Ah, Nismo, probably my favourite of the in-house tuners, but sadly, it’s quite rare to see anything Nismo-related here in the UK. However, when they do appear, besides all your typical GT-Rs and Fairlady Zs, some of Nismo’s creations can be rather strange and quirky, though not necessarily in a bad way – remember the Juke Nismo RS, anyone? – as the motoring world could certainly do with some colour every now and then.
It’s that same spirit that probably explains why this thing exists, the new Nissan Ariya Nismo. On the surface, it doesn’t make much sense, as the normal Ariya is fast enough already, and it’s not like enthusiasts are lining up in droves to buy an electric SUV! Or, perhaps, am I missing something? So, follow along as I attempt to look at making sense out of the Ariya Nismo, or if you’re better off saving money and getting a regular Ariya.
What Is The Nissan Ariya Nismo About?
It’s worth noting that this is definitely not the first Ariya that I’ve driven. In fact, I’ve driven 3 different Ariyas so far, though if madness is a factor in my reviews, then this Nismo edition here definitely takes the cake! The most noticeable impact of adding ‘N-I-S-M-O’ to any Nissan is an awesome bodykit, and it’ll certainly wow you just by looking at it, and my personal favourite is those 20-inch Enkei gloss-black alloy wheels.
Other than that, I also quite like all the Nismo-spec aerodynamic add-ons, as well! This includes the aggressive tacked-on ducktail rear spoiler, which pairs quite well with the regular roof spoiler near the top, alongside rear twin diffusers, a special Nismo air curtain and canards on the front, as well as redesigned, Nismo-specific front and rear bumpers, to match. Aside from that, you’ll find tonnes of that signature Nismo red accent.
The Ariya Nismo comes with a sportier side skirt all-around, as well as Formula 1-esque Nismo-spec rear fog lights. Now, I already quite like the look of the normal Ariya, with its hip, futuristic, cyberpunk-y looks, and the imposing presence that it has. If anything, these Nismo parts make it look even better, especially with the beautiful contrast between that Nismo Stealth Grey paintwork over black and the red brightwork.
How Does It Drive?
I’m guessing a lot of people might look at this new Nissan Ariya Nismo and see this as nothing more than just a handful of Nismo badges, a bodykit, special paintwork, and some fancy trim, with no proper Nismo-ness in it. If that’s the angle you’re taking, then you’re oh-so-wrong, particularly once you take a peek under the bonnet. No doubt, the biggest change with this Nismo model is the powertrain, which has been bumped up significantly.
The new Ariya Nismo easily cranks out a mighty 435 PS of power and an eye-watering 600 Nm of torque! If you recall my review of the non-Nismo Ariya variants, then you’ll remember that the previous top-spec Ariya models top out at just slightly over 300 PS. Now, with some Nismo treatment, the Ariya is able to hit a 0 to 62 mph time in just 5.0 seconds, or sprint from 50 to 70 mph in a mere 2.4 seconds, before topping out at 124 mph.
These are quite impressive figures for such a huge, heavy electric SUV! A massive elephant in the room here, as well as a major factor in the outstanding performance of the Ariya Nismo, is also its drivetrain. It has a dual-motor set-up, thus offering you all-wheel drive, or to be a bit more specific, Nissan’s super-clever e-4ORCE 4WD system. This isn’t particularly new to me, as I’ve driven other Nissans with this exact 4WD system before.
Nonetheless, it’s pretty clear that Nissan has made some tuning adjustments to properly let you wring out each and every ounce of speed out of the Ariya Nismo, with some inspiration from the GT-R’s ATTESA all-wheel-drive system. Plus, if you want even more oomph out of it, there’s now a special Nismo drive mode that you can click into, which tightens up the Ariya up a notch. That said, is all this engineering work really that effective?
Getting behind the wheel of the new Nissan Ariya Nismo, it does feel noticeably quicker than the regular Ariya, with a way sharper steering, and a more pronounced sense of agility and athleticism. Granted, it’s actually not that much quicker in feel and sensation, if I’m honest, given that the regular Ariya, most notably all the models that come with Nissan’s coveted e-4ORCE 4WD system, are already plenty quick enough by themselves.
As such, if the regular Nissan Ariya is somehow not zesty enough for you, that Nismo tuning does add a tiny bit more spice to the driving experience! Otherwise, one of the joys of owning a newer Nissan, such as the Ariya, is experiencing Nissan’s superb Intelligent Mobility suite. These ADAS systems aren’t just comprehensive, but they mostly come as standard on the new Ariya Nismo, too, and little is locked behind optional extras.
Just the highlights alone include automated emergency braking, their Traffic Jam Pilot system, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, rear-cross traffic alert, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, as well as traffic sign recognition, and loads more! Besides those aforementioned safety systems and driver aids, the new Ariya Nismo gets plenty of other neat tech bundled in, just to make your day-to-day driving that bit easier.
