Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE review: high-end four-wheel-drive EV breaks new ground for Japanese brand

The Circuit Andorra is the world’s highest permanent race track, situated some 2,400m above sea level in the tiny Pyrenean principality from which it gets its name.

Nestled between ski slopes and with breathtaking views across the mountains it’s a regular location for lunatics to go sideways in stripped out racing cars, ATVs and motorbikes. Which makes it a strange place to launch an electric SUV designed more for the school run than a 0-60 run. Nonetheless, Nissan decided it was the ideal location to let us loose in the new Ariya EV.  

I’ve had a brief drive in the Ariya before but that was a pre-production car with two-wheel-drive and was restricted to a few carefully mapped-out laps of a test circuit in sun-kissed Spain.

My Andorran adventure, on the other hand, was across hundreds of miles of variable French and Spanish roads, plus the aforementioned icy racetrack and was the first opportunity to drive the top-spec e-4ORCE all-wheel-drive variant.

The Ariya is Nissan’s flagship SUV, sitting above the hybrid Qashqai in size and specification and offering a sleeker, more high-end electric alternative to the workhorse X-Trail. It’s sold in two-wheel-drive versions with 214bhp and a choice of 63kWh or 87kWh batteries, or e-4ORCE, with 302bhp and only the larger battery.

The e-4ORCE models are being pitched as the more dynamic versions of the Ariya, with more power and better traction, plus a 50/50 weight distribution. It’s certainly quick enough off the mark. The twin motors’ 302bhp will get the Ariya to 62mph in 5.7 seconds and overtaking or powering away from corners is a doddle thanks to the instantaneous response of the motors. The all-wheel drive arrangement also helps get power down evenly and quickly and allows for making decently quick progress cross-country.

It’s not exactly a sports car but it feels quick and capable for a 2.3-tonne SUV. The e-4ORCE has been set up to aid this feeling by managing body movement by altering torque distribution. Under heavy throttle or braking, the motors work to balance the body, noticeably reducing pitching, which means this big old SUV feels more controlled and your passengers are less likely to lose their lunch. 

On a mixture of smooth French autoroutes and pock-marked Spanish mountain roads the Ariya’s ride remains unruffled, with nicely judged damping that smooths out the worst imperfections while impressive noise insulation keeps things in the cabin pleasantly calm. 

Ironically for an “ice drive” event, many of the roads on our Pyrenean test route were noticeably clear of snow and ice - a result of unseasonably warm weather and some committed snow plough crews keeping this busy tourist destination accessible. 

The solution to that was to head out on a race track covered entirely in ice. We were on the slippery stuff to showcase the way e-4ORCE controls traction and power, even in challenging situations. Nissan talks of how the system constantly monitors everything from grip conditions on each wheel to the driver’s inputs and uses that and the instantly responsive twin motors and torque vectoring to offer optimum stability, grip and control.

In truth, this is the sort of control you would expect from any decent four-wheel-drive system but Nissan’s setup makes a decent fist of managing things. Beneath the surface computers are doing all sorts of clever things thousands of times a second but from the wheel it feels like a natural connection between your inputs and the car’s responses. 

On surfaces that we struggled to stand up on, the Ariya did remarkably well in staying on the straight and narrow and changing direction without getting frighteningly out of shape. Pushed to extremes, it’s more likely to allow the car to understeer than start fishtailing around wildly. Still not much fun but less alarming on the road than suddenly oversteering. 

The same technology underpins the new all-wheel-drive X-Trail, where the petrol motor acts as a generator for two powerful electric motors, allowing the e-4ORCE system to manage torque distribution and vectoring in the same immediate way as on Ariya. 

As mentioned, e-4ORCE Ariyas all come with an 87kWh battery which in the all-wheel-drive variants offers a maximum range of 314 miles. That compares with 329 miles for the two-wheel-drive version with the same battery and 250 for the smaller capacity version. All versions support 130kW charging allowing a 20-80% refill in around 30 minutes.  Obviously, our test route and activity didn’t allow for a realistic assessment of the real-world performance, so we’ll have to wait until we’ve tested it on more familiar roads to judge the Ariya’s efficiency. 

Visually, the e-4orce models are marked out from 2WD versions only by badging and dark chrome window surrounds. Otherwise, they share the same slippery yet angular looks which mark the Ariya out as a very different proposition to the similarly sized X-Trail and as a competitor to the likes of the Volkswagen ID.4, Skoda Enyaq iV Coupe, Kia EV6 and Ford Mustang Mach-e.

Among the phrases thrown around to describe the Ariya’s design is “premium futurism” which, as far as I can tell, means smooth surfaces, funny angles, fancy materials and not many buttons. Nissan’s approach to the buttonless interior is different to many other brands. Instead of burying all the controls in the touchscreen, haptic patches in the surface of the centre console and dashboard act as controls for various functions. It’s an unusual and attractive approach that creates a sleek minimalist look but, damn it, I still want physical heater controls. 

Above those haptic panels, two 12.3-inch screens sit out from the low-slung dashboard and flow together to provide a massive bank of instruments, media and navigation displays. They look slightly like a stuck on afterthought but overall, the Ariya’s cabin is the most stylish and sophisticated of any Nissan and among the nicest in its class. It’s helped by a real feeling of spaciousness thanks to the flat floor, huge panoramic sunroof and generous space for passengers front and rear. 

Priced from £54,595 for the e-4ORCE Advance and £58,590 for the Evolve, it's just as well this is the most sophisticated Nissan yet. But you do get plenty of kit for your money, especially in Evolve, where the panoramic roof, heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel, and more advanced version of the PilotPro driver assist are all standard alongside a powered tailgate, heated windscreen and all-important heat pump. 

The Ariya’s arrival was delayed by almost a year due to various global catastrophes but now that it’s here it’s a worthy entry into the segment. Its looks and interior style are refreshingly different and it is more than capable of matching most rivals for on-road dynamics thanks to the balance and control of the e-4ORCE system. 

Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE Evolve

• Price: £58,590
• Motor: Two synchronous electric motors
• Battery: 87kWh (usable)
• Power: 302bhp
• Torque: 443lb ft
• Transmission: Single-speed, all-wheel-drive
• Top speed: 124mph
• 0-62mph: 5.7 seconds
• Range: 314 miles
• Charging: up to 130kW

Rivals: Audi Q4 e-tron; Ford Mustang Mach-e; Hyundai Ioniq 5; Kia EV6; Skoda Enyaq; Volkswagen ID.4