Currently reading: Nissan Ariya Nismo to arrive in UK next year with 429bhp

Flagship electric SUV gets more power, bespoke styling and chassis tweaks in new sporty form

The Nissan Ariya Nismo will hit UK roads early next year, bringing sport cars power and motorsport-derived aerodynamics.

Based on the Ariya e-4orce, it gets tuned throttle dynamics, a Nismo driving mode and a raft of more aggressive exterior design touches.

Power, supplied to all four wheels by the same two motors as in the standard car, has been uprated by 128bhp to 429bhp, although torque remains at 443lb ft.

This makes it considerably more powerful than the Volkswagen ID 4 GTX but slightly less so than the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT.

The 87kWh battery pack also remains unchanged, so range is expected to match that of the Ariya e-4orce at 310 miles.

Nissan said a lot of work went into increasing the Ariya’s maximum mechanical grip, thanks to a retuned four wheel-drive system that adjusts the power sent to each wheel 10,000 times per second.

The Ariya Nismo’s new 60:40 rear bias gives it a “sporting feel” compared with the standard car.

Greater agility at high speeds and better body control has been achieved through a reworked suspension set-up and retuned steering.

The Nismo driving mode increases throttle and steering response, while an additional i-Booster setting strengthens braking performance.

The new aero, created with the help of Nissan’s Formula E race team, has been added to give the Ariya Nismo as much downforce as possible while also reducing drag and smoothing airflow along the body.

It includes a more prominent front splitter, a vortex generator on the roof, deeper side skirts and rear bumpers and a ducktail spoiler.

The cabin is largely the same as the standard Ariya's, albeit with body-hugging Nismo-branded sports seats trimmed in suede with red pinstripes.

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European deliveries will begin in January. Pricing will start above that of the £59,025 e-4orce Evolve+, the line-up’s current range-topper.

Jonathan Bryce

Jonathan Bryce
Title: Editorial Assistant

Jonathan is an editorial assistant working with Autocar. He has held this position since March 2024, having previously studied at the University of Glasgow before moving to London to become an editorial apprentice and pursue a career in motoring journalism. 

His role at work involves running Autocar's sister title Move Electric, which is most notably concerned with electric cars. His other roles include writing new and updating existing new car reviews, and appearing on Autocar's social media channels including Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Will Rimell

Will Rimell
Title: News editor

Will is Autocar's news editor.​ His focus is on setting Autocar's news agenda, interviewing top executives, reporting from car launches, and unearthing exclusives.

As part of his role, he also manages Autocar Business – the brand's B2B platform – and Haymarket's aftermarket publication CAT.

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Peter Cavellini 9 September 2024

And back to the article, it's not pretty is it?, it seems nowadays that sticking a letter of the Alphabet on the end of a car model doesn't necessarily mean your going to get what you expect,it's a bit like goin* to Halfords and raiding the go faster shelve, and of course adding a few grand on to the already high price.

morrisxm 12 January 2024

Hi Jonathan, you've got a few things wrong - no, it's not the fiest EV from NISMO - there has been LEAF NISMO in Japan. And these are not sport seats, they are the same as on standard Ariya.

Overall, a bit of a lazy job by Nissan especially compared to the brilliant Hyundai Ioniq 5N.

catnip 14 January 2024

To be fair, you can't expect a motoring journalist to be aware of these things.