I’ve driven the new Nissan Ariya – it’s like the Qashqai you know but better in every way, besides the price
IF you haven't owned a Nissan Qashqai yourself, we'd be amazed if you don't know somebody who has.
There's good reason for that: it's brilliant. Roomy, generously equipped, keenly priced and built in Britain.
Although the Qashqai is still on sale, the Nissan Ariya is in some ways the Qashqai of the future, today.
The Ariya is fully electric and comes with the choice of two different battery sizes.
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Ours was the 63kWh battery model with 160hp and 250 miles of range, but there's also an 87kWh model with one or two motors and as much as 300hp and a 329-mile range.
But whichever you drive, it won't take you long to realise the Ariya is better than the Qashqai is almost every way.
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For starters, it turns heads like a sports car on the road and climbing inside reveals a stunning interior that's a joy to be in.
There's a sense of spaciousness and quality not before seen in Nissans and the quirky floating central armrest looks great and offers genuinely useful storage.
Then there are the touch-sensitive buttons set into its fake-but-convincing 'wood' trim which look classy and work well.
Deep-pile carpets, quirky side-by-side glove compartments, a lovely twin-screen infotainment system, a decent boot - we could go on.
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It doesn't get any less good when you drive it.
Electric power helps when darting through traffic in town but is also more relaxing than an engine day-to-day.
Together with its comfy suspension and quiet cabin, the Ariya just makes life easy.
We got fairly close to our car's official range in mixed driving, too, and charging out and about with a 130kW charger gets you a 20-80% charge in 30 minutes.
So is there anything wrong? Well, just the price.
Key facts: Nissan Ariya 63kWh
Price from: £46,145
Battery size: 63kWh
Range: 250 miles
Charge time: 20-80% in 30 minutes
0-62mph: 7.5 seconds
Top speed: 100mph
Out: Now
Our entry-level Ariya starts at around £46,000, some £20,000 more than an entry-level Qashqai.
Go for the twin-motor model in top-level trim and you're looking at nearly £60k.
It's better than a Qashqai, but we're not sure it's ready to compete with Audi, BMW and Mercedes.
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Yes, many Ariyas will be run cheaply as company cars and yes, new car prices are on the up across the board.
But disposable income is down and the Ariya isn't a cheap privately-owned motor whichever way you cut it.
