INDIANAPOLIS — There’s a wide swath of families who want futuristic concept car styling that fits their techy lifestyle, but don’t really need three rows of seats.  They also don’t want to pay Mercedes, BMW, or Cadillac prices to get one.  For them, the 2024 Nissan Ariya electric vehicle is a worthy choice.

I find it beautiful.  Where a grille would normally be is a swathy black panel adorned with the new Nissan badge, illuminated by 20 LEDs and flanked by angry headlamps.  The fluid design embraces the Japanese term iki, which implies cutting-edge nature. I’ll take that to mean it looks to be shaped by water and microchips. It’s especially fetching set over 19” slicer alloy wheels.



Interiors embrace ma, or a belonging to both space and time.  Designers aimed for the feel of a starship lounge with minimalist space, curved twin flatscreens, wide flat floor, and center console that powers back and forth.  There’s no transmission tunnel, so legroom is abundant.  A panoramic moonroof, crisp 10-speaker Bose audio, and heated steering wheel add luxuries.

Examine the wood panel across the dash.  It’s not wood and climate controls are flush integrated to the panel with capacitive haptic switches.  It’s like changing temperature by clicking your finger on thin timber.  I doubted I’d like the bluish-gray color of the Nappa leather seats against red paint, but they feel light and are heated/ventilated up front. Wireless phone charging keeps phones humming while a head-up display focuses eyes forward.

Our vehicle delivers 267 miles, but also lays down 389 horsepower and 442 lb.-ft. of torque through the all-wheel-drive system.  Use Eco mode for the best economy.  Also depress the e-Step button for regenerative braking.  Recharging 10-80% on a fast charger takes 40 minutes - longer than competitors – and expect a 14-hour recharge on a 240v home charger.  

Driving further into the future, our car was equipped with Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist 2 system that allows for hands-off cruising on designated highways.  It’s not as smooth as some competitors, but it was a nice addition to the adaptive cruise control for a relaxed cup of coffee en-route.  Automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and rear cross path detection with auto brake enhance safety.

Base models start at $39,590, but our Platinum+ e-4ORCE with the larger battery pack, AWD, and Nappa leather interior topped $60k.  

— Casey Williams, MyCarData