Summary
The Nissan Ariya is a mid-sized five-door SUV, and the Japanese manufacturer’s first attempt at a large all-electric (EV) family car. After a year of delays due to supply shortages, the Ariya arrived in the UK in the middle of 2022.
Customers can choose from two battery grades – the standard 63kWh unit or the ‘extended range’ 87kWh battery, which Nissan promises can travel 250 miles and 329 miles respectively from full charge. While entry-level models use a single 160kW electric motor to power the front wheels, the faster range-topping variant is all-wheel drive, with a motor in the front and the back.
Nissan’s first big EV launch since the introduction of the current-generation Nissan Leaf in 2018, the Ariya has been well-received by the British motoring media so far – Auto Express describes the SUV as “a great leap in the right direction for Nissan” that Car says “looks set for a battle royal at the top-end of the class.” Our own editor at The Car Expert, Stuart Masson, says that “if you’re making the switch from a petrol or diesel car to an EV, the Nissan Ariya would be a great choice.”
“The Ariya is a great-looking and well-equipped electric family SUV”, Carwow explains, “but its boot is a bit on the small side and other EVs have better charging capabilities.”
Reviewers agree that the Nissan is well-equipped and refined inside, but a few comment that the Ariya might struggle to stand out from a very competitive all-electric SUV class, as it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. “It’s no better than anything that’s already been out there for a while”, The Sun comments, adding that the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 are better choices.
Pricing is another frequently raised issue – the entry-level Ariya is around £3,000 more expensive than the cheapest version of the Skoda Enyaq, which is the current class-leader. This was partly alleviated by the addition of a new entry-level model in Summer 2023.
That said, Driving Electric argues that the Ariya is still a great all-electric option worthy of consideration. “This is by no means the cheapest zero-emissions family car around, but it’s a premium-feeling product that gets loads of kit for the money.”
As of September 2024, the Nissan Ariya holds a New Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 80%. It earns top marks for its excellent safety rating, zero tailpipe emissions and low running costs. The only caveat is that we don’t yet have reliability data to analyse, so check back again soon.
Ariya highlights
- Refined, spacious and well-built interior
- Well-equipped entry-level models
- Competitive battery range
- Eye-catching exterior styling
- Comfortable ride
Ariya lowlights
- Expensive, base price and up
- Rivals offer more boot space
- Charging rate isn’t very fast
- Not exciting to drive
- Infotainment controls rather fiddly
Key specifications
Body style: Large SUV
Engines: electric, battery-powered
Price: From £39,645 on-road
Launched: Summer 2022
Last updated: Summer 2023
Replacement due: TBA
Image gallery
Media reviews
Reviews, road tests and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
The Car Expert
Model reviewed: Evolve 178kW 87kWh
Score: 8.4 / 10
“There are more choices than ever for a family EV, and that number is increasing rapidly. But you’re making the switch from a petrol or diesel car to an EV, the Nissan Ariya would be a great choice.”
Author: Stuart Masson
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Model reviewed: Evolve 160kW 63kWh
Score: 8.2 / 10
“The Nissan Ariya is a fine family car. If you’re making the switch from a petrol or diesel car to an EV, it’s a very enjoyable experience that is unlikely to cause you any regret. It’s stylish and comfortable, and although it’s not cheap, it’s certainly competitive with other electric SUVs.”
Author: Stuart Masson
Read review
Auto Express
Model reviewed: e-4orce
Score: 8 / 10
“The Nissan Ariya e-4orce, as the name suggests, adds four-wheel-drive grip (and a fair few quid) to one of our favourite electric cars. As well as even better straight line performance, it actually rides slightly better than two-wheel-drive Ariyas, but that wouldn’t be enough to make us switch our allegiance from the brilliant and cheaper models in the line-up.” (Steve Fowler)
Read review
Model reviewed: 87kWh
Score: 9 / 10
“If you regularly need to tackle longer journeys, this is the Nissan Ariya for you. It should offer a good 50 miles more per charge than the 63kWh edition, and it has all of the same strengths and appeal that brought that version our top car award. But the price is hard to overlook; many buyers could be better off saving the £6,000 and resorting to the occasional extra public charge.” (John McIlroy)
Read review
Model reviewed: 63kWh Advance
Score: 10 / 10
“The Nissan Ariya is a shining example of an EV done right. Predictable and usable range, plenty of kit on even the entry-level model, quality, space and style combine to make this a desirable car that’s backed up by solid performance and superb refinement. It also acquits itself well dynamically.” (Alex Ingram)
Read review
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“Nissan has done a stellar job with its all-electric Ariya family SUV. Its breadth of capability and excellent quality will be a welcome surprise to buyers, as it stands head and shoulders above any other model in the Japanese manufacturer’s lineup.”
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Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“The Nissan Ariya has its work cut out against strong rivals like the ID.4 (plus its Skoda and Audi relatives), the Volvo XC40 Recharge, Kia EV6 and Ford Mustang Mach-E but impresses with its style, performance and range. Nissan’s long experience with big-selling EVs like the Leaf should also give you confidence it knows what it’s about here.” (Dan Trent)
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Autocar
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The Nissan Ariya is genuinely inviting and surprisingly luxurious; and, at its best, it’s strikingly refined and intuitive to drive. Some clever interior features and a long-range battery that promises great electric range serve the car well, too. The great shame is that Nissan’s particular chassis design and suspension tuning don’t do likewise – at least, not on so many UK roads.”
