Nissan has taken the wraps off its first all-electric crossover SUV with the Ariya.
“The Ariya, a key model in Nissan’s plan to roll out 10 new models in 20 months, demonstrates our commitment to meeting customer demand for crossovers with the most advanced electrified, automated and connected technologies,” Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta said. “The company expects sales of its EVs and e-POWER electrified models to be more than 1-million units a year by the end of fiscal 2023. The Ariya will play a significant role in attaining that goal.”
The Ariya’s look is based on Nissan’s new design philosophy that their calling “Timeless Japanese Futurism”, which is meant to be the “ultimate expression of style and technology, with each complimenting the other in aesthetics and function.”
The vehicle is a 2-row SUV with room for 5 people. Cargo space is around 467 litres (16.5 cu ft) on the FWD version and 413 L (14.6 cu ft) on the e-4ORCE/AWD version.
With the Ariya, Nissan is debuting a new logo for the company’s vehicles.
“The new Nissan logo communicates our guiding message, carried over from past iterations: If you have a strong, determined belief, it can even penetrate the sun,” said Tsutomu Matsuo, deputy general manager of Nissan’s advanced design department. “At Nissan, this strong belief in the power of achievement has never wavered and can be seen in our pioneering efforts in electrification, driver assistance and digital connectivity. Our logo has to convey all of this in just a glance, to show our commitment to our customers, employees and society.”
On Nissan’s electric vehicles, the logo will be lit by 20 LEDs (which represents the number of years between logo redesigns).
The Ariya is using a new Alliance-developed EV platform along with Nissan Intelligent Mobility. The vehicle will be offered in front-wheel and all-wheel drive and in 63 kWh and 87 kWh battery options.
Nissan says that the long-range front-wheel-drive will be capable of getting up to 482 KM (300 Miles) of range. You can expect around 321 KM (200 Miles) on the standard range model.
The vehicle supports up to Level 2 charging at up to 7.2 kW and DC charging at up to 130 kW.
The twin electric motors on the all-wheel-drive Ariya make up the vehicle’s e-4ORCE all-wheel control technology for better handling.
Nissan’s ProPilot Assist 2.0 technology is also featured in the Ariya. The technology is a hands-on assistance system that helps drivers stay centred in their lane, navigate stop-and-go highway traffic and maintain set vehicle speed and distance to the vehicle ahead.
The system can also allow drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel to help reduce the driver’s workload and stress. It’s also capable of lane changes, passing and highway exiting.
ProPilot Assist 2.0 uses a combination of the navigation system and high-def 3D map data to help detect the roadway type, direction, speed limits and adjust vehicle speed accordingly.
The vehicle is also equipped with Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 that includes Intelligent Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and Rear Intelligent Emergency Braking.
As for infotainment, the Ariya has a hybrid voice recognition system that understands natural language to control different vehicle functions.
Amazon Alexa will also be included in the Ariya, allowing you to play music, make calls, listen to audiobooks and more.
The Ariya also features a 12.3-inch display in-front of the driver for an instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch display for infotainment functions. There’s also a heads-up display to show you directions.
The vehicle comes equipped with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Updates for the vehicle will be sent over the air to update things like multimedia system, electric and electronic architecture, chassis, climate system and EV settings.
The Nissan Ariya is set to go on sale in Japan in mid-2021 with a launch in Canada and the US later in the year.
Canadian pricing hasn’t been confirmed but it’s expected to have a starting price of $40,000 USD.
Source: Nissan
TheCanadianTechie 