Nissan Ariya Review

Introduction 

The Nissan Ariya is a family SUV that sits above the Leaf family hatchback in the Nissan lineup. Nissan is hoping to tap into the vast global market for medium-sized electric SUVs and is aiming squarely at the likes of the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5, Skoda Enyaq iV and Tesla Model Y. It's also got to face the bZ4X from arch-rival Toyota.

At just over 4.5 metres long and 1.8 metres wide, the new Ariya is built on new underpinnings known as the CMF-EV platform, which it also shares with another of its rivals - the Renault Scenic E-Tech. 

The Nissan is almost identical in size to the cars it will be competing with, but its design certainly sets it apart. The slick, flowing body shape looks like a concept car brought to the road. According to Nissan, it also sets the template for the brand’s next generation of electric cars - which is good news, as the Ariya really does look great, inside - and out. 

While we were impressed with the original model at its release back in 2022, we were left a little disappointed by its lack of intelligent charging features, jerky pro pilot system and clunky infotainment. If what we’ve been told is true though, those qualms have been squashed…

None of the models are a thrilling driving experience and they tend to err on the side of comfort rather than sportiness. We kind of like that though, as it suits the relaxed character of a family car like this.

Range, battery and charging

The Nissan Ariya comes with a couple of battery options. The smaller, 63kWh battery is coupled to the Engage+ trim and offers a WLTP range of up to 250 miles and the Advance trim gets a bigger, 87kWh battery and reaches a maximum WLTP range of 330 miles. There is an AWD E-4orce model using the 87kWh battery available outside the UK with a range of 319 miles.

Those figures aren’t bad, although rivals like the Tesla Model Y and Renault Scenic E-Tech have longer ranges. In the real world, we found the original Ariya to be pretty efficient and in very warm weather and relaxed driving we managed 4.4 miles/kWh. 

We’ve only driven the latest 2026 Ariya on warm Spanish roads so stay tuned for when we get to properly test one out on UK roads, for a longer period of time. Every Nissan Ariya gets a standard heat pump, which helps to deliver more efficient winter running (and is an expensive option on some rivals). 

The Nissan Ariya can charge at up to 130kW, which is on par with rivals like the VW ID.4 but is quite a bit slower than the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. It’s still good enough that a 10-80% top-up at a powerful enough rapid charger will take around 30 minutes for the 63kWh battery, or more like 40 minutes for the 87kWh unit. 

Rejoice! The 2026 Nissan Ariya finally comes standard with up to 22kW AC charging, and vehicle-to-load (V2L) support! That means you can take full advantage of destination chargers and the standard 7kW charging you’ll get from a wall box at home. V2L also supports up to 11kW of bidirectional charging and 3kW of power for external devices.

Practicality and boot space​

• Dimensions (L/W/H): 4.60m / 1.85m / 1.66m
• Max towing capacity: Up to 750kg 2WD, 1,500kg AWD

The 2026 Ariya is almost completely unchanged from the outgoing car when it comes to boot space and storage. As such, you get 466 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place when it comes to the single motor variant we get in the UK. That number drops to 408 litres for the dual motor version.

The seats fold in a 60/40 split to get to a sizable 1,350 litres of maximum interior hauling capacity. For that bit of extra space, there are also side pockets flanking the main boot area and enough storage under the boot floor for charging cables.

There’s a solid amount of space in both the front and rear seats, regardless of driver stature. The simplicity of the storage design means it’s easy to stow a large number of items without the interior feeling cluttered. There are two glove boxes, passenger and central. The central item is even more spacious now considering the wireless charger has been moved to a plinth in front of the centre console.

The back is spacious enough for me to sit behind my own 6’3” (191cm) tall driving position with ease. However, the floor is raised enough for there to be space between my thighs and the seat bottom and headroom isn’t quite perfect. I had a few centimetres to spare but I have a notoriously leggy frame.

Interior, design and technology 

The interior design is one of the real selling points of the Ariya, as it feels a notch above most rivals in terms of the perceived quality. Those who weren’t a fan of the blue interior option will also be pleased to hear black is the only upholstery choice in the Ariya from here on out.

The most notable interior upgrade comes in the form of an overhauled infotainment system, within which are numerous upgrades. Firstly, it’s all powered by Google now, that’s a good thing for maps and user experience, but we know Volvos and Polestars with similar implementations have had issues with blackouts. Meanwhile, Renault’s system works just fine. Let’s hope Nissan’s got it right with its version!

