Overview

Should you buy one?

Despite a useful price drop, there are still better options. The Ariya is likely to be on your list, but its appeal is too uneven to shine in a crowded market crammed with talented rivals. The interior is a huge step up from other Nissan cars, the tech is spot on, it looks fabulous inside and out, and on paper at least, the charging and range specs look good enough.

This is where it gets difficult. It needs to beat the likes of the award-winning Renault Scenic E-Tech, Skoda Enyaq iV, Volkswagen ID.4, Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ford Explorer, and although it’s a solid leap over the Leaf, it’s not quite good enough to beat the Scenic and the Enyaq.

Nissan is in a great position as an EV pioneer, which means it’s been doing this a lot longer than the opposition, which could well translate into efficiency and range advantages over all of them, but in the real world, its range and efficiency aren’t quite good enough, while the stiff-legged ride is a disappointment.

What is it?

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While the Nissan Ariya hasn’t exactly been a roaring success since its launch in 2022, a sizeable price cut suddenly makes this electric SUV far more tempting. It’s now cheaper than the related Renault Scenic and costs a similar amount to the slightly smaller Skoda Elroq.

It sits in between the Qashqai and X-Trail in Nissan’s model range in terms of size, pitching it right at the heart of a very busy market sector. The main opposition comes from Parkers Car of The Year winning Renault Scenic E-Tech and Skoda Enyaq iV, as well as the Ford Explorer, Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, BYD Sealion 7, and Volkswagen ID.4.

The Ariya is certainly more distinctive than most of those rivals, proving genuinely appealing inside and out. There are ultra-slim LED headlights up front, with a contrasting light blade at the rear. It gets animated indicators, two-tone paint schemes and strikingly large wheels. In the metal it’s a little futuristic, while the interior is spacious and looks fabulous, especially at night.

There’s also a coupe-ish roofline that’s proving popular with SUV buyers. Rather than a traditional two-door coupe silhouette, such as a BMW 2 Series, it’s a five-door SUV with a sloping roof. It’s full of sculpted lines to help break up the fact it is a bit gelatinous in shape. These lines get a bit lost in dark colours though.

You get the choice of 63kWh and 87kWh batteries and a WLTP tested driving range between 250 miles and 329 miles. Three trim levels are available – Engage, Advance and top-spec Evolve – and there’s a four-wheel-drive e-4orce model that has more power and far better traction. You can also buy a high-performance Ariya Nismo, which is covered in its own review.

Click through the next few pages to read everything you need to know about the Nissan Ariya including its practicality, how much it costs to run, what it’s like to drive – and whether we recommend buying one. Then find out what processes we go through to get to these conclusions, read our how we test cars page.