May 30th, 2022, 7:17 a.m.
Nissan has ceased collecting orders for the 2023 Ariya in the US due to supply chain concerns affecting the electric SUV’s manufacture in Japan.
The Ariya facility has previously experienced delays in getting the new manufacturing line for the EV up and running when the pandemic and semiconductor crisis struck in 2020.
Nissan’s Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta remarked that in light of the most recent manufacturing setback, it is preferable to restrict orders to what can actually be delivered in a timely way as opposed to having impatient customers wait an excessive amount of time for their vehicles.
“Each and every consumer wants it, and we don’t want them to have to wait. Successful global acceptance of Ariya has occurred. We had to ask our customers to avoid placing orders everywhere, including the United States.”
How long Nissan intends to keep US Ariya orders blocked is not yet known. The Ariya page on the automaker’s US customer website states that reservations are now closed (see the screenshot at the bottom of this page).
The CEO continued, “Nissan is dealing with considerable demand from the United States, Japan, and Europe for the 2023 Ariya.”
After initially being slated to start in March, deliveries of the base Ariya model started in Japan in May. Nissan reported receiving 6,800 preorders in Japan, where it had already delivered 1,500 vehicles, in its most recent financial presentation.
This fall, Nissan will begin selling its second mass-produced electric car (EV) in the US, the Leaf. However, the automaker did not specify how many EVs would be sent to the US. However, a US dealer informed Automotive News that Nissan had granted the US market 6,000 automobiles, and that shops had a two-month window to place orders.
According to the same story, some dealers praised Nissan for neither overpromising and underdelivering on the new EV.
The Intelligent Factory, a newly constructed area of Nissan’s Tochigi assembly complex north of Tokyo, is where the Ariya is made. Due to COVID-related travel limitations, supplier engineers were unable to visit Japan and install the necessary new equipment that had been supplied from abroad, which had an impact on the plant’s ramp-up timetable.
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Costs in the US
Prices for the Nissan Ariya range from USD 45,950 to USD 58,950 in the United States. The destination fee is not included in these pricing. Under the Biden administration, Clean Vehicle Credit has taken the position of Qualified Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Credit following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. Nissan may have saved certain customers up to USD 7,500 on their purchase if the Ariya had been introduced in the U.S. as originally intended in late 2021.
The Ariya is currently not eligible for a subsidy since the Clean Vehicle Credit mandates that the final assembly of the electric vehicle take place in North America. The Nissan Tochigi Plant in Japan ships the Ariya, whereas the Nissan Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant in Tennessee supplies the U.S. with the Leaf.
No plans to construct the new Ariya EV at Sunderland, Nissan reveals
The potential of Nissan constructing its new Ariya EV at its factory in Sunderland has been ruled out.
The facility, which manufactures Nissan’s best-selling crossovers, the Juke and Qashqai, seemed like a great place to manufacture the company’s new Ariya SUV, which was introduced yesterday (Jul 15).
However, the manufacturer claims it will only be made in Japan at its Tochigi facility, which also makes sports vehicles like the 370Z and GT-R as well as Infiniti and some of Nissan’s most expensive models.
‘The Ariya is going to be produced in Japan, in the Tochigi plant, and it’s been entirely modified and modernized in order to accept the new platform, which we’re launching with the Ariya,’ said Marco Fioravanti, vice-president of product planning at Nissan Europe.
Nissan’s factory in Sunderland, which employs over 6,700 people, is the biggest of its kind in the UK, but even before the Covid-19 problem, it has been plagued by uncertainty. Nissan has used the uncertainty around Brexit as a justification for holding off on additional expansion at the factory for the past few years.
Regarding Sunderland, Fioravanti continued, “It’s unquestionably one of our top objectives and the hub of our European manufacturing plants. We’re anxiously anticipating Brexit to give us the go-ahead to extend it further right now.
With the announcement that the company will instead close its Barcelona plant, with the loss of 2,800 employees, as part of a global cost-cutting initiative, the Sunderland manufacturing was given a lifeline in May.
The Ariya is the company’s second EV, despite the Leaf having been on the market for nearly a decade.
The “coupe”-crossover will be available in showrooms in the second half of 2021 in a variety of variations, including one with a long 310-mile electric range and another with 394 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of less than five seconds.
Nissan’s Ariya for Europe will be produced in Japan rather than the UK.
Instead of the UK as first anticipated, Nissan will construct all-electric Ariya models for the European Union in Japan.
The Japanese automaker was considering producing the Ariya at its UK assembly facility in Sunderland. Nissan has chosen to produce the Ariya in Japan and export them to Europe, though the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit is growing.
According to Nikkei Asia, British auto exports would be subject to a 10% levy in the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Japanese-made cars, in contrast, are subject to a reduced 7.5% levy that will be completely eliminated in 2026.
Nissan’s factory in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture, which is located just north of Tokyo, will be in charge of handling manufacturing of Ariya vehicles going to Europe and the United States. Those manufactured locally will be those sold in China.
