that’s only noticeable because there’s no engine to drown out the sound of the air rushing past.

The test track we drove the Ariya on was a course bitumen loop that approximated Australian road surfaces and the Ariya felt comfortable and stable at all times no matter what the speed.

So, an easy car to drive that’s comfortable and handles well, with good acceleration but not outstandingly quick compared to a Tesla Model Y. 

The Ariya's handling and brakes are excellent.

Safety – What safety equipment is fitted? What is its safety rating?

The Ariya won't go on sale in Australia until next year and hasn’t been given an ANCAP assessment yet. But ANCAP will likely adopt the maximum five-star rating the car scored in its Euro NCAP test. We will have to wait and see.

That means the Ariya will arrive with AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, plus rear AEB. There’s lane keeping assistance and a 360-degree camera, too.

The Ariya hasn’t been given an ANCAP assessment yet.

Ownership – What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs?

We’d expect the Ariya to be covered by the same five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty Nissan Australia applies to all its vehicles.

The battery will likely be covered by a separate eight year/160,000km warranty just like the Nissan Leaf EV.

Service pricing will be available once the car's final specification is settled.

We’d expect the Ariya to be covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Pricing & Specs Insurance Quote

Verdict