Nissan Ariya vs Toyota BZ4X

What's the difference?

The Nissan Ariya made an excellent first impression on us in the short time we had to get to know it. The test vehicle's overseas spec meant we weren't able to experience it on public roads, so a 'real world' drive will have to wait until the car officially launches here in 2024.

At that point we'll also know the model line-up, final technical specification and pricing.

For now, we can say the Ariya appears to be easy and comfortable to drive, while offering excellent room for a car that's not at all large.

The Toyota bZ4X base variant is an uncomplicated car to drive. It has some decent features for its grade level and it is plenty big enough for my little family of three but it doesn’t always come out ahead of its rivals.

It would be an easy EV to dip your toes in if you’re wanting something economical to maintain yet able to fit the family. But it's expensive for what it is.

My seven-year old likes the cool looks but has been confused about Mummy is reviewing the same car again.

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 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. 

There’s not much separating the bZ4X from its Subaru twin other than badging and ever-so-slightly different front and rear fascias. The differences are so small only diehard enthusiasts will be able to tell them apart. To me, they look the same on the outside!

The overall look is sporty and fun with lots of pleating in the panelling to give it a futuristic vibe and sharply defined tail-lights for some edginess.

Against our test model's 'Liquid Metal' paintwork the heavy black plastic moulding wrapping around the base of the car doesn't stand out too much but will on a lighter colour.

The internals do differ somewhat and the best change is the more traditional round steering wheel. I prefer the look and feel of it compared to the squared-off shape of its twin's.

The 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster is set a fair way back on the dashboard and looks disjointed from the rest of the tech. The steering wheel also cuts into my vision of the screen and while I could shift my seating position to better accommodate, I'd be compromising my driving comfort to do so. A head-up display would be welcome here.

The dashboard, doors and seats all feature a grey knit-like fabric that looks warm and inviting but the cabin is elevated by synthetic leather trims throughout. Overall, the cabin is quite pleasant but wouldn’t be out of place on a much more affordable car.

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.

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.

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.

The cabin is very spacious with generous leg- and headroom. I have plenty of room for my 168cm (5'6") height but my 183cm (6'0") father was also very comfortable in both rows.

The seats in both rows are well-cushioned and up front, the driver’s side has ample support from the two-way powered lumbar. I also like the way both front seats are heated. You could handle a long trip even as a passenger prince/ss.

Individual storage is less generous than you’d expect for the class given you don’t get a glove box but there are still enough nooks and cubbies for some items and a shelf underneath the console can fit a small handbag.

My seven-year old discovered a secret pocket underneath a removeable box in the middle console where Toyota has stored the manual and logbook.

Up front you also get two cupholders, four drink bottle holders (two in each door) and a handy cubby behind the rotary transmission shifter. In the rear you get map pockets, two cupholders and a device holder in the fold-down armrest and a large drink bottle holder in each door.

No complaints from my kid regarding the amenities in the back and he likes having his own directional air vents and reading lights. But it's the 182mm ground clearance we all love because the bZ4X is super easy to get in and out of. Definitely no grunts in this one!

There's no frunk storage but the boot's 421L capacity will suffice for your bigger grocery run or odd trip but the capacity is lower than some rivals. Underneath the level loading space there's a retractable cargo liner, two cable pouches, a first aid kit and the tyre puncture repair kit. I like the powered tailgate on the base model. I find them handy with a kid in tow.

Technology is well-rounded and upmarket. The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system is responsive and easy to use but the customisations for internal features are a little lacking. The built-in satellite navigation is clear and there is a dedicated Toyota services app, too.

The wireless Apple CarPlay is simple to connect to and I didn't have any dropouts with calls or connections, which is great. There is also wireless connectivity for Android Auto users.

Charging options throughout the car are solid with each row getting two USB-C ports, while the front also features a USB-A port and 12-volt socket. However, there’s no wireless charging pad or V2L (vehicle-to-load) capability which might annoy over long-term use.

There are two variants for the bZ4X range, with the base model tested here being a front-wheel drive and only sporting a single motor. This entry-grade is priced from $66,000, before on-road costs, and the top AWD variant is $74,990 MSRP.