Read review
Model reviewed: 63kWh Evolve
Score: 8 / 10
“Nissan’s ‘difficult second album’ only became more so because it made us wait 12 years to sample it, but first impressions suggest the Nissan Ariya takes the dependability and rational appeal of the pioneering Leaf, while injecting a substantial dose of kerb appeal into the bargain.” (Felix Page)
Read review
Model reviewed: 87kWh e-4orce
Score: 7 / 10
“The Nissan Ariya is an electric car with real presence and a confident style. There will be people who’ll want the extra range, power and driven wheels, and be prepared to pay for them. In doing so, they don’t make the Ariya any sweeter to drive, so our original verdict remains: the sweet spot in the range can be found much lower down.” (Mark Tisshaw)
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Model reviewed: 63kWh Advance
Score: 9 / 10
“All up, the Nissan Ariya feels different and capable enough to cause headaches in Wolfsburg, Gothenburg and Dearborn – and even Stuttgart and Munich.”
Read review
Business Car
Model reviewed:
Score: 8 / 10
“The Ariya impresses with its exterior and interior style, how refined and efficient it is to drive and as such it is worthy of serious consideration.” (Martyn Collins)
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Car
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“It turbocharges Nissan’s EV proposition, vaulting the worthy but dull Leaf by several generations, and looks set for a battle royal at the top-end of the class. As for its performance, it’s respectable enough to leave us wanting more. Ride and handling are on the pace of rivals, and overall refinement is where it needs to be.”
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Car Keys
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“All signs point towards this EV being a big step up from Nissan. The design, battery technology and interior are all big advancements.”
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Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.4 / 10
“The Ariya may only be Nissan’s first attempt at an electric SUV, but it manages to be one of the most well-rounded models on the market.” (Tom Jervis)
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Carwow
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Nissan Ariya is a great-looking and well-equipped electric family SUV, but its boot is a bit on the small side and other EVs have better charging capabilities.”
Read review
Driving Electric
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“Comfortable, refined and striking, Nissan’s follow-up to the pioneering Leaf is a strong contender in the electric family-car class.” (Ellis Hyde)
Read review
Electrifying.com
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Nissan’s long-awaited follow-up to the Leaf is a really impressive package, and is admirably different from other electric SUVs.”
Read review
Green Car Guide
Model reviewed: 87kWh e-4orce Evolve
Score: 9 / 10
“The front-wheel drive Nissan Ariya is a good all-round car, but having spent a week with the e-4ORCE all-wheel drive model, that would be our preferred option, as, in our view, an SUV, or a ‘coupe crossover’, should have capable grip levels. You also get more performance, and with the 87 kWh battery, a longer range.”
Author: Paul Clarke
Read review
Model reviewed: 63kWh Advance
Score: 8 / 10
“The Ariya offers the space and the comfortable driving experience that should come as standard with an SUV or a crossover, but what it doesn’t offer in front-wheel drive form is the grip that should be offered by an SUV.” (Paul Clarke)
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Heycar
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Nissan Ariya is a late arrival from a brand that helped kickstart the EV revolution. It’s an electric SUV with plenty of rivals, then, but by taking its time Nissan has made the Ariya competitive and moved the game on a long way from the Leaf. It’s a strong all-rounder, but some key alternatives beat it in some areas.”
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Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview
“By positioning the battery at the base of the chassis, Nissan’s provided a flat, open floor, which adds to the feeling of space. Slim profile seats help with space in the back, too.”
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Move Electric
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Nissan Ariya is much more than an electric Qashqai: it feels like a big statement and step forward from Nissan, and is a compelling new arrival in the crossover class. It’s also got us very excited about what is to follow from the firm.” (Felix Page)
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Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8.2 / 10
“The interior is a huge step up from other Nissan cars, the tech is spot on and on paper at least, the charging and range specs look good enough.”
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The Sun
Model reviewed: Range overview
“The market is already loaded with electric SUVs, and Ariya doesn’t move the game on. Not even a little bit. It’s no better than anything that’s already been out there for a while, like a Ford Mustang Mach-E or a Tesla Model Y or a Volvo XC40. And the Korean EVs trump it in every single way.”
Read review
The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“On the face of it, the Ariya looks a little costly when compared with other similar mass-market electric SUVs, and that may limit its appeal. However, its civility, quality and driving performance mean it compares favourably with any rival, while looking modern inside and out without resorting to gimmickry.”
