Austere Beauty: The New Nissan ARIYA

When you next peruse Nissan SUVs here at Northside Nissan, you will want to take some time to look at the new Nissan ARIYA, an all-electric crossover SUV. We love the ARIYA as it will rest all concerns consumers have about electric vehicles, persuading them to embrace the electric revolution we are living through. Over the past decade, many countries, including Canada, have passed legislation that provides incentives to EV owners and have invested in more infrastructure to make sure EVs can perform as well, or even better, than gasoline-powered vehicles.

The shift to EVs is already well underway. The amount of electric options has increased, and consumers have been responding, with sales of electric vehicles skyrocketing compared to just a few years ago. The rate of improvement in electric technology has onlookers marvelling. At this point, the electric revolution looks like it is finally here, and the automobile landscape will forever shift. The Nissan ARIYA shows why.

The Nissan ARIYA’s Debut

If you’re an automobile aficionado, there’s one key reason to become an ARIYA driver: the 2023 model marks its first year on the market. There’s nothing like owning a brand-new model, knowing that no one else on the road is likely to match you in style and performance.

Even though this is the ARIYA’s first year, its origin is found in the 2000s, when electric vehicles first hit the market in significant numbers. While there are a host of reasons why the initial wave of EVs did not catch on, two main reasons were design and range. Many of the early EVs were boxy, almost unpleasant looking, thanks to the size and placement of the battery. Those EVs stood out on the road but not in the way you wanted.

Some folks might still be willing to put up with a boxy look in the name of the environment, but those EVs had something else holding them back: range. For an EV, the range is how far it can travel before it needs to be recharged. Many early models had to be recharged after less than 100 km of driving, sometimes far less. Speed suffered, too. Faster acceleration sapped the batteries, further reducing the range. For almost all consumers, this proved unworkable.

Still, a move to electric vehicles seemed destined to happen. In order for it to occur, the mistakes made in the 2000s could not be repeated. The Nissan ARIYA shows the way forward. Without a doubt, the ARIYA will dispel any and all concerns that remain among the average driver. After a drive in the ARIYA, you’ll be ready to make the transition to an electric crossover. Why? Because not only did Nissan fix every drawback, it added new elements to make the ARIYA outshine its gasoline-powered peers.

Electric Performance

Let’s start with range. If you’ve never owned an EV, the mention of range earlier may have you concerned. Don’t be. The Nissan ARIYA is rated to travel up to 490 km before it needs a charge. The exact distance will depend on the ARIYA trim you buy and your driving style, but you will have plenty of range for daily life. Better yet, charging time is far less than it used to be. You can recharge the battery to 80% in as little as 35 minutes at a DC Fast Charging station. With an increase in charging stations across Canada, charging has never been easier when you’re on the go.

If power is on your mind, then you’ll love this: the most potent versions of the 2023 ARIYA can go from zero to 100 km in just over five seconds. That’s thanks to the 389 hp the twin electric motors are capable of producing. At one point, you had to sacrifice power to drive an electric vehicle. This is categorically no longer the case.

The battery comes with a liquid-cooled thermal management system. Are you wondering what that fancy terminology means? It means the battery always maintains a constant temperature. A cold day shouldn’t mean your battery loses energy quicker. For anyone living through Canadian winters, a battery that suffered whenever the temperatures fell below zero degrees would be a non-starter. Luckily, that won’t be the case with the ARIYA, which adapts to differing climates.

For anyone who still has jitters about charging, the NissanConnect App will be a lifesaver. It has a plethora of capabilities, ranging from letting you know how much charge is left and where you can recharge to planning out the best route so you can get to your destination without having to recharge. Not only is this EV a great performer on the road, but it also has the best tech installed, giving you intelligent information and mapping.

Classy Looks

We spoke before about the unattractive EVs of the 2000s. The ARIYA is the opposite. Its front has a sporty look to it, letting onlookers know that this EV is all about performance. While it’s a crossover, the angles of the cab can fool observers into thinking it’s a sports car. Its front grille looks like a mischievous smile as if the SUV itself is impressed with what it can do. It comes in a host of colours, ranging from the two-tone Sunrise CopperPearl and Black Diamond Pearl to the rich blue Northern Lights Metallic. By giving you a range of colours, Nissan lets you have a car that fits your personality. There’s no one size fits all mentality here. That’s also why the ARIYA comes in multiple trims, all with slightly different exteriors while still maintaining a consistent vibe across the board.

One reason the ARIYA looks so spectacular is the placement of the battery. Technology advancements mean the boxy EV look is gone. The battery is placed underneath the crossover, right in the middle, which means the ARIYA feels evenly distributed in terms of weight and looks.

The interior of the ARIYA is just as cool. Nissan has aimed for minimalism, giving the crossover a futuristic feel, like something out of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Every ride becomes memorable because it feels unlike any other interior, EV or otherwise. Thanks to the minimalist style, it’s also a roomy ride, so there won’t be comfort concerns no matter how long the trip is.

Take the ARIYA for a Test Drive and Enjoy the Benefits

If you’re still feeling a little skeptical, you should take the ARIYA for a test drive. You’ll be won over almost immediately. It rides smoothly on the highway, and you'll sink into the comfy seats. The interior gives you the room you want and a sense that you’re almost in a spaceship.

There are also many benefits of owning an electric vehicle. In addition to the environmental positives, EVs tend to need less maintenance. There are no oil changes or engine tune-ups to worry about. You’ll be saving plenty of money in the long term. Driving is quieter, too, as the electric motors make so little noise compared to a gas engine.

EVs will be selling like hotcakes as this decade goes on. There’s no reason you can’t be ahead of the curve. Check out the Nissan ARIYA as soon as you can. We here at Northside Nissan will be thrilled to toss you the keys to one you can test drive, and we’ll be happy to walk you through everything the ARIYA can do so that you get the absolute most out of your new electric crossover. We feel confident you’ll go home happy and become an EV convert if you’re not already.