The Nissan Ariya was first revealed in concept form back in July, and it still has a remarkable appearance. There will be four alternative powertrain options available, depending on the market.
A rear-wheel drive model with a 65 kWh battery and an electric motor producing 215 hp and 221 lb-ft (300 Nm) of torque will be at the bottom of the range. Another rear-wheel drive vehicle with the same output and a 90 kWh battery pack will sit atop this one. There will also be two all-wheel drive models with two electric motors; the first has a 65 kWh battery and produces 335 hp and 413 lb-ft (560 Nm), while the second has a 90 kWh battery and produces 389 hp and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm).
Will Nissan build the Ariya in the UK?
As the new range is about to go on sale in the UK, the pricing and specs for the all-electric Nissan Ariya SUV have been made public.
The Ariya is the newest family-friendly electric vehicle to compete against models like the Kia EV6, Skoda Enyaq, and Volkswagen ID.4 as the brand’s new range-topper.
The top-spec all-wheel drive ‘e-4ORCE’ powertrain, which uses two motors—one in the front and one in the rear—can manage 124 mph while these front-wheel drive variants have a peak speed limit of 100 mph. This range-topping edition has 65 kW more power than the entry-level model and accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in less than two seconds, which is faster than any other Ariya model.
Compared to the class-leading Skoda Enyaq’s 585 liters of boot space, single-motor vehicles’ 465 liters are not very noteworthy. The boot space in the all-wheel drive variant is just 408 liters because the second electric motor requires a little more space in the back.
After selecting your preferred engine, you can choose between the less expensive “Evolve” trim or the more affordable “Advance” trim.
The ‘Advance’ trim comes equipped with a substantial amount of features right out of the gate, including a 12-inch infotainment console on the dashboard that can be voice controlled using Nissan’s personal assistant, adjacent to a 12-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel.
The base model also includes heated front windows with rain-sensing wipers, auto-folding wing mirrors, dual climate control, and an air purifier in the cabin. The rear cargo lid has a motor that allows for hands-free access, and the front seats are heated and electrically adjustable.
- When the key fob is close, the “Memory Functions” feature will remember your customized settings.
A number of safety features are standard on the new Nissan Ariya, including front and rear parking sensors with 360-degree parking cameras, a blind spot monitoring system that can act to prevent an accident, traffic sign recognition, and Nissan’s “ProPilot” advanced cruise control package with lane-keeping assistance for highway travel.
You must upgrade to the “Evolve” trim to get the brand’s “ProPilot” parking package, which is an advanced automated parking system that can carry out a variety of parking maneuvers at the touch of a button. This trim also comes with an improved stereo system, an electric panoramic sunroof, a heads-up display that projects information onto the windscreen, and an adjustable center console that can move backwards and forwards at the driver’s discretion.
Because of this long list of features, the Ariya is slightly more expensive than some of its main competitors. The entry-level “Advance” model with the 63kWh powertrain costs just under PS44k, or around PS3k more than the least costly Skoda Enyaq configuration.
The most costly model in the lineup is the top-of-the-line Ariya “Evolve,” which retails for just over PS56,000. However, customers can spend an additional PS2k for a “Sport” pack that adds 20-inch alloy wheels and Nappa leather interior.
Beginning on July 5th, the Nissan Ariya will be available for purchase in the UK. Watch for the Ariya’s inclusion in our Expert Rating Index to appear soon, given that the new SUV is currently in the hands of the British automotive press.
Will the Nissan Ariya be sold in the United States?
The Nissan Ariya, the Japanese automaker’s first entirely new electric vehicle since the release of the second-generation Leaf in 2017, has received high hopes from EV aficionados.
The electric small SUV was previously scheduled to go on sale in the middle of 2021, but Nissan’s plans were repeatedly delayed due to chip shortages and other supply problems.
Fortunately, the delays seem to be over as customer deliveries of the electric compact SUV started in Japan in May and will continue in Europe this summer. The Ariya won’t be available to US customers until late fall 2022, but only if they were among the first to make a reservation.
Nissan USA no longer accepts bookings for the 2023 Ariya because the firm has made the decision to only accept orders that can actually be delivered on schedule.
In this updated thorough assessment from Autogefuhl, let’s find out what the Ariya is built of before it arrives in the United States. As usual, Thomas gives a thorough analysis of the car he’s analyzing, in this case an Ariya FWD with European specifications.
The Nissan Ariya’s design, interior, and driving experience are all thoroughly examined in the video, and it appears that the new EV has won over this reviewer.
The dual 12.3-inch widescreen displays, sliding center console, electric storage space in the dash, wooden capacitive climate controls, and rearview mirror digital function are just a few of the cool interior features that Thomas praises along with the interior’s high quality construction and materials.
Thomas, who stands at 6 feet 2 inches tall, is able to fit in both rows of seats without feeling cramped, even though this particular Ariya has a panoramic roof. He claims that the interior of the small electric SUV is among the best he has yet to see in