mReview: Nissan Ariya – More About Zen, Less About Zenith


Nissan’s second pure EV in Singapore after the Leaf is a perfectly relaxing vehicle that doesn’t need to be the highest achiever in everything electric. 

The Ariya is all about the Japanese art of vehicular zen, plus, of course, the international science of electrical propulsion. Nissan was a pioneer in electric vehicles with the original Leaf, which is why this newcomer took a leaf out of the same brilliant book. 

Therefore, the nice new Nissan can trace its design, heritage and technology to the Leaf, which provided the roots for the new-generation electric SUV. 

Yet, the Ariya is not too Leafy, so to speak. 

It is lean, green and clean, but it is much more than a super Leaf that is 15 percent bigger and 30 percent costlier than the electric hatchback that was ahead of its time. The Ariya is actually a super tree for the road, with a potential range of between 385 km (combined cycle) and 502 km (city driving). 

In fact, it is a whole Japanese forest of goodness that elevates Nissan intelligent mobility to a fine art.  

The artistic aspect is driven by “Kumiko”, Nissan’s keyword for the Ariya design. But because I’m a young senior whose hearing is not so good these days, when the Tan Chong Nissan product guy mentioned “Kumiko” to me for the first time, I misheard it as “Mopiko”. 

Luckily, I didn’t die like a mosquito for my mistake - killed for trying to spread dengue and stupidity. 

Kumiko is a Japanese geometric pattern, which has been applied to certain parts of the Ariya’s exterior and interior as designer decoration. Nissan says that the application includes the use of traditional mould-processing techniques.

I don’t think there’s a 99-year-old craftsman stationed in Nissan’s Tochigi factory to install the Ariya’s Kumiko elements within the blackened front fascia, but this artistic touch probably requires a certain attention to detail beyond the usual vehicle assembly process that produces numerous Notes and multiple Kicks.      

The way I see it, this Kumiko effect makes the Ariya more Tokyo and more stylo, when you take a closer look at the car.  

This is a handsome vehicle, no doubt, especially in Brilliant White. It is a two-tone paint job matched to a black roof, which is also available to complement two other body colours of Blue Pearl and Ceramic Grey. 

The front is futuristic, yet realistic enough to not alienate people who are more familiar with Qashqai and X-Trail. The roofline sweeps to the rear like a cutting-edge samurai sword. The 19-inch wheels are big and busy, while the LEDs are bright and pretty, although the full-width rear light bar across the tailgate is a little predictable. 

Unexpected, to me at least, is how the Ariya interior looks and feels. It’s welcoming and relaxing, without trying too hard. 

Green tea, mochi and a polite Japanese lady would complete this ryokan-on-wheels.

The place is like a post-modern ryokan-on-wheels, carefully constructed by Nissan, possibly with some help from Muji. The factory-fitted leather upholstery comes in either businesslike black or classy cream. 

If I could sip from a small cup of green tea and munch on a little plate of mochi , I would feel even more zen behind the wheel, regardless of the madness outside these windows.  

By the way, the visibility through these large glass panes is fantastic. There is an Around View Monitor to help me see even more, especially while parking, although the resolution of the real-time images in dark places could be better (or maybe my eyesight couldn’t be worse). 

The car also comes with radar eyes such as Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert to further reduce the risk of accidents due to approaching vehicles not noticed by the driver. 

What I do notice is the Ariya’s smooth integration of technology and tradition. 

The haptic-touch climate controls, for instance. These are inspired by the Japanese concept of thoughtful form-and-function. It has to be attractive and intuitive, it must be comfortable to use and logical to operate. Indeed, it is in this case. 

Less impressive, however, are the “DRIVE MODE” and “e-PEDAL” controls (which need a firm fingertip press), and the steering wheel’s audio and adaptive-cruise switches (which could feel tighter). 

Making the Ariya interior lovelier are some Kumiko details - below the dashboard and on the door panels. Making these details pop is dedicated ambient lighting inspired by Japanese paper lanterns. 

All this is Japanese theatre, Nissan style - complete with a harmonious combination of beige leather, dark wood and light fabric, plus bronze accents for a further dash of flair. 

Air-conditioned comfort is standard, of course. The climate control in the Ariya cabin is powerful and effective, even under the hot Singapore sun. And adjusting it is easy with the user-friendly air-con controls. 

