2023 Nissan Ariya

If you thought Nissan was just resting on the concept of EVs after the launch of its Leaf over ten years ago, think again. The 2023 Nissan Ariya is an all-electric SUV from the Japanese automaker, featuring plenty of configurations that should fit into almost every buyer's budget and needs. While it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s scheduled to arrive in the fall of 2022, where it will compete with the likes of the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and the Kia EV6.

That means that the Ariya should be a bit more elegant and special compared to the brand’s last EV. Our editor Stephanie Wallcraft said, “the Ariya represents a step up in production quality and a significant shift in design for Nissan’s electric vehicles.” It’s a whole new design language inside and out, and that means the Ariya will stand out on the roads.

To drivers, the Ariya will boast several cool features including the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite of safety features, the ProPilot Assist package of advanced driver assistance technologies, and new automated parking assist called ProPilot Park. So there should be no reason to scuff up that new electric small crossover.

Performance

There are six different configurations of the Nissan Ariya, a mix of the big and small batteries, and front- and all-wheel-drive.

The entry-level Ariya Engage features a 214hp motor powering the front wheels and a 63 kWh battery. This model features 346 km of range.

From there, shoppers can move up into the all-wheel-drive Evolve e-4ORCE trim, which features two electric motors to deliver all-wheel-drive and a combined 335-horsepower to deliver 330 km of range on a single charge.

The Ariya Venture+ upgrades to an 87 kWh battery and a slightly more powerful 238-hp motor powering the front wheels. This combination of a big battery and modest front motor delivers 482 km of range. The Ariya Evolve+ uses the same battery and motor but features a lower range of 458 km.

The Platinum+ and Premiere models both feature the big 87 kWh battery and dual motor all-wheel-drive with 389 hp. They also feature the same 426 km of range.

Unfortunately, there are some limitations when it comes to charging the Ariya. The Level 2 charge rates peak at 7.2 kW, which means it should take about 10 hours to fully recharge the 63 kWh model, and 14 hours for the 87 kWh model. Additionally, the DC Fast Charging capabilities of the Ariya top out at 130 kW, which is significantly less than its competition which can reach speeds of up to 350 kW.

Practicality

There are a few cute tricks to the cabin of the Nissan Ariya including a motorized, movable centre console. Buttons are hidden in a wooden dashboard, and retractable cupholders are hidden underneath the console. Notably, there is no storage in the centre console, but a pair of drop-down glove compartments are underneath the dashboard as an alternative.

With a flat floor along with comfy and supportive Zero Gravity front seats, the Ariya should be accommodating to any kind of passenger or driver.

In the cargo area, you’ll find 467 litres of storage space, though Nissan notes that this is specific to the FWD models, and it’s unclear if the AWD models are less spacious.

Canadian Pricing

The 2023 Nissan Ariya arrives in Canada with the six trims levels detailed above, starting with the FWD Engage at $52,998; it comes with the 63-kWh battery. Next up is the Evolve trim, starting at $60,598; it houses the same battery, but comes with AWD (e-4ORCE). If AWD isn’t as important as the larger battery, $1,100 less gives you the Venture+ trim with the bigger battery and FWD. Then, there’s the Evolve+ trim ($64,998), Platinum+ ($69,198), and top Premiere trim ($69,998).

All Ariya models include Nissan Safety Shield 360, ProPILOT Assist with Navi-link, and a 12.3-inch centre display with wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto. Deliveries are expected to start late fall for FWD models; and early 2023 for AWD models.