In Europe, the last cars we could buy that wore Nissan’s Nismo performance badge were harder-cored versions of the 370Z and GT-R. Since both those cars were discontinued here, the Nismo badge has been absent from the Euro market. That’s about to change, but there’s a catch – and yes, it’s exactly what you think.
This is the Nissan Ariya Nismo, and it’s the first fully electric Nismo model to be offered in Europe. At its base is the four-wheel drive Ariya e-4ORCE, which uses an 87kWh battery to power two motors making a total of 388bhp. That’s enough for a fairly Nismo-ish 0-62mph run of 5.1 seconds, and a decent-for-an-EV top end of 124mph. There’s no mention of the Nismo getting more power for Europe, although in Japan, where it’s already been available for a few months, it gets up to 423bhp.
Nissan Ariya Nismo – side
The Nismo’s stability control has been retuned, as has the motors’ distribution of power and torque to each wheel. Beefier brake pads have been added, as have more performance-biased tyres.
Obviously, it wouldn’t be a Nismo without some red accents and pointy bits, and that’s just what the Ariya Nismo has. There’s a tweaked front bumper, a new rear diffuser and a more pronounced bootlid spoiler, as well as some Nismo-specific alloys.
Nissan Ariya Nismo – interior
On the inside, meanwhile, there are a pair of chunky bucket seats up front and lots of suede-ish stuff and more red accents throughout.
The first EV Nismo to arrive in Europe chimes with Nissan’s ambitions to only introduce EVs to this market going forward. Myra González, Nissan’s European vice president of marketing and sales, said: “NISMO is back in Europe! We are bringing this exciting brand back into our market with a new and refreshed model. As we push forward the electrification of our lineup, it’s essential that we continue to offer elite and exciting models to customers and NISMO enthusiasts as well”.
Nissan Ariya Nismo – rear
The Arya Nismo is set to make its European debut at this weekend’s London ePrix, the closing round of this year’s Formula E championship. Information on pricing and availability will come later in 2024 but we can expect a decent jump on the £59,025 that’ll get you into a current range-topping Ariya.
