autoevolution
 

Nissan Ariya EV Crossover Teased as "New Chapter" for the Company, Comes July 15

After ruling the world with the LEAF for a few years, Nissan has dropped behind not only Tesla in the EV market, but also the two sister-brands from Korea, KIA and Hyundai, and arguably some European ones as well - we're thinking here of Peugeot and Opel.
Nissan Ariya teaser 1 photo
Photo: YouTube screenshot
With Volkswagen's imminent launch of its ID.3 electric hatchback, it seems like there will be no room left for Nissan's aging LEAF on the market, so it definitely needs to make a move if it wants to remain relevant. It appears as though the Ariya will be the Japanese company's answer to all these new players, and we'll get more answers less than two weeks from now.

If the name sounds familiar, it's due in part to George R. R. Martin's character from the hit TV show (and book, I know) Game of Thrones (spelled without the "i"), and in part to the concept Nissan showed at last year's Tokyo Motor Show.

Now, the crossover has shed its ballroom gown and put on its more mundane day to day clothes as part of its transformation into a production-ready vehicle. Except it looks like the Ariya has at least one ball scheduled for every day. Indeed, the teaser doesn't show much, but it reveals just enough to tell that virtually nothing is changed from the concept we've seen last October, and that's pretty exciting.

It's a crossover, so it won't win any beauty contests, and the design is very Japanese in nature which means it won't be to everyone's taste, but the simple fact manufacturers are releasing cars that look so similar to the concepts that previewed them (at least from the front, the only angle we've seen of the production version) is encouraging. It means at least some showroom concepts are more than just designers blowing steam.

The things we know about the all-new Ariya amount roughly to zero, but we do know it's a very important release for Nissan and one the company doesn't afford to botch. Nissan simply can't repeat the second-gen LEAF disaster if it wants to remain relevant in the EV game, and this battery-powered crossover is where things can take a turn for the better. The virtual reveal can be watched July 15 1:00-1:45 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on thenissannext.com.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Vlad Mitrache
Vlad Mitrache profile photo

"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories