Electric Nissan Ariya Concept REVEALED – the ‘LEAF SUV’ previewed

The Nissan Ariya Concept is revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show, an electric crossover concept previewing a ‘LEAF SUV’ heading for production.

Earlier today we saw the Lexus LF-30 Electric Concept which is very much a far-future look at where Lexus is heading with EVs, but now we get a concept at the other end of the concept scale with the Nissan Ariya, an electric SUV concept from Nissan previewing the ‘LEAF SUV’ we’ve been expecting for some time.

About the same size as the Nissan X-Trail, although a bit wider and lower, the Ariya sits on a new electric vehicle platform, has similar design cues to the IMk urban EV Concept, a set of big copper wheels, a new take on the V-Motion grille that’s not really a grille, a coupe profile, full-width light bar at the back and posh paint that changes from matte to metallic as you get closer.

Inside the Ariya is pared-back and rather minimalist, with few buttons, a 12.3″ screen, thin frame seats, flat floor and, say Nissan, a great view out and a sensation of floating on a magic carpet. The seats also feature perforated leather with copper fabric beneath to add depth. The Ariya also features Nissan’s latest ProPilot 2.0 with hands-off cruising capability.

Nissan aren’t saying exactly what the Electric powertrain offers, what its range is, how much power it has or how big a battery it has, but they do say its 100 per cent electric with an electric motor front and back which “delivers balanced, predictable power to all four wheels, equal or better than many premium sports cars“.

It all looks very convincing, and don’t be surprised to see the Ariya arrive in 2020 in production guise as, effectively, the long-awaited “Nissan LEAF SUV”.