Ariya art includes the decorative Kumiko panel parked in the middle of the spacious footwell.

I wish for some more storage, though. 

The two gloveboxes are useful and have interior trim to help hold the items inside quietly, but the actual compartments could provide more space for odds and ends. The front doorbins could be bigger, too. Other stowage options are the compact cupholders and the small tray under the centre armrest, which also has an integrated charging tray for your smartphone.     

The 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen supports wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, and also provides built-in TomTom navigation. 

Finding your way in Singapore and Malaysia with the Ariya dashboard will be idiot-proof, even for an old-school driver like me who used a street directory for more than a decade before sat-nav systems became common. 

The old-school part of me also notices the pair of retro buttons at the side of the digital instrument cluster to adjust its illumination. 

Digital natives who never used Nokias before might prefer their dashboards to be touchscreen-everything with menus, submenus and fingertip aerobics, but I still prefer physical buttons to digital buttons. 

The Ariya’s driving-related infographics looks quite retro too, but it’s easy enough to read the information presented and understand the real-time data. 

It’s also easy to get comfortable in the front, thanks to the generous windscreen, overall airiness and roominess.

The floor is flat and wide open from sill to sill, giving lots of space to stretch your legs and double-park your feet. Manspreading is optional, but I won’t do that.

This is a mobile zone of zen that relaxes its occupants.

The Ariya has a roomy backseat, too. The floorboard is flat and makes the footwells even more spacious. 

There is more legroom than my legs know how to use it up. Despite the sloping roof overhead, the headroom is more than enough for my head, which ends 1.73 metres away from the soles of my feet. If you’re my height or shorter, this is a loft apartment. If you’re taller than me, this is a studio apartment. 

The leather centre armrest makes my arm feel well-rested, more so than the leather armrest on the door which is less soft. 

Thankfully, folks who fork out a lot of money for one of these will probably focus on the lovely white leather everywhere, delectable whipped-cream colour scheme, silvery touches/switches, and beautiful interior lighting. 

There are also rear air-con vents to keep you cool, USB ports (Type-A & Type-C) to keep your devices charged, and practical pockets to keep your stuff organised. 

Most importantly, the Ariya’s rear passengers will feel as zen as the driver, I reckon. 

This boot might be roomier than a capsule hotel room in downtown Tokyo.

Behind the backseat is a boot with useful cargo space of 466 litres, plus a sensible shape to facilitate the carrying of cargo. It also has flexible floorboards for added versatility, and sizeable side pockets for loose items. By the way, the three chimes that accompany the opening of the powered tailgate sound so pleasant, and are also played as a gentle shutdown reminder in the cockpit. 

Driving the Ariya in Singapore is a quiet pleasure. The driving experience is aimed at the successful salaryman relaxing during rush hour, rather than the sportsman rushing somewhere to play some sports.

I feel so chill behind the wheel that the air-con seems even colder. 

Comfort is the Ariya’s priority on the road, with enough control for the driver to stay on top of the traffic situation. 

The ride is comfortably soft, but the suspension and 19-inch wheels seem to prefer perfectly-smooth roads like those in Japan, instead of the poorly-paved sections of our local tarmac which have been roadworked too often and in too many locations. 

Ariya's electric engine has three drive modes including Sport, but the standard setting is most suitable for the car's zen character.

The steering is light on the move, but not so light that it feels like a Japanese joystick. There’s a nominal Sport drive mode which reduces the steering assistance and makes the motor slightly more responsive, but I don’t see the need or the point of activating said function, because this is a sports-utility for urban usage and not a sports car remotely related to the GT-R.

Even so, the Ariya is prompt when moving off the line, since it’s a BEV SUV with plenty of instant torque. There might be a whiff of front-drive wheelspin if you step the pedal hard and fast, but this is interesting rather than intimidating.

In conclusion, the Nissan Ariya doesn’t aspire to be the zenith of electric SUV motoring. Instead, it is designed to be the zen, from Japan, for the gentleman who wants to relax in a Japanese electricar with family and friends. 

Nissan’s new-age Ariya zen would be even better if its price was closer to $200k with COE, which would be the comfortable sweet spot for this comfortable vehicle. 

Read More: mReview: 2023 Nissan X-Trail e-Power

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