Nissan unveils Ariya Nismo
This Japanese car tuner has developed some of the world’s best sports coupes and now it is turning its attention to a very different model.
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Nissan’s high-performance Nismo arm has shifted gears away from twin-turbocharged sports coupes such as the Nissan GT-R and Z towards electric cars.
The tuning arm has introduced an upgraded version of Nissan’s Ariya electric SUV, a model that shapes up as a rival to the Tesla Model Y and Toyota bZ4X.
The Ariya is on sale in Europe, but it is not clear whether the car will come to Australia.
Nissan says the Ariya NISMO, built to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Nissan’s motorsport arm, is “engineered to bring thrill and precision to the roads”.
“Building on Nissan’s strong Nismo heritage and keeping its Japanese-inspired design, the Ariya Nismo brings a new level of exhilaration to the already excellent performance of the 87KWh Ariya e-4ORCE.”
The sporty EV has no more power than regular versions of the Ariya.
It has the same dual electric motors that make 290kW and 600Nm ain the regular all-wheel-drive Ariya.
That represents a departure from Nismo tradition, as upgraded versions of the GT-R, 370Z and Juke had more power than regular models.
Nismo’s tweaks include upgraded brake pads for more consistent stopping performance, along with reworked aero elements that increase downforce at speed.
The cabin has black material with red highlights that take inspiration from the brand’s sports coupes.
The car also has more aggressive software for the electric motors and vehicle stability control that promise to sharpen responses, getting the most from new high-performance tyres.
Nissan unveiled the Ariya in concept form at the 2019 Tokyo motor show before presenting the production version in 2020.
The Ariya’s local introduction has been held up by local design rules that require Nissan to add an additional “top tether” point for child seats in the middle of the back seat.
Nissan maintains that the Ariya is on the way to local showrooms – despite a last-minute decision to cancel sales in New Zealand.
A Nissan spokesman said that “due to the volatility in the New Zealand Electric Vehicle market, Nissan has decided to withhold the launch of Ariya in New Zealand”.
“Further announcements will be made when available, but Nissan remains committed to bringing its electrified models to markets when it makes sense for customers and the business.”
“It’s important to note that this has no impact on Ariya for Australia.
“Ariya is coming to Australia and launch timing will be announced soon.”
The spokesman said Nissan could not comment on whether the Nismo version would be offered locally.
Originally published as Nissan unveils Ariya Nismo
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