Reviews of the Nissan Ariya

by: Donna Kelly

Donna Kelly has over 14 years of experience in the motoring industry, writing, test driving and tweeting about cars. Her weekends are spent trackside, covering racing events.

Nissan Ariya Review 2023

The Nissan Ariya is an electric crossover that adds a bit of class to their line-up. The Ariya is a good choice for a family lease car with a high-quality interior and well-equipped specification.  

Rivals to the Nissan Ariya include the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model Y, Volvo C40, and Kia EV6.

Our Nissan Ariya review covers:

• Key Features
• Nissan Ariya Pros and Cons:
• Design, Practicality and Boot Space
• Interior and Trims
• Power and Performance
• Leasing vs Buying

Nissan Ariya Key Features

• Stylish exterior with a sloping roof and light bar across the boot
• High-quality interior featuring premium materials
• 466-litre boot
• Three engines available: Two single-motor and one dual-motor options
• Two trim levels: Advance and Evolve

Nissan Ariya Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• Premium interior
• Plenty of practicality
• Lots of equipment coming as standard  

Cons:

• Uncomfortable ride
• Boot space is quite small  
• Infotainment system is not as sharp as its rivals 

Design, Practicality and Boot Space

The Nissan Ariya is one of the best-looking cars in its class. There's a large V-shaped gloss black grille at the front, a sloping roof towards the boot, which is finished off by an LED bar across the boot.

Inside, you'll find plenty of space throughout the Ariya. There's plenty of room in the front for two passengers over six feet tall, and they won't be brushing shoulders, thanks to the car's width. In the cab, headroom decreases because of the sloping roofline; however, leg room is very generous thanks to no hump on the floor.

Storage space is also sufficient. There's a well-sized centre console with a wireless phone charging pad, the usual cubbies and door bins, and an electrically-opening glovebox tray that is handy for flatter items.

Boot space comes in at 466 litres, significantly less than Skoda Enyaq's boot of 585 litres. Another downside is that boot space decreases to 408 litres in the four-wheel drive Ariya. However, you go get a wide loading area and a powered tailgate.

Interior and Trims

Nissan has added a touch of class to the Ariya's interior. Plenty of soft-touch materials are dotted about, such as a leather steering wheel, which complements the stylish minimalist design very well. A lot of the buttons also have haptic feedback, which is a nice feature.

For technology, Nissan has gone for a dual-screen system with a pair of 12.3-inch screens. The infotainment system has all the usual tech, such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, built-in sat-nav, and Amazon Alexa. The digital instrument cluster behind the steering is easy to view and has a range of selectable menus. Both screens display clear graphics but aren't as sharp as the Tesla Model Y.

Two trim levels are available for the Ariya: Advance and Evolve.

Advance comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, LED lights, a leather and heated steering wheel, heated and electric front seats, a DAB radio with a six-speaker audio system, front and rear parking sensors, and a comprehensive range of driver assistance systems such as intelligent driver alertness, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane keep assist.

Evolve adds to this with an electric panoramic sunroof, a power-moving centre console, ventilated front seats with synthetic leather and Ultrasuede, a Bose ten-speaker system, and an intelligent key with memory function technology.

Power and Performance

Three powertrains are available for the Ariya. Kicking off the range is two single-motor, front-wheel drive units, and the range-topper is a dual-motor all-wheel drive engine.

The entry-level engine is a 63kWh front-wheel drive option with a combined range of up to 247 miles. It returns decent performance with 217bhp, a top speed of 99mph, and achieves 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds. The next choice is a larger 87kWh battery that achieves up to 329 miles of range. It comes with 242bhp, has a top speed of 100mph, and achieves 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds.

The range-topper is a dual-motor, four-wheel drive, 87kWh battery. It comes with a range of up to 319 miles, has a power output of 306bgp, a top speed of 124mph, and achieves 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds.

On-the-road performance for the Ariya is decent enough, but it's unlikely to put a smile on your face when behind the wheel. The handling is good around town, making parking and slow manoeuvres a breeze, but when you up the speed, the steering adds weight and bends a bit more in the corners than a Kia EV6.

Regarding suspension, we'd advise you to choose the 19-inch wheels over the optional 20-inch ones. On the latter, you can feel speed bumps and breaks in the road pretty easily when travelling at a decent speed, whereas the 19-inch wheels counter this better. If you want the best suspension, choose the all-wheel drive version, 4ORCE, which has an altered suspension thanks to the extra weight.

Leasing vs Buying

Prices for the new Nissan Ariya start from £46,090.00 OTR* or to lease from £440.29 per month.

Looking to lease the Nissan Ariya? There are many benefits associated with leasing, including a low initial deposit, fixed monthly payments, and a range of extras included in your deal, such as breakdown cover and road tax.

Nationwide Vehicle Contracts are one of the UK's largest car leasing brokers and offer all our customers a range of affordable leasing deals.

*' On the road' price correct at time of publication and includes one year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change, always check with your nearest retailer.