Next on the tech improvement list is intelligent charging, the Ariya now gets battery preconditioning and cooling assist, a charge limit between 40% and 100%, and intelligent route planning to make the cheapest, most convenient, and most efficient charging stops possible on longer trips.

It’s also very comfortable. Provided you go for the Advance trim, you get heated and ventilated, electrically adjustable front seats with lumbar support for the driver, which is a key reason why we favour this trim. 

There's plenty of adjustment on the steering column and seat, and you can even slide the centre console back and forth to maximise floor space between the front or rear seats. The buttons for which have been relocated from the side to the top of the console itself.

As for the design of the Ariya, well we’ve already told you that we love it. That bold, gloss frontage, super-smooth panelling and contrast roof – it looks really striking and appealing. Gone is the colour shifting Aura Green of old, we loved the subtle allure of that hue but in its place is the lighter but still pretty Plasma Green option.

Motors, performance and handling 

• Power: 214hp–302hp
• 0-62mph: 7.5–5.1secs

• Powertrain: FWD/AWD

Nissan has slimmed down what was a rather complicated list of trims to two in the UK. They’re coupled to the battery size and power output but for the UK market, the Ariya is available in a single motor, front-wheel-drive configuration only. The base Engage+ trim has a healthy 214hp with a 63kWh motor and the top Advance trim gets 239hp and an 87kWh battery.

Neither trim level is slow; even at its most lethargic, the Ariya will still hit 62mph in 7.5secs. Nissan has updated the suspension for improved stability and confidence but we didn’t find any glaring issues with the original car. We are glad to report that the new Ariya’s suspension tweaks haven’t upset it at all.

On the road, the entry-level 63kWh delivers a decent-enough ride provided you avoid the large 20-inch alloy wheels, which can make it feel lumpy and jarring over town roads.

Steering is light and precise, and the Ariya immediately feels secure and predictable – all good things in a family SUV. 

There are three driving modes to choose from, Eco, Normal and Sport, and they all do pretty much what you expect. Eco softens off the responses to give you the best chance of achieving the possible 330 miles of WLTP range, 'Normal' a happy medium and Sport makes things a bit more peppy, although the modes aren’t that far apart, so most of the time the mid-setting is best. 

It turns, stops and handles with authority, and although it’s not ‘sporty’ in any significant sense, it’s predictable and solid. Sharp acceleration can, however, cause the front tyres to squirm a little – especially out of junctions. 

On all Ariyas there’s a light-touch ‘B’ mode as well as proper Nissan e-Pedal (activated via a haptic button on the centre console) for more aggressive stopping power without ever touching the traditional brake pedal. 

One difference here is that the system is called e-Pedal Step, so the car will creep slightly in traffic like a normal automatic car, which just adds that little bit of functionality. 

Ultimately, the Ariya is very pleasant and confident to drive, but if you want a really sporty family car then the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Ford Mustang Mach-E are all more engaging.

Running costs and pricing

Nissan has dropped Ariya prices across the board. The base Engage+ trim now starts at £37,000 and the Advance trim comes in at £43,425. Both are attractive for the level of build quality and equipment included. It is still undercut by lower trims of Kia’s EV3 and EV4 but that higher spec helps to justify the £2,000–£4,000 gap.

We haven’t driven the new Ariya for an extended period just yet so can’t provide pinpoint accurate efficiency numbers. But, if the drivetrain underpinnings are as unchanged from the outgoing model as we expect, it’ll do around 3.3 m/kWh on average. It was a decent number for 2024 but as more new EVs regularly see figures above 4.0 m/kWh, it would be nice to see the new Ariya do better.

We don’t have updated monthly figures for the new Ariya yet either, but current model prices for a PCP contract on a 24-month term with an annual mileage of 10,000 and a £4,834 deposit comes in at around £500pcm. Not terrible, but for a design that’s a few years old now, not impressive. Hopefully the drop in outright purchase price brings lease costs down a little too.

Verdict

It just so happens that the fundamental standards for new EVs have moved on a little. When we first drove the Ariya, 130kW of rapid charging was unexceptional but acceptable. Now however, 130kW isn’t quite good enough for us. Thankfully, everything else being uplifted combined with a slight drop in price still makes the 2026 Ariya a solid buy.

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