Compared to the bZ4X's single-motor rivals, this price tag positions the Toyota right in the middle for costs with the most affordable rival being the Tesla Model Y RWD for $55,900 MSRP, then the Kia EV6 Air at $72,590 MSRP.

Although very similar, Subaru is offering its base variant as a dual-motored AWD, but for price comparisons it is $69,990 MSRP.

For a base model, you get some solid features like heated front seats, built-in satellite navigation, built-in Toyota connected services app and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The upholstery also features synthetic leather accents rather than just plain black cloth and you get an upgraded JBL sound system.

Like its Subaru twin, only the driver's seat is powered with lumbar support but both feature those heat functions.

Other standard features include keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, a tyre puncture repair kit and digital radio.

Technology is also rounded out by the 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia screen, 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster and four fast USB-C ports.

There are a few items missing in this variant that feature in a lot of its rivals, which reminds you this is a base model. Things like heated rear outboard seats, a heated steering wheel and a sunroof, all of which would be easy to accept if the car wasn't edging close to $70K.

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.  

The bZ4X base variant is a front-wheel drive and has a single electric motor producing 150kW/256Nm - which sounds a bit schlumpy compared to its rivals but its pick up is great and you don’t feel it's underpowered, even when you’re on the open-road.

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.

The official energy consumption figure is 16.9kWh/100km and I averaged 16.1kWh over a mix of urban and open-road driving. The consumption is good and on par with some of its rivals but the official driving range from the large 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery is up to 436km, which is lower than most of its rivals by a good portion.

The bZ4X has a Type 2 CCS charging port which means you can benefit from faster DC charging speeds, up to 150kW. On a 150kW DC system you can go from 0-80 per cent in around 40-minutes.

On a 7.0kW AC charger, you can go from 10-100 per cent in 9.5 hours and that drops to seven hours on an 11kW system. All the bZ4X figures are good enough to avoid the inconvenience zone but aren't as fast as some of its competitors.

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. 

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.

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. 

You don’t often notice this base model is a front-wheel drive until you accelerate too quickly from a standstill and tlose a bit of traction. Otherwise, power delivery is smooth and while you don’t get a tummy-sucking-sensation when you put your foot down the power satisfies for city and open-road driving.

The steering feels light and there's a fair bit of understeer when tackling winding roads. This made the handling a bit lacklustre at times but it’s not too intrusive in an urban environment. Just remind yourself it’s not a performance EV if you ever start thinking ‘fast and furious’ thoughts.

Ride comfort is very good and I’d attribute that to a well-cushioned suspension set-up. While you notice bumps, you’re not bothered by them, even in the back seat. The cabin is peaceful and quiet most of the time but road noise creeps up a lot at higher speeds.

Visibility is excellent and despite a few little things, like the steering, it’s an uncomplicated car to drive.

The bZ4X isn’t too hard to park because the reversing camera is relatively clear but this grade would benefit from the 360-degree view system which is available on the top-grade model. The 4690mm length, 1860mm width and 1650mm height makes it a happy-go-lucky friend in a small car park.

The bZ4X comes with some good standard safety features like a full suite of LED lights (including the DRLs), lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, seatbelt warning, adaptive cruise control as well as a reversing camera supported by front and rear parking sensors.

Unfortunately, the base model misses out on items the top model features like blind-spot monitoring, 'Safe Exit Assist', driver attention monitoring, rear-occupant alert and rear cross-traffic alert. All of which are fairly big-ticket items and available on much more affordable Toyotas.

Still, the bZ4X achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022 and has seven airbags, including a front centre bag.

It has AEB with forward collision warning as well as car, pedestrian and cyclist detection which is operational from 5.0-80km/h (and up to 180km/h for car detection).

There are ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points. Two child seats will fit best, though.

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.

The bZ4X comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty and the battery is covered by an eight-year or up to 160,000km warranty. Both are usual terms for the class.

There is a five-year or up to 75,000km capped priced servicing plan and annual services cost just $180, which is very competitive.

Servicing intervals are more in line with a fuel-based car at every 12-months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.