2024 Nissan Ariya

The Ariya’s tall and broad face sports a non-functional V-shaped grille; it breathes for some battery cooling through side air intakes that flank the nose. That grille tapers into a band of chrome that arrows down the car’s roofline to outline its shape precisely. Nissan fits standard 19-inch wheels with attractive aerodynamic wheel covers, while 20-inchers are an option. SUV cues get punted to the curb: the Ariya doesn’t wear any needless rubberized cladding. From some angles it’s bulbous, but from most it’s an attractive harbinger. 

Inside, the serene and swanky vibe plays out across a wood-trimmed dash with banks of 12.3-inch screens that display gauges for the driver and run the infotainment system through touch inputs. They’re wedded under a single piece of glass, and framed with glossy black plastic that’s thankfully absent elsewhere. Nissan opted for subtle haptic buttons that lie under the wood dash panels, complementing the drive mode selector that sits on the power-operated console (it slides fore and aft). Uncluttered and polished with handsome trim in quietly groovy colors, the Ariya interior receives guests like a great front-of-the-room host.

How fast is the Nissan Ariya?

Single-motor versions make either 214 hp or 238 hp, depending on whether they have the smaller battery pack of theEngage or the larger, longer-range pack in otherversions. Both generate 221 lb-ft of torque. More silent than swift by electric-car standards, this Ariya can hustle to 60 mph in a Nissan-promised 7.2 seconds. It’s modest performance compared with the top-like Mach-E and Model Y crossovers, but Nissan says it’s tuned this Ariya intentionally to mimic gas-crossover performance. 

The Ariya weighs from about 4,300 to about 4,600 pounds—about a thousand pounds more than a Rogue–and it is not rated for towing. Battery range rises as high as 304 miles on the Venture+ with the larger battery, and dips as low as 216 miles with the smaller-battery Engage. 

With dual motors, the Ariya springs to life. Depending again on the battery pack, the dual-motor Ariya’s power outputs range from 335 hp and 413 lb-ft to 389 hp and 442 lb-ft. Nissan pegs this version at 4.8 seconds from 0-60 mph—and rates it for a low 1,500 pounds of towing.

Drive modes can tailor power delivery, but the Ariya lacks full one-pedal driving. It gets an e-Step button that opens up a brake-regen mode that gets close to that holy Grail, but requires pedal braking for the few final feet. Regen can also be applied with a “B” drive mode.

With a conventional front-strut and rear-multilink suspension, base Ariyas have a springy state of tune that’s meant to absorb the car’s heft. It responds softly to changes in steering, too. In all, it feels dialed in for comfort—at the expense of all other senses.

The dual-motor Ariya fixes all those sensory shortcomings. It uses its motors not just for traction or acceleration; Nissan deploys them to balance the vehicle’s stability as it tackles curves and corners, much in the same way that Nissan’s AWD system functions in its GT-R supercar. As it squeezes individual brakes and diverts power between the motors, it can correct some pitching and lean, giving the Ariya an uncommonly smooth ride and more crisp handling than the single-motor edition. All it needs is better brake feel: the pedal’s too soft until it grabs the friction brakes.

With 37.0 inches of rear legroom, the Ariya boasts enough space for tall back-seat passengers to sit behind tall people in front. It’s on the borderline of comfort for a third person in the middle. 

For weekend jaunts the Ariya sports 22.8 cubic feet of luggage space behind the rear seats, or 59.7 cubic feet when those are folded down. Every version except the Venture+ gets a cargo organizer and storage bins in the back.

The Ariya’s cabin outpoints some of the offerings from upscale Infiniti SUVs. It’s trimmed in smooth wood, has an airy feel, and some touch-sensitive controls lie flush on the dash. A panoramic sunroof casts light around the cabin, showing off its high grade of materials. It’s a pretty, and pretty pleasant, place to whittle down the miles.

Most versions can be fitted with Pro Pilot Assist 2.0, Nissan’s hands-free driver assistance. It can trace the Ariya’s route along more than 200,000 miles of mapped highways in North America. The driver-attention monitor ensures safe operation, as the hands-free mode requires the camera to make eye contact with the driver.

With all that, the Ariya stands at a 9 for safety.

The Ariya isn’t eligible for the current brace of federal tax credits.

Oddly, stepping into the next-higher Venture+ trim while adding the larger battery pack downgrades the experience—to help bankroll the larger battery while keeping weight down (and rated range up). So equipped, the Ariya gets cloth seats with manual adjustment, no seat heating, and can’t be configured with a head-up display. It also loses the 240-volt charge cable. 

Which Nissan Ariya should I buy?

Some drivers will be satisfied with the smaller-pack Engage, but we’d recommend the larger battery and the $45,580 Evolve+ trim level. It includes all the Engage features and gains wireless smartphone charging tucked beneath the armrest, a hands-free tailgate, a surround-view camera system, a heated steering wheel, and a panoramic sunroof. 

How much is a fully loaded Nissan Ariya?

The $55,580 Ariya Platinum+ includes Pro Pilot Assist 2.0, all-wheel drive, Bose audio, ambient lighting, ProPilot Assist, and an option for 20-inch wheels.

All Ariya crossovers offer CCS charging at rates of up to 130 kw. That enables a full charge from 20-80% in about 40 minutes. On a Level 2 240-volt circuit and using the SUV’s 7.2-kw onboard charger, the Ariya can take 14 hours to charge.