Nissan Ariya

This is by no means one of the most important milestones for Nissan since the Leaf. It's called the Ariya and this electric crossover signaled the new era for Nissan in the midst of the new normal.

2022 Nissan Ariya

2022 Nissan Ariya

The Nissan Ariya is an all-electric crossover that Nissan called one of the most important milestones since the Leaf and whatever the reason, it's a proper game-changer that caters to the world with its revolutionary electric powertrain and dynamics that set standards for electric vehicles in this time of the new normal.

Beginning with the styling, the Ariya heavily draws inspiration from the concept car as seen at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show thanks to such positive feedback from the motoring public. Although the sizing can be somewhat mistaken for the defunct Murano, it has a shorter overall length than the X-Trail in reality. No complaints here.

2022 Nissan Ariya

The same here goes for the interior. the Ariya prefers the minimalist route like most modern vehicles have because minimalism is part of the new normal of the motoring world. Despite its minimalism, the Ariya is still user-friendly for all because of a working knob for the volume, a climate control touch panel on the dashboard, and a super long split-screen positioned on the driver's side with one for the instrumentals and the other for touch screen purposes, and what's surprising is the hidden touch panels near the armrests that appeared when it's on and they're made to adjust your driving pleasure. One thing you might need to watch for is its tech, especially the dreaded Amazon Alexa feature installed on the Ariya. Once the Alexa moment kicks in, the disturbance begins as such.

Aside from that, the Ariya boasts best-in-class interior space unique for electric vehicles, meaning this five-seater is fit for all walks of life.

2022 Nissan Ariya

The base front-wheel-drive B6 variant with the 66kWh battery pack, priced at 5,390,000 Japanese Yen, produces 218PS of power, 300Nm of torque, and it's good for 450km of driving range based on WLTC mode standards. However, for those who are lucky enough to reserve the ultra-expensive B9 limited with a 91kWh battery pack and the revolutionary e-4ORCE 4WD system, it has 394PS of power output, 600Nm of torque, and 580km of driving range based on WLTC Mode standards. Front-wheel-drive B9 variants are good for 610km. Lucky them.

The e-4ORCE 4WD system is a new type of electric 4WD system that draws inspiration from the legendary ATTESA E-TS of the Nissan GT-R and the All-Mode 4x4 used on Nissan SUVs. By taking care of its power output and braking performance, the e-4ORCE system makes the Ariya capable of handling all kinds of road conditions, especially tarmac, gravel, or snow. Not perfect as such but it's rather excellent indeed for an all-around electric crossover. This signature electric 4WD system deserves some respect, mind you.

With safety as part of the new normal, the first-ever Nissan Ariya features the most advanced driving aids as part of the Nissan Intelligent Mobility banner. It features an improved ProPILOT with Navi-link that gives this crossover autonomous driving capability that terrifies speedo boys many. There's also ProPILOT Park for hands-free parking, e-Pedal for one-pedal operation, Intelligent Around View Monitor, Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, Intelligent Emergency Braking, and Rear Automatic Emergency Braking Technology, among many others.

The arrival of the Ariya signaled the true beginning of the next chapter of Nissan history. Like it or not, this electric crossover not only sets standards, it is the gold standard for electric vehicles, and looks like this Nissan deserves some kudos for its game-changing characteristics that made the Ariya the electric crossover built for the challenges of the new normal. This is the future we live in.

Photo: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.