Nissan Ariya Review

Nissan built the Ariya's interior properly. It is genuinely serene in there, with a flat floor, a sliding centre console, haptic controls set into wood veneer and a level of finish nothing else the company sells comes near. The drive is soft, quiet and unbothered, which suits the car, and the all wheel drive version manages torque cleverly enough to feel secure in bad weather. The problem is that Nissan invented the modern electric car with the Leaf and then arrived late to the follow up carrying hardware that had already been overtaken.

A DC charging peak of about 130 kilowatts is roughly half what the Koreans manage, so long journeys take noticeably longer. The infotainment is slow to wake and slower to respond. Efficiency is average. Sales were weak and the incentives were heavy, so depreciation has been among the worst in this field. As a quiet, comfortable local car it is lovely. As a road trip car it is a compromise you feel every time you stop.