A compact-sized crossover with all-electric propulsion, the curiously named Ariya had a rough start in the United States of America. In addition to supply chain-related constraints, Japanese automaker Nissan recalled a little over 1,000 examples back in March 2023 due to steering wheels that may detach.
Quality concerns aside, there's no denying the Ariya offers good protection in the event of a crash. The zero-emission crossover passed all crashworthiness tests with flying colors, although the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety did find a few things that could be improved by the Yokohama-based marque.
According to the nonprofit organization, the 2023 model year Ariya comes with two headlight variations. Those produced before April 2023 were rated marginal for headlight performance, with the IIHS noting fair visibility on the gradual left curve and some glare from the low beams. The 2023 model year Ariya levels up to acceptable for vehicles produced beginning in April 2023. These newer vehicles never exceeded glare limits during testing.
IIHS also rated the seat belt reminders acceptable, which is kind of curious. The reason why the system couldn't be awarded the highest possible rating is the visual startup status alert for the second-row seats, which lasts less than 60 seconds. No biggie, yet this doesn't bode well with the NPO from Virginia.
Described by the IIHS as being a midsizer instead of a compact, Nissan's first zero-emission crossover was revealed in July 2020. The chip shortage caused by the pandemic, as well as the supply chain issues caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, forced Nissan to delay the Ariya's launch in the US from the second half of 2021 to the second half of 2022.
Photo: IIHS on YouTube
Codenamed FE0, the Ariya is based on the Renault-Nissan Alliance's CMF-EV platform. Otherwise put, it's closely related to the Renault Megane E-Tech and Renault Scenic E-Tech. Despite the combustion-engined Rogue being longer overall, the Ariya has the upper hand in terms of wheelbase: 2,775 versus 2,705 millimeters, namely 109.3 versus 106.5 inches.
Starting at $43,190 (sans destination), the Ariya is – no surprises here – pricier than its combustion-engined sibling. The highlight numbers advertised by Nissan are 304 miles of driving range (with the 87-kWh battery pack), up to 389 horsepower (for the dual-motor setup), and 4.8 seconds to 60 mph.
The most affordable specification of the bunch is called Engage FWD, with said grade offering 216 miles on a full charge of the high-voltage battery. Opting for e-4ORCE AWD means $47,190 and 205 miles. The driving range champion is the Venture+ FWD, the only grade estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency at 304 miles (489 kilometers).
At press time, key competitors include Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and Volkswagen's ID.4. Both were awarded Top Safety Pick+ for the 2023 model year. Prices for the Ariya's main rivals kick off at $38,995 and $41,650, but only the Volkswagen ID.4 qualifies for the full $7,500 tax credit due to local assembly and battery packs sourced from a US-based factory.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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