SHARP Drives: The Nissan Ariya Tours Europe On A Single Charge

With dozens of past successes, from Altima to Z, Nissan knows building what people love is a winning strategy. The Japanese company has certainly produced more than its share of cult-classics.

How, then, to make a lovable crossover… that happens to be electric? That was the challenge facing the team behind Nissan’s sophomore EV effort, the Ariya.

Let’s start inside. Here, Nissan leans into its heritage and presents diffused LED lighting, repeated Kumiko patterns inspired by Japanese woodworking, a bold faux wood bow across the dashboard, and a touchscreen UI that’s clean, responsive, and works with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Special mention to its dashboard drawer (practical), visibility (excellent), and seats (“zero gravity inspired”) as small details that make all the difference when living with any vehicle.

Our drive took us across an easy 300 kilometre loop around several European-named locations in Ontario. We began in Cambridge, which is nearly as quaint as its more famous English counterpart, before driving through New Hamburg, Lisbon, Stratford, London, Sparta, Copenhagen and Vienna, finally arriving in Paris. While Canada’s Paris admittedly lacks an Eiffel Tower and overabundance of cute boulangeries, it makes up for it with an annual maple syrup festival and some of the region’s best river-tubing. (And you really wouldn’t want to go river-tubing in the Seine, trust us.) 

Through it all the Ariya was an admirable travel companion. Here, on flat roads considered regional highways at best, I briefly saw consumption dip as low as 14.8 kWh before ending with 17 kWh / 100 km, and a remaining range of 170 km.

That lines up exactly with range estimates from Nissan for the front-drive Ariya, up to 465 km, though I was actually driving the top trim all-wheel-drive Evolve+ E-4ORCE that should do worse (428 km). In other words, Nissan’s electric SUV is efficient and easily capable of beating its official driving-range estimates. That’s no small feat; some of the biggest brands in the EV business can’t make cars that exceed their rated range, as this Nissan can. The Ariya toured “Europe” on a single charge and ended the day with juice to spare.

As an electric crossover, it performs exactly as you’d expect from a premium Nissan. Go a little deeper, however, and Ariya is also unexpectedly lovable as a place to be, and be seen in.

The post SHARP Drives: The Nissan Ariya Tours Europe On A Single Charge appeared first on Sharp Magazine.