NEWS: NISSAN
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Ariya coupé steps up Nissan’s electric offer Nissan Ariya is the all-new, pure-electric SUV from the company that introduced the first mainstream EV, the Leaf, in 2011. Described by the Japanese manufacturer as a ‘coupé crossover’,the Ariya sits on new architecture developed with Renault and Mitsubishi, especially for pure-electric vehicles, called CMF-EV. The new model will be offered with a choice of front or four-wheel drive and with a pair of battery options; 65kWh or 90kWh, and a variety of electric motor outputs. Three Ariyas will be available at launch with Nissan’s electric four-wheel-drive system, called e-4ORCE. The entry model will be front-wheel-drive 65kWh version, producing 215bhp and 300Nm, which Nissan claims will give the car a 233-mile range. The next model up is also front-wheel-drive but comes with the larger 90kWh battery with 239bhp which has acclaimed range of 310 miles. The range-topping Ariya will be the 87kWh Performance, which comes with 389bhp and 600Nm of torque for a 0-62mph time of just 5.1 seconds. The downside is that its range is only 248 miles. Smaller-battery editions of the car will get a 7.4kW AC charger for home connections, while the 87kWh versions include a 22kW
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three-phase set-up. Nissan says the Ariya can support up to 130kW DC charging. Nissan claim that the technology will allow up to 230 miles of range to be added to the Ariya’s battery pack in around 30 minutes. Looks-wise up front, there’s a closed grille which features 20 LEDs making a ‘shield’, to highlight the fact that the Ariya is electric only. Ultra-slim LED headlights, which include four 20mm projectors each, are combined with animated indicators. The grille itself houses a number of sensors to help with Nissan’s ProPilot driver-assistance systems.The rear has a single ‘light blade’ that
is designed to look black when the car is switched off. Inside, the dashboard is dominated by a pair of 12.3-inch screens. Nissan says the two screens can function independently or, when required, as one operating environment, allowing information to be ‘swiped’ between them. Voice control also features, via a digital assistant activated by the phrases ‘Hello Nissan’ and ‘Hey Nissan’. The dash itself features no physical buttons, replaced by haptic touch-sensitive controls integrated into the grained material that runs across the fascia.
Company Car & Van | October 2021 | 33
