The Nissan Ariya electric SUV has been sighted on a transporter in Malaysia, which could mean a launch date is approaching. The Ariya in the hero Akatsuki Copper colour was seen in the Segambut area today. The uncovered bottom half with the exposed wheel design gives away its identity.
We first got hints of the Nissan Ariya EV SUV making a possible introduction in Malaysia back in February when we saw it make an appearance in Malaysian Nissan distributor Edaran Tan Chong Motor’s CNY greeting video. ETCM was one of the first companies in Malaysia to embrace electric cars – it introduced both the Nissan Leaf under the Nissan brand as well as the Renault Zoe and Twizy under the Renault brand.
The Nissan Ariya measures 4,595 mm long x 1,850 mm wide x 1,655 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,775 mm. Externally, the Ariya is a little shorter and lower than the X-Trail, but it is a bit wider. It has a longer wheelbase compared to the X-Trail.
There are two choices of lithium ion battery packs – a 66 kWh pack with 63 kWh usable, or a 91 kWh pack with 87 kWh usable. All versions use active cooling.
You either have 2WD where a single motor drives the front wheel, or AWD versions where you have two motors, one driving the front axle and one driving the rear axle. The 2WD versions are focused on economy and maximising range. The 91 kWh 2WD version has the longest rated range – up to 610 km. Its electric motor is a bit more powerful, rated at 178 kW compared to 160 kW on the 2WD 66 kWh variant. The fastest Ariya you can buy is the 91 kWh 290 kW AWD version, which can hit 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds.
The following are the prices of the Nissan Ariya in Japan at time of publishing:
- Nissan Ariya 2WD 66 kWh – 6,600,000 yen (RM219k)
- Nissan Ariya 2WD 91 kWh – 7,400,800 yen (RM245k)
- Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE AWD 66 kWh – 7,200,600 yen (RM239k)
- Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE AWD 91 kWh – 7,900,200 yen (RM262k)
Given that CBU electric cars currently enjoy import and excise duty exemptions until the end of 2023, it could be possible to directly convert the Japanese pricing for the Nissan Ariya to try to predict Malaysian pricing. Perhaps just add 10% to the above prices to reflect SST.
With almost every EV in Malaysia having long waiting lists, the introduction of new models are certainly welcome. At least you can get into the front of the waiting list if you are eager to try out the world of electric cars. What do you think of the new Nissan Ariya?
