Nissan expects better than 500km-range for Ariya EV

UPDATE: We've now driven a prototype of the Ariya, see our review at the link below!

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Nissan has made subtle tweaks to its upcoming electric crossover SUV, the Ariya, with the aim of making it the most aerodynamic crossover ever made by the brand.

It turns out that Nissan short-sold itself upon the Ariya’s worldwide debut, with its anticipated range revised upward over its initial 500km figure.

The Japanese carmaker said it should now travel beyond that on a single charge, but hasn't disclosed an actual figure.

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Nissan says each detail of the Ariya's body has been painstakingly adjusted by its engineering and design teams in the United Kingdom, with the goal of a slipperier design that aids the car’s efficiency.

“With the growing shift towards electric mobility, aerodynamic testing is becoming increasingly important,” said Sarwar Ahmed, aerodynamics engineer at Nissan’s technical centre in the UK.

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“The aerodynamics of electric vehicles are directly linked to how efficiently the vehicle moves – less drag and better stability allows the customer to drive longer distances before having to recharge.”

The Ariya will be offered in 63kWh two- and four-wheel-drive forms, as well as a more powerful 87kWh model (front- and four-wheel drive). Top of the range will be the Ariya e-4orce 87kWh Performance, which combines the higher power drivetrain with the usual upgrades you'd expect in a range-topping SUV.

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Unlike the Leaf, which has effectively stood on its own, the Ariya uses a scalable platform optimised specifically for electric cars. Without the need to house an internal combustion engine, passenger space is elongated and the cockpit floor can be flat, with the batteries packed underneath.

While the Ariya isn’t confirmed for Australia yet, it's understood that Nissan’s local arm is keen to see it on our roads, though a launch likely wouldn’t be seen until 2022.

The Ariya production version is still currently under development, and we’ll know more about the official range figure after its homologized later in the year.