Nismo, Nissan’s performance arm, will return to Europe with the battery-powered Ariya crossover after a four-year hiatus.
But unlike the version that’s available in Japan, the Europe-bound Nissan Ariya Nismo might be more show and less go, at least from the information we currently have on hand. That’s quite different from what European customers have been accustomed to in the past with Nismo-branded models like the 370Z and Juke, which had more power and pizzaz than the standard versions.
Get Fully Charged
Nismo returns to Europe
After the demise of the Nissan 370Z in Europe at the end of 2019, the Japanese automaker's performance arm, Nismo, has been nowhere to be seen. That's about to change with the introduction of the Ariya Nismo sporty electric crossover.
The official press release doesn’t mention specifics about power, torque, acceleration or top speed, but a dead giveaway is the following statement: “The Ariya NISMO brings a new level of exhilaration to the already excellent performance of the 87KWh Ariya e-4ORCE.”
That’s the version with the biggest battery and dual motors, which makes 389 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque–both in Europe and the United States. That’s not to say it’s short on power, but to put things into perspective, the most powerful version of the Japanese-spec Ariya Nismo, dubbed B9, gets a 91-kWh battery and a maximum output of 320 hp and 443 lb-ft. Compared to the regular Ariya, that’s 10% higher.
That said, for Europe, Nismo fine-tuned the e-4ORCE all-wheel drive system for better power and torque distribution, tweaked the suspension, installed “finely tuned” brake pads and revised the interior to make it sportier. Inside, the color theme is red on black with Nismo seats.
Outside, the Nissan Ariya Nismo gets a black-and-red body kit, new 20-inch wheels, revised front and rear bumpers and a rear spoiler above the rear window.
Gallery: Nissan Ariya Nismo Europe-Spec (2024)
That’s a big bummer for Nismo fans. Cars like the discontinued 370Z Nismo and even the peculiar Juke Nismo had more of everything, including power, making for some very interesting driving characteristics. Now though, it seems like Nismo is becoming the equivalent of Mercedes-Benz’s AMG Line, BMW’s M Sport and Hyundai’s N Line trim options.
The European version of the go-fast electric crossover will be fully unveiled during the season finale of the Formula E championship in London this weekend when we should learn more about the Ariya Nismo, like how much power it actually makes and how much it costs.
The sporty EV will be available in all European markets where the regular version is already available, Nissan said.
