Review: Nissan Ariya

I’ve driven quite a few electric cars so far this year as manufacturers launch their new models.

And, I have been pleasantly surprised by just how good they are and how much I’ve enjoyed driving them - once I’ve put my worries about range anxiety aside.

Living with an electric vehicle forces you to be much more organised - you need to plan in advance where and how far you’re going and factor in the required pit stops to recharge the battery long before you think you’ll need them. Sounds obvious but I’ve been caught out more than once and found myself being delayed setting off on a journey because I’d forgotten to charge the car the night before

The Nissan Ariya is the latest of the ones we’ve had on test - it’s a family SUV which is up-market without being prohibitively expensive.

It looks good, futuristic but not overly so with nice clean lines, and has a very stylish interior.

Nice touches include the front centre console which moves for and aft at the touch of a button and the cleverly concealed extra glove box. In fact internal storage in the cabin is definitely one of its strong points.

Boot space is the only downside. It’s not as large as rivals at 466 litres and with the seats down it’s 1350 litres. All models get a hands-free powered tailgate which is a bonus.

Seats are comfortable for driver and passenger and in our top of the range Evolve model the front seats came heated and ventilated.

There are a number of choices to make: front-wheel or all-wheel drive, 63kWh or 87kWh and four trim levels: Engage, Advance, Evolve, Evolve+.

The Ariya makes for a relaxing drive with little to disturb the calm in the cabin. The steering is light and parking in town is easily accomplished - an excellent rearview camera helps.

Rearward visibility is not brilliant but the Ariya has a clever trick up its sleeve by way of the ‘intelligent rear view mirror’ It has a camera mounted on the rear which allows the driver to switch from a LCD monitor or the standard rearview mirror as required. Great news if you have a rear seat full of passengers or luggage stacked to the roof.

As with many electric cars the Ariya has an e-pedal for regenerative braking which slows the car - but doesn’t stop it completely - when you lift off the accelerator. This can be switched off if not needed.

We managed around 240 miles on a full charge but with a bit of careful driving that can probably be bettered.

Charging points are becoming more accessible and prolific. A DC rapid charging station has just opened half-a mile from my house which is most fortuitous. It can take a car such as the Ariya from 20 per cent to 80 per cent charge in just 30 minutes.

Compare this to a 7.5kw AC home charger which takes 13.5 hours from 10-100 per cent. I dread to think how much my domestic three-pin supply would take.

Perhaps now is the time to invest in a charger of my own.

Specification

Nisan Ariya

Price: £52,140 (£53,380 as tested)

Engine: 87kwh battery

Power: 238bhp

Torque: 221lb/ft

Transmission: single speed automatic

Top speed: 100mph

0-62mph: 7.6 seconds

EV Range: 280 miles approximate