Automotive

Ariya concept points the way forward for Nissan's electric crossover plans

Ariya concept points the way forward for Nissan's electric crossover plans
Nissan Aviya concept
Nissan Aviya concept
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"Light blade" tail light
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"Light blade" tail light
12.3-inch screen and disappearing haptic buttons behind wood panels
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12.3-inch screen and disappearing haptic buttons behind wood panels
5-bladed 21-inch wheels
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5-bladed 21-inch wheels
Aerodynamic roof profile should help squeeze out some highway range
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Aerodynamic roof profile should help squeeze out some highway range
Copper accents represent electricity
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Copper accents represent electricity
Clean cabin with minimal textural highlighting
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Clean cabin with minimal textural highlighting
Nissan's Ariya concept points toward a future high-performance electric luxury crossover
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Nissan's Ariya concept points toward a future high-performance electric luxury crossover
Nissan Aviya uses the CHAdeMO charging standard
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Nissan Aviya uses the CHAdeMO charging standard
Clean front with a faux grille to hide radars and sensors
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Clean front with a faux grille to hide radars and sensors
Textured grille "shield" reveals a 3D pattern under lights
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Textured grille "shield" reveals a 3D pattern under lights
Nissan Aviya concept
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Nissan Aviya concept
A clean, aerodynamic shape is crucial for pulling mileage out of EVs at speed
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A clean, aerodynamic shape is crucial for pulling mileage out of EVs at speed
Nissan Aviya concept: flat skateboard chassis with motors fore and aft
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Nissan Aviya concept: flat skateboard chassis with motors fore and aft
21-inch bladed wheels are pretty out there
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21-inch bladed wheels are pretty out there
Nissan Aviya concept - back end
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Nissan Aviya concept - back end
View gallery - 15 images

Almost as if to redeem itself for the hideous IMk concept we looked at earlier this month, Nissan has unveiled a much more attractive, if conservative, electric crossover concept in Tokyo. It heralds a production version in the near future.

The Ariya concept is based, like many electrics, on a reasonably flat chassis. The battery lives in the floor, and there are compact electric motors fore and aft delivering power to all four five-bladed 21-inch wheels. As a concept, there's no information yet on performance, capacity or range, except to say that the drivetrain is "high performance" and should offer power "equal to or better than many premium sports cars" a la what Tesla has made de rigeur in the electric segment.

The look is what's important here, as Nissan says some of its styling elements are likely to make it onto a production vehicle sooner rather than later. Things like the single, clean "horizon line" that runs all the way around the exterior at the door line, the rear "light blade" taillight that follows the horizon line across, and the sporty-looking sloping roof.

Nissan Aviya concept - back end
Nissan Aviya concept - back end

The front "grille" is a bit of a throwback to the days when cars needed grilles. But it's attractive enough, and its 3D textured surface hides radars and sensors the car needs for its ProPilot 2.0 semi-autonomous cruise mode, which can keep you in a single lane on a freeway, and manage some limited overtaking thanks to 360-degree road sensing.

The interior feels open and spacious, particularly thanks to the flat floor afforded by the skateboard-ish chassis. It's a humble and minimalist offering, with most of its control buttons integrated into smooth wooden panels. They only light up when they're available for use, disappearing when they're not, and there's haptic feedback through the panel to let you know when you've pressed one. There are some textural patterns that light up to add a technical, luxurious feel. It looks very neat.

Clean cabin with minimal textural highlighting
Clean cabin with minimal textural highlighting

It's not a particularly wild design; the wheels are a little out there, but the rest of the car looks handsome, clean, modern, comfortable and tidy. A mid to high end family electric crossover that would find plenty of fans in the market at the right price. Let's see how it survives the transition to production spec!

Check out a video below.

Introducing the Nissan Ariya Concept, a powerful all-wheel-drive EV crossover

Source: Nissan

View gallery - 15 images
3 comments
3 comments
DaveWesely
Dang! Nissan finally got their act together design wise - clean lines, no display burping out of the dashboard, and spacious interior. Now all they have to do is get rid of the side rear view mirrors.
ljaques
Just can't get used to glass roofs. I'm not sure how much light comes through, but I wear glasses and moon/sun roofs have always been the bane to keen eyesight when they're there. I get too many reflections to drive as safely as I prefer to.
ReservoirPup
Right, DaveWesely, plus price the car right and manage to lose as little money on it as possible so that ICEd siblings can keep earning Nissan money:))