Spotted in a transport van here last August, the Nissan Ariya is now on the road, and reader Silver Low spotted the all-electric SUV in Damansara Uptown earlier this evening. The Akatsuki Copper colored example is probably the same car from last year, and the license plate is not so subtle, with Tan Chong plastered all over it.
The Ariya was launched in Malaysia in February last year when the car was featured in a Chinese New Year greeting video from Nissan dealer Edaran Tan Chong Motor in Malaysia. Now that we’re a year into it, can we expect a market launch soon?
Ariya Measuring 4,595mm long x 1,850mm wide x 1,655mm high and with a wheelbase of 2,775mm, the Ariya is slightly shorter and lower than the X-Trail, but wider and with a longer wheelbase.
It remains to be seen which variant we’ll get when the EV comes out. It comes in 2WD (single motor, driving the front wheels) and dual motor AWD versions, each with different lithium-ion battery options, a 66 kWh battery pack (63 kWh usable) and a larger 91 kWh battery pack (87 kWh available).
As mentioned earlier, the 2WD versions place great emphasis on economy and maximum range, with the 91 kWh 2WD version offering the longest range at 610 kilometers on a single charge. It also has a slightly more powerful electric motor, rated at 178 kW compared to 160 kW for the 2WD 66 kWh variant. As for the AWD versions, the 66-kWh-equipped model offers up to 430 kilometers of range, while the 91-kWh model offers up to 580 kilometers.