Test Nissan Ariya: I really like the Electro-SUV

After the Leaf electric sedan, Nissan has brought to market a futuristic looking battery-powered SUV that is said to be able to travel 500 kilometers on a single battery charge. Is that correct? ADAC test with data, pictures, prices

• Nissan Ariya: a 4.60 meter long electric car as a crossover coupe

• Two battery sizes; Engines from 160 to 290 kW, front and all-wheel drive

• Prices from 43,490 to 65,490 euros

The Japanese pioneered all-electricity in early 2012 with the first Leaf, which was able to travel around 200 km. With more than 500,000 cars sold, the small car quickly sold out – even to strong competitors such as the Renault Zoe and the Tesla Model S 3 when they won according to registration numbers. So it was the right time to bring a brand new electric car.

That is The second E-Nissan is called: A 4,60 Mita langes Crossover-Coupé and the 2.78 meter long wheel, which was at the Tokyo Motor Show for the first time in 2019 and caused a stir there with its futuristic concept. But it wasn’t until three years later that the Aryans came to dealers – while similarly designed competitors such as the VW ID.4, Skoda Enyaq Coupé and, above all, the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 were already long gone. market.

So is Ariya too late? Not whether he will bring his concept to the road in a convincing way – and whether he will is something the Japanese electric car had to prove in the ADAC test.

Nissan Ariya: Electro-SUV with Coupe Form

If you are someone who looks to the future Body structure It should appear to be about the customers. The Ariya’s beefy front is highlighted by thin strips of light and air intakes. Due to the roofline that slopes towards the rear, the body not only looks like a coupé, but is also lifted. Like the Renault Mégane E-Tech, the Ariya also uses the new CMF platform, which ensures generous space. Especially in the heated back seat, where the rear passenger comes with you large head and legroom sitting, but also on a smooth surface, easily usable stem, which, according to the ADAC test method, consumes 450 liters and even 1460 liters when folded down.

The front position is the same; the seats, which are set very high, can be pushed back until there is enough legroom and headroom for people up to 1.95 meters tall. However, ADAC test engineers complain about this armrests down on the doors, especially since it is much lower than the mobile power station.

Nissan Ariya: a 360-degree view of the interior

Driver and passenger look at each other small dashboard and two 12.3-inch displays: Occupants can “scroll” between displays and move them between screens for better readability. A large head-up display (usually from the Evolve Pack) provides the most important information directly in the driver’s natural field of vision.
The cockpit functions without buttons and control switches. In the middle area there are only capacitive haptics air conditioner switch, which, when touched, give the same sensation as mechanical switches due to vibrations and only appear when the engine is on.

It works well, but the switch on the center console for the driving mode (standard, sports, eco) and the single-step e-pedal are not visible. The multimedia menu is clearly designed, but quite extensive. What is not ideal is that some settings have to be done through the main screen and others on the instrument cluster. Many features can also be accessed through Voice command control: Vehicle-specific commands via Nissan Voicecontrol, entertainment and navigation via Amazon’s Alexa – “Hello Nissan” is the magic word.

Embarrassing mistakes

For Information system However, Nissan seems to be starting roughly where VW had the ID.3 when it entered the market. After starting the drive, you need patience until the write commands are executed. There are still software bugs here and there, and it’s very difficult to understand their names and abbreviations. Even with thinking and technical understanding, in some areas you cannot understand what Nissan means. Some spelling mistakes can be noted: for example, “Ladzeit (gschät)” = estimated loading time.

Such errors permeate the entire system. There is not a single sentence in the news message
you don’t need any meaningless abbreviated words: “The task of searching for a route and stopping charging is not available at the moment. To do this search…” Sometimes the word is shortened with a period, sometimes not
to be announced.

Prices are reduced: Ariya was very expensive

Note: During testing in early 2023, this was a around 60,000 euros an expensive car, from a manufacturer with decades of experience; In addition, Aryans are coming to the German market almost two years later – so there would be enough time to correct translation errors and Software-Error manage.

Shortly after the test, Nissan reduced the price (from September 15, 2023) – apparently they realized that the Ariya was too expensive. The tested version with a 63 kWh battery in Evolve quality equipment is now on the list for 50,490 euros.

Batteries with 63 or 87 kWh to choose from

Depending on the equipment and vehicle, the Ariya weighs between 1.8 and 2.3 tons, according to Nissan. The tested version front wheel drive and single 63 kWh battery pack produces an engine output of 160 kW/218 hp and a torque of 300 Nm. This means that Nissan has a completely adequate engine. Despite its impressive weight, the electric Nissan accelerates from 60 to 100 km / h in 4.3 seconds and from 80 to 120 km / h in 5.7 seconds. Overtaking or merging onto the highway is done quickly and safely. The race to 100 kilometers per hour is completed in 7.5 seconds, and at 160 km / h electronics reduce energy consumption – this enables a distance of 403 kilometers according to the WLTP standard.

Actual distance of 335 km in the test

Considering the use of ADAC Ecotest of 21,3 kWh per 100 kilometers including charge loss, the actual range is around 335 km. Economically designed power consumers such as the air conditioner (heat pump series) help to achieve better range; However, Nissan cannot prevent a significant increase in consumption over 100 km / h. Cold also has a corresponding effect. On the other hand, at pleasant temperatures and leisurely speeds, consumption rates below 20 kWh/100 km are possible. In ADAC Ecotest, Nissan received four out of five possible stars.

For completeness: The 87 kWh battery in the low-power 2WD version with 178 kW/242 hp should last up to 531 km continuously in the WLTP cycle.

To die Advanced versions in two performance levels and two electric motors and all-wheel drive bring a total output of 225 kW or 290 kW (Evolve + Pack) and 600 Nm. The speed limit here is only 200 km / h – performance reduces the range: Nissan says 513 and 498 km.

In ADAC Dodge the test Ariya plays it safe. It reacts well to the first steering commands, turning into noticeable oversteer when the load changes. The ESP intervenes strongly and noisily (for technical reasons, not a defect) and slows the Ariya down significantly to keep it under control. The car pushes a little on the front wheels and the bottom is small.

The downside of this setup designed for safety: Ariya is not a versatile cornerback. The Control thresholds for ESP intervention are briefly defined, there is no broad transition zone in which ESP gently enters and increases its intervention. You can get used to the synthetic feeling of standing in everyday life. Engineers have managed the interaction between the recovery delay and the effect of the mechanical brakes very well: you can’t feel the transition. Responsiveness and control are perfect.

Charge options: From 22 to 130 kW

No savings have been made on the standard payment options that Nissan offers its German Ariya customers. That’s how it is DC fast charging (DC) with a CCS plug on the mains according to the manufacturer 130 kW it is possible. However, this value was never reached in the ADAC test, a peak of 125 kW was measured only for a short time. As soon as you deviate even slightly from ideal conditions, the charging power drops below 100 kW. In the best case, charging from ten to 80 percent is possible in 31 minutes.

There is also a three-phase charger on board as standard, which is used to charge the AC up to 22 kW can be transferred. This means: It takes about three and a half hours to fully charge an AC wall box.

However: Here the technology of the latest competitors is a big step again – see the 800-volt technology of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6. This does not really improve the market opportunities of the late adopter.

Read the detailed test here Nissan Ariya Evolve Pack as a PDF.

Nissan Ariya: technical specifications, price

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