For instance, the Ariya Nismo comes with Nissan’s ‘e-Pedal Step’ one-pedal driving capability, which makes driving around town or when you’re stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic practically effortless. Then, you also get a 360-degree surround-view camera system, which I’ve found to be a humungous boon to have while parking, or even manoeuvring around town and driving down tight, narrow streets, which also comes as standard.
What Is It Like Inside?
Just like the exterior, there’s ample reminder that you’re sitting inside a Nismo-tuned car, once you take a step into the cabin of the Ariya Nismo. The highlight of the interior is undoubtedly the sporty Nismo leather steering wheel, as well as the sinister-looking Nismo red ambient lighting. On top of that, it comes with a bucket load of Nismo badges everywhere, including ones that’re embroidered into the very comfy, sporty bucket seats.
Furthermore, I very much adore the upholstery that we have here, with a mixture of black and grey suede and leather, then broken up by even more red, found in the piping and stitching. As cheesy and gimmicky as it may sound, adding all these Nismo go-faster parts, whether it’s the actual modifications and tuning under the flesh, or all that bright red trim and fabrics, it does make the Ariya Nismo a very nice place to spend time in!
Then again, that was my conclusion when I sat inside the normal, non-Nismo Ariya, though injecting a bit more Nismo into it helps to elevate your enjoyment by a smidge at least. That said, once you peel away all the Nismo paraphernalia, the rest of the cabin is basically just as nice as the regular Ariya. First up, you get the same 12.3-inch infotainment system that’s just as slick, intuitive, and easy-to-use as the other Nissans that I’ve driven.
You get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a built-in satnav. Next to it, you then get another 12.3-inch display, but for your instrument cluster, with bright, crisp gauges, coupled with a handy little heads-up display. Elsewhere, the Ariya’s interior is filled to the brim with creature comforts, such as a generous helping of USB charging ports (Type-A and Type-C), in addition to a wireless charging pad for your phone.
With that in mind, that’s not to say that the new Nissan Ariya Nismo has become completely silly, as it’s still an Ariya underneath. In other words, it’s still just as cavernous inside, with an abundance of room for you and your passengers, and there’s abundant legroom, headroom, and kneeroom. Further in the back, you then get a fairly massive boot space in here, too, which should be way more than enough for all your weekly groceries.
The Experience
Unlike the other Nissan Ariya variants, this new, hot, and very racy Ariya Nismo is only offered with the bigger 87 kWh battery. However, this may be a good thing, as I have no doubt the extra horsepower and torque do make it rather power hungry, and indeed, it does sip quite a lot more electrons than the non-Nismo Ariya trim levels. Specifically, the new Nissan Ariya Nismo offers up to 261 miles of range (WLTP Combined).
This is quite good given its performance, though all those speedy upgrades do compromise it somewhat, which consequently puts it way down compared to the less-powerful Ariya editions, which could otherwise make it up to 330 miles on a full charge (WLTP Combined) despite sharing the exact same battery. Nevertheless, at least it comes with a heat pump as standard, and some neat battery heating tech to help maximise your range.
When you do need to charge up, the Ariya Nismo comes with fast-charging, and on DC power, the Ariya maxes out at 130 kW. Doing some simple math, this ought to let you top up the battery from 20% to 80% in a mere 30 minutes or so. Still, if you can’t find a DC fast-charger, then the Ariya Nismo peaks out at 22 kW of charging on AC power. For a 10% to 100% charge, then, this top-up will take you around 5 hours or thereabouts. Most people will be charging at home with a 7kW charger. Realistically any over night charge will get you back near the top of the range.
Nissan Ariya Nismo Cost
Although the Ariya range starts from £39,655, the Ariya Nismo has now claimed the crown as the Ariya family’s flagship model, starting from £56,630! There are a couple of optional extras that you could include, too. There’s the Sky Pack for £1,295, which adds a panoramic sunroof, and the Sport Pack for £1,995, offering different alloy wheel designs and blue Nappa leather seats in lieu of the grey-black mixture of leather and suede from earlier.
Verdict
Cynical petrolheads might say that the new Nissan Ariya Nismo is just another boring electric SUV, but from my time driving it, it’s actually quite a fun and lively chunk of steel to hammer down a British B-road! Yet, despite it looking the part of a race car, it has all the practicality, usability, sensibility, and ease that the regular Ariya has, but with a spicier driving experience, though I’ll let you judge for yourself if the upcharge really is worth it.
Specification
Nissan Ariya Nismo Specs
- Price: £56,630
- Engine: Dual-motor EV, 87 kWh battery
- Power: 435 PS
- Torque: 600 Nm
- 0-62mph: 5.0 seconds
- Top speed: 124 mph
- Weight: 2,188 kg
- Economy combined: 261 miles (WLTP)
- CO2: 0 g/km