The Nissan Ariya has been on a long road to come to Australia, having been unveiled globally in July 2020 but only set to come to local showrooms from September 2025, just as brands look to avoid emissions penalties by selling cleaner vehicles.
It’s an important model for Nissan, which is currently without an EV in showrooms following the end of the long-standing but outdated Leaf.
Nissan appears to be conscious of the Ariya’s importance, which will be launched in four grades, offering front- and all-wheel drive electric powertrains.
Opening the range will be the Ariya Engage, priced from $55,840 before on-road costs to undercut the most affordable Tesla Model Y by $3060, though it’s $850 more than BYD’s entry-level, similarly sized Sealion 7.
The Ariya’s second front-drive variant is the $59,840 plus on-roads Ariya Advance, while an extra $4000 will get buyers into the Advance+, priced from $63,840 - a $5060 saving compared to the all-wheel drive Model Y Long Range, and $150 less than the Sealion 7 Performance.
Nissan’s Ariya Evolve e-4ORCE is the flagship of the range and the only version of the electric SUV with all-wheel drive. Prices start from $71,840 before on-roads.
A total of three battery and electric motor combinations are available across the Ariya range.
The Ariya Engage and Advance are powered by a 160kW and 300Nm front electric motor, fed by a 63kWh battery for a claimed 385km of driving range. Moving up to the Advance+ means a 178kW/300Nm electric motor and a larger 87kWh battery, unlocking up to 504Nm of range.
Flagship Ariya Evolves add a rear electric motor for total outputs of 320kW and 600Nm, with a claimed driving range of 487kW. Nissan also claims a 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.6 seconds.
Front-wheel drive versions of the Ariya can tow up to 750kg, while the all-wheel drive version has a braked towing capacity of 1500kg.
The Ariya measures 4595mm long, 1850mm wide (excluding mirrors), 1655mm high and rides on a 2775mm wheelbase. It’s 85mm shorter, 10mm wider, sits 70mm lower and but its 70mm longer between the axles than Nissan’s best-selling X-Trail.
Standard equipment on the Ariya Engage includes:
- 19-inch alloy wheels (with a tyre repair kit)
- Automatic LED headlights
- LED daytime running lights (DRLs)
- LED tail and fog lights
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Rear roof spoiler
- Chrome exterior trim
- Power-folding and heated mirrors
- Six-way manual adjustable front seats
- Leather-accented steering wheel
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
- Wireless Apple CarPlay
- Wired Android Auto
- Wireless phone charger
- Six speakers
- DAB digital radio
- Bluetooth
- Satellite navigation
- 2x USB-A and 2x USB-C ports
- Drive mode selector (Eco, Standard, Sport)
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection
- Adaptive cruise control
- Blind-spot warning and assist
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Lane departure warning and prevention
- Lane-keep assist
- Rear cross-traffic alert and assist
The Ariya Advance adds:
- LED front fog lights
- Rear privacy glass
- Black cloth and synthetic leather-accented upholstery
- Six-way power-adjustable front seats with heating
- Two-way lumbar driver’s seat
- Heated steering wheel
- Bose 10-speaker sound system
- Surround-view camera (360-degree view)
- Hands-free powered tailgate
On top of this, the Ariya Advance+ gets:
- Sequential LED indicators
- Panoramic glass roof
- Black synthetic leather seats with Ultrasuede inserts
- Eight-way power-adjustable front seats with memory and heating/cooling
- Four-way powered lumbar driver’s seat
- Heated rear seats
- Power sliding centre console
- Head-up display
- Three-phase AC on-board charger (optional)
At the top of the range, the Ariya Evolve gets:
- 20-inch wheels
- Matte chrome exterior trim
- Automatic LED headlights with adaptive driving beam
- Blue Nappa leather interior upholstery
- Intelligent rear-view mirror
- Tilt-to-reverse side mirrors
- Power tilt and telescopic steering wheel with memory
- Drive mode selector
- Three-phase AC on-board charger
Nissan Australia is now taking orders for the Ariya before deliveries are due to start in September.