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The Telegraph
Model reviewed: 87kWh Evolve
Score: 6 / 10
“The Nissan Ariya’s biggest problem is that it doesn’t really bring anything new to the game. In an increasingly crowded part of the market, it tries to carve out a niche for itself only to find others have already been there and done that – and more convincingly.” (Alex Robbins)
Read review
Model reviewed: 63kWh Advance
Score: 8 / 10
“At first sight and on jumping inside, the Nissan Ariya feels like a much more expensive car than it is. But when you’ve lived with it for a few days, the faults start to appear and become slightly annoying; the ride in particular, but also the less-than-intuitive infotainment. Make up your own mind about the styling, but while Nissan’s second battery passenger car has been a long time coming, it’s actually quite an accomplished machine.” (Andrew English)
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Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The higher-spec Nissan Ariya models are playing at a price above Nissan’s usual turf, but the qualities of the car itself are well up to an Audi Q4 or Mercedes EQA. We’re now at the point where there’s plenty of choice in electric crossovers, and it becomes a design and styling play. If you like the look of the Nissan, and especially its interior, go right ahead.” (Paul Horrell)
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What Car?
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Nissan Ariya is practical, well equipped and the 87kWh version has a competitive range between charges. However, plenty of rivals are better to drive and can charge up more quickly.” (Will Nightingale)
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Which EV?
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7.5 / 10
“The Nissan Ariya takes quality up a notch for Nissan vehicles and delivers a very competitive electric crossover SUV. It is expensive, putting it directly against the likes of the Kia EV6 and Hyundai IONIQ 5, and a price bracket above these brands’ cheaper EVs. But the interior is luxurious, the boot capacious with the rear seats down, and the driving comfortable. Well worth considering.” (James Morris)
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Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: November 2022
Read the full Euro NCAP review
Adult protection: 86%
Child protection: 89%
Vulnerable road users: 74%
Safety assist: 93%
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
Model tested: 87 kWh Electric FWD Automatic
Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: April 2023
Read the full Green NCAP review
Energy Efficiency Index: 9.3 / 10
Greenhouse Gas Index: 9.5 / 10
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of September 2024, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Nissan Ariya to generate a reliability rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.
As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Ariya, we’ll publish the results here.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
| Battery range | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| EV models | 285 miles | A | 247 – 330 miles | A – B |
| Electrical efficiency | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| EV models | 3.9 m/KWh | C | 2.9 – 4 m/KWh | C – E |
| Insurance group | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| All models | 35 | C | 30 – 42 | C – D |
| Service and maintenance | Cost | Score |
| Year 1 | £199 | B |
| Year 2 | £421 | A |
| Year 3 | £739 | A |
| Year 4 | £837 | A |
| Year 5 | £1,121 | A |
| Overall | £3,317 | A |
According to numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data, the Nissan Ariya is very cheap to run.
It’s electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for a petrol or diesel car) is good, and while insurance premiums might cost more than you might expect, the SUV’s scheduled servicing costs are excellent.
In addition, an official battery range of 285 miles (which varies from 247 miles to 330 miles, depending on which model you choose) is well above average. So you shouldn’t need to worry about running out of charge in normal day-to-day driving.
Recalls
Official DVSA safety recalls that have been issued for the Nissan Ariya
Date: October 2023
Recall number: R/2023/281
Model types: All
Build dates: 03/2022 to 04/2023
Number of vehicles affected: 3,538
Defect: On affected vehicles there is a potential for conductive fibrous shavings from the drive motors’ slip ring assembly to momentarily cause a short circuit between the two slip rings.
Remedy: Update the software of the Inverter ECM with software that has been modified to reset instantly in the event of a short circuit detection.
Date: May 2023
Recall number: R/2023/118
Model types: All
Build dates: 04/2022 to 08/2022
Number of vehicles affected: 770
Defect: On affected vehicles, a potential software concern may result in the combination meter screen intermittently switching OFF for 5 seconds and then switching back ON.
Remedy: Over-the-air (OTA) software update sent to customers vehicle updating the combination meter software only.
As of August 2024, there have been two DVSA vehicle safety recalls on the Nissan Ariya. These cover two different software issues.
Not all vehicles are affected by recalls. You can check to see if your car is included in any of the above recalls by visiting the DVLA website or contacting your local Nissan dealer.
If your car is affected by a recall, the vehicle must be repaired and you should not be charged for any work required. If you are buying a used Ariya, you should insist that any outstanding recall work is completed before you take delivery of the vehicle.
Awards
Trophies, prizes and awards that the Nissan Ariya has received
2022
- The Car Expert Awards – Best Medium SUV
- Auto Express Awards – Car of the Year + Best Mid-sized Company Car
- Carbuyer Awards – Best Large Electric Car
- iF Awards – iF Design Award
- Red Dot Awards – Red Dot Design Award
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Nissan Ariya, you might also be interested in these alternatives
Audi Q4 e-tron | BMW iX3 | BYD Atto 3 | Ford Mustang Mach-E | Genesis Electrified GV70 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | Kia EV6 | Lexus RZ | Mercedes-Benz EQA | Polestar 3 | Skoda Enyaq | Subaru Solterra | Tesla Model Y | Toyota bZ4X | Volkswagen ID.4 | Volvo XC40 Recharge
More information
More news, reviews and information about the Nissan Ariya at The Car Expert
Buy a Nissan Ariya
If you’re looking to buy a new or used Nissan Ariya, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car
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Lease a Nissan Ariya
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