- Nissan has let its tuning division, NISMO, get their hands on the popular ARIYA electric crossover, revealing a performance variant at the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon.
- The reveal marks the second EV from Nissan to be hotted up, after the Nissan LEAF NISMO was launched in Japan back in 2018.
- This time, the ARIYA NISMO will have performance to scare away sports cars.
Nissan joins the performance EV game
From the outside, several features distinguish the ARYIA NISMO against the standard model. It sits on newly-designed 20-inch alloy wheels with grippier tyres, whilst exterior styling has been tweaked to increase aerodynamics. Inside, you’ll find new sportier trim and race-inspired seats.
The new ARIYA NISMO adds extra power compared to the current trims on offer, making the NISMO the perfect blend of performance and practicality thanks to its large crossover shape. The four-wheel-drive system from the standard ARIYA remains, allowing power to be sent for all four wheels, increasing grip. It’ll be available in two levels of power: The NISMO B6, with 362 hp from a 66kWh battery pack, and the NISMO B9, with 429 hp from a significantly larger 91 kWH pack. Additionally, Nissan has tweaked the way the ARIYA NISMO responds to the accelerator pedal for a sportier feeling, along with a synthetic sound reminiscent of Formula E cars. You’ll be able to turn this feature off if it’s not for your liking, though.
The new model will launch in Japan in the spring, but we’ll have to wait to see whether this sportier version of the ARIYA makes its way to other markets on the globe. No word on pricing for this model just yet, but with the current top-spec ARIYA setting you back around £59,000 / $60,000, you can expect a price somewhat above that mark.
This is not the only performance EV we’ve seen shown off at the Tokyo Auto Salon this year, with Hyundai also revealing the NPX1 concept – an even hotter version of its IONIQ 5 N sports crossover.
