A few performance EVs have hit the scene in the last few years, as the electrified era brings both innovation and also a desire for power. While they have incredible performance, that often comes at the sacrifice of things like range. That said, automakers need these models as a way to drum up excitement for EVs. Nissan is the latest automaker bringing a performance EV to market in the form of its Ariya crossover.
Called the Nissan Ariya NISMO, it’s based on the top line Ariya e-4ORCE. While that model gets 389 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque from its dual motor setup and 87 kWh lithium-ion battery, the NISMO gets two versions dubbed B6 and B9. The B6 gets a 66 kWh battery back and less power than the standard Ariya e-4ORCE: 362 and 413 lb-ft of torque.
If you want more power, the B9 is the way to go. It gets a 91-kWh battery pack and output of 413 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque; that’s 24 horsepower more than the regular Ariya with the same battery. With this much juice, Nissan says that a combination of special acceleration tuning and exclusive driving modes make for a 10-percent increase in peak motor output.
It’s not all just about going fast in a straight line. Engineers have tuned the chassis and all wheel drive system for better control as Nissan describes.
NISMO’s special tuning for each chassis component combined with e-4ORCE electric-drive four-wheel-control technology and dedicated tires mounted on highly rigid 20-inch aluminum wheels generates superior stability and turn-in ability as well as better line-tracing and enhanced cornering ability at high speeds.
As for design, you’ll be able to tell the Ariya NISMO apart from regular Ariyas. On the outside, there’s design cues that’ll remind of you past NISMO models like the Juke NISMO and current ones like the Z and GT-R NISMOs. The aero treatment around the bottom gets the same black and red design with a faux diffuser and dual-level spoiler out back. Up front there’s a sporty design for the front fascia along with a single gray stripe on the hood.
Inside there’s a special steering wheel with red mark for the 12 o’clock position, NISMO sport seats, red trim and other features only described as “high quality”. And just so you can get the full experience of going fast, NISMO threw in an optional sound generator that under acceleration is described as being “evocative of Formula E racing, further adding to the excitement.”
There’s no word on anything like range or price yet. Ultimately though it won’t matter anyway, it doesn’t appear as if this thing is coming to the U.S. right now. It will go on sale in Japan though in mid-2024.
