In the year 2010, Nissan was among the first automakers in the world to introduce viable commercial electric vehicles. Its debut electric vehicle was the Nissan Leaf. It’s a five-seater family car, and it was the first car in the world to feature over-the-air telematics. The Nissan Leaf started out with an EPA estimate of under 100 miles, but it has grown to managing an EPA-estimated 226 miles of range per charge with an optional DC quick charging, which could refill its 24 kilowatts battery from empty to 80 percent in 30 minutes. As a comeback to the segment, Nissan has unveiled its first all-electric crossover vehicle since the Nissan Leaf debut, the 2022 Nissan Ariya SUV.
The new SUV has solved most of the main flaws found in the prototype. Here is everything you need to know about the 2022 Nissan Ariya SUV thanks to MotorTrend in addition to some background on the Leaf.
The 2022 Nissan Ariya is also the first of many upcoming global electric vehicles—including some from Infiniti, Mitsubishi, and Renault—to be built on Nissan’s global modular platform for EVs,. The new 2022 Nissan Ariya offers all-wheel drive, 300 miles of range, fast charging capabilities and automated driving functions. Its multimedia system, electronic architecture and chassis also.
The importance of the Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf, over the years, has had some notable flaws. Its original battery pack engineering was not the best; engineers used passive air cooling instead of active liquid cooling. This combined with its original cell chemistry, conspired to cause premature battery aging and subsequent capacity-induced range loss. This led to increased demand for the replacement of the batteries.
The second generation of the Nissan Leaf was introduced in 2018 but still had the same issues with quick battery degradation. The vehicles were only ideal in areas with low temperatures. There has been increased competition from rival automakers in many markets, which negatively affected Nissan’s leaf sales.
Up close with 2022 Nissan Ariya SUV
The 2022 Nissan Ariya is a compact crossover EV. In appearance, it is comparable to a midsize current Murano. The shoulders are a bit high with a tapered profile. Its dimensional footprint is slightly smaller than the Ford Mustang Mach-E or the Tesla Model Y and somewhat more extensive than the Audi A4 e-tron.
There have been no drastic changes made on the vehicle based on the 2019 concept’s exterior appearance. The SUV has thin LED lights that shine during the day and disappear at night. Also, it has a single horizon line, which replaces the fussy contours. The vehicle has a sloping rear roofline with one light bar along the rear.
The interior of the SUV looks futuristic and minimal. The dashboard has few buttons, and also, they are touch-sensitive keys for climate change controls. Other interior features include a 12.3-inch screen that provides a digital driver display and infotainment, an intelligent route planner, and hybrid voice recognition technology.
2022 Nissan Ariya range and power
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The Nissan Ariya has two battery levels, which provides either an ‘e-4ORCE’ dual-motor all-wheel-drive system or a single motor and front-wheel drive. This is one of the notable upgrades from the prototype, which only had the single motor front-wheel drive. The batteries use an active liquid cooling system, which is predicted to improve battery life.
The single motor system provides 221 lb-ft of torque and 215 hp, while all-wheel drive delivers 413 lb-ft and 335 hp. Nissan indicated that Ariya will have two powertrains, the standard version with a 65-kWh battery (63-kWh reusable) and the long-range version with a 90-kWh battery (87-kWh reusable).
How Much Will The Nissan Ariya Cost
Nissan stated that the 2022 Ariya will offer up to 300 miles of driving per charge. This is also an improvement from the original Nissan Leaf, which offered 226 miles of driving per charge. The main rival offering this range of drive per charge is the Tesla Model Y. The vehicle provides quick charging, and according to the automakers, the battery can charge from 5 percent to 80 percent in about 45 minutes.
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Another key feature of the SUV is its braking system. Nissan revealed that the Ariya comes with a regenerative braking system. With this system, the driver can stop the vehicle entirely without pressing the brake pedal.
2022 Nissan Ariya pricing
The base price for SUV has not yet been finalized. Nissan is expected to reveal the cost of the Ariya at the end of 2021, with an estimate of around $40,000. There are few non-Tesla EV SUVs selling at a price lower than $50,000, and because of this, it is expected that the 2022 Nissan Ariya will have huge sales. With over 10 years of experience in making EVs, Nissan’s vehicles will be much improved as compared to those from other automakers who are new to the market.
Nissan on Wednesday revealed the Ariya, a small, battery-electric crossover SUV that's due on sale in the second half of 2021.
The vehicle is the production version of the Ariya concept shown at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, and it's confirmed to arrive with a starting price of around $40,000. At this price range, the Tesla Model Y is an obvious target, but by the time it arrives the Ariya will also be up against the yet-to-be-revealed Volkswagen ID 4 and the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
The Ariya is similar in size to those models, featuring a 182.9-inch overall length and 109.3-inch wheelbase. There are only two rows in the cabin, with enough space for five adults.
The cabin is also loaded with tech. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster faces the driver and is joined by a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and a color head-up display. The Ariya also features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, as well as voice activation either via Nissan's own system or Amazon Alexa. Nissan hasn't mentioned what features will be included as standard.
The Ariya will also come with several electronic driver-assist features, including handy items like automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and blind spot and rear cross traffic warning. Also fitted to the Ariya is Nissan's ProPilot 2.0 semi-autonomous driving system, which can handle itself on highways but still requires the driver's attention for road changes or choosing when to pass slower moving vehicles.
The Ariya rides on Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance's CMF-EV platform for electric cars and features Nissan's new e-4ORCE dual-motor all-wheel-drive system. The system, which works by managing the power delivery and braking individual wheels, is designed to enable a vehicle to follow its driver's intended line on a variety of surfaces, including ice and snow, without the driver having to change his or her driving style or input.
In the Ariya, a single motor at the front axle delivering 214 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque will be the standard option while performance fans will be able to opt for the e-4ORCE setup featuring an electric motor at each axle and a combined output of 389 hp and 443 lb-ft.
Two battery options will also be on offer: 65 and 90 kilowatt-hours. EPA-rated mileage figures will be announced closer to the market launch but Nissan estimates that a front-wheel-drive Ariya with the 90-kwh battery should deliver close to 300 miles of range.
The Ariya is part of a major product renewal at Nissan as the automaker seeks to turn around its losses. There are multiple new or updated models in the pipeline including redesigned versions of the Frontier pickup truck and Z sports car. The first model in the product renewal has already arrived in the form of the 2021 Rogue SUV.