There is no question that the 2022 Nissan Ariya is one of the most important cars that Nissan has made in at least 25 years. We’re still determining, though, that this electric car will be a big hit. That’s because there is a small market for non-Tesla EV SUVs that cost less than $50,000. However, what happens with upcoming electric cars like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, VW ID4, and Ariya will show if there is a ready market for electric cars or if they will only be bought by rich people.
The truth is somewhere in the middle since these new EV crossovers are becoming popular with both the top class and the middle class, which is slowly going away. At least, that’s what Nissan wants to do. The struggling carmaker needs a win, and this new Ariya, the upcoming new Z, or the redesigned Infiniti brand could be it. I recently spent some time with the prototype of the 2022 Nissan Ariya in a closed workshop, which shows that it is the most creative and well-rounded idea of all of them.
The Whole Story Behind the 2022 Nissan Ariya
As is often the case in this line of work, pictures can be misleading. With its wide shoulders and narrow waist, the new Nissan EV is almost the same size as the present Murano. It’s smaller than you think. Brand representatives at the walkaround said that the Ariya was about the same size as a Nissan Rogue. This meant that it had a slightly bigger footprint than the future Audi A4 E-Tron but a much smaller one than the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E. It still has presence, though, thanks to its shiny, smooth exterior and dull, origami-like shape, which make it look right at home on a Blade Runner set or whizzing through Neo Tokyo’s streets. Don’t believe us when we say that Nissan’s Ariya is based on “Timeless Japanese Futurism.”
While we were testing the prototype, we learned some interesting things about the 2022 Nissan Ariya’s range, power, and engine, but nothing that really shocked us.
As we already said, the Ariya has two battery levels: a front-wheel drive version with a single motor and the “e-4ORCE” dual-motor all-wheel drive system, which we tested earlier this year in a Nissan Leaf prototype mule. According to our first look at the new SUV, the all-wheel-drive Aryia has 335 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque, while the single-motor Ariya has 215 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque.
Nissan will offer two different powertrains: the normal model has a 65-kWh battery that can be used for 63 kWh, and the longer-range model has a 90-kWh battery that can be used for 87 kWh. Nissan thinks that the single-motor long-range version will have a battery range of around 300 miles, but the company still needs to release official mileage numbers. Nissan says that the Ariya’s battery can be charged quickly and go from 5% to 80% in about 45 minutes.
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance made the battery, platform, and motors, which means that the Ariya could be made more like a Renault for other countries. The SUV also has a pretty cool regenerative braking device. Nissan says that the Ariya can be stopped completely without using the brake pedal because of the system’s drag. However, customers think this “pseudo-autonomy” is a bit strange. Engineers added a little creep to the setup because of this.
The 2022 Nissan Ariya’s flat-floor design keeps most of the car’s technical parts off the floor, which makes the seats more comfortable for passengers. Nissan did everything it could to get rid of real buttons inside the Blade Runner. Instead, they chose to use a system of haptic touch screens to control the temperature and choose the drive mode. The dashboard is mostly made up of two 12.3-inch screens that show the gauges and provide simple entertainment.
Compared to what we saw of the new VW ID4, the Ariya’s cabin is more roomy, which makes sense given its retro-futuristic controls and focus on a flat-floor plan. Nissan says that a lot of individuals who currently own a Leaf will likely switch to the Ariya. The company also wants to get a bigger share of the market from current EV brands and from people who are buying their first EV.
In this way, the 2022 Nissan Ariya has oiled the wheels of Nissan’s future electric car plans. With the general rise in crossover electric cars, it will be interesting to see if this is the long-awaited paradigm shift. As of this writing, Nissan has said that the base Ariya will be available by the end of 2021 for around $40,000. However, a price has yet to be released.
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