Nissan’s first all-electric crossover, the Ariya, will make its Canadian debut at the Montreal Motor Show in January.
Unveiled conceptually at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, and revealed in production-ready form in July last year, the Ariya marks, what Nissan calls, “a key milestone in the Nissan NEXT transformation initiative.” The ambitious four-year plan oversees the launch of 10 new and/or redesigned models inside 20 months to promote a new design language, innovative driver assist technology, and enhanced electrification across Nissan’s line-up.
Tellingly, Nissan expects the Ariya to play a significant role in increasing sales of the Japanese marque’s EVs and e-POWER electrified models to one million per year by the end of 2023.
“Ariya is a key model for Nissan as it demonstrates our commitment to meeting customer demand for crossovers with the most advanced electrified, automated and connected technologies,” explains Nissan Canada president Steve Milette in an official statement. “It is our greatest pleasure to launch this vehicle at the 2022 Montreal International Auto Show.”
Originally scheduled to launch this year before Covid-related delays knocked the plan back to 2022, the all-electric Ariya sits atop the CMF-EV platform co-developed by the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance for pure electric vehicles. At 4,645 mm long and sitting on a 2,755 mm wheelbase, the Ariya crossover is actually 70 cm longer than Nissan’s Rogue.
Myriad powertrain options will be available from launch. The entry level Ariya features a front-wheel driving electric motor mated with a 65 kWh battery (63 kWh usable) while the range-topping ‘e-4ORCE’ all-wheel drive alternative can be fitted with the larger 90 kWh option (87 kWh usable). Power consequently ranges from 160 kW (around 215 hp) to a more potent 290 kW (just under 389 hp), while between 221 lb-ft and 443 lb-ft of torque will be available.
Nissan’s preliminary estimates for overall range are between 321 km and 482 km, and while the Japanese marque has confirmed that the Ariya will support DC charging up to 130 kW, it’s not been made entirely clear whether this is applicable across every powertrain option.
Perhaps most notable is Nissan’s commitment to autonomous technology. The Ariya is set to feature the most advanced version of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, with the ‘Safety Shield’ as standard – lane-keep assist, blind-spot warning, Intelligent Emergency Braking, etc – and the new generation ProPILOT Assist 2.0. There’s also a new concept called e-Pedal, which allows the driver to start, accelerate and decelerate using just one pedal.
The silks are expected to be pulled on the first day of the Montreal Motor Show on Friday January 21, with Nissan Canada also confirming an appearance by Nissan Québec spokesperson and actor, Karine Vanasse on Saturday January 22.
Ahead of its Motor Show debut, the Ariya has already been showcased driving around the Circuit de Monaco and, intriguingly, as a single seater concept. The latter demonstrates how the roadcar’s powertrain could function on-track in a bespoke racing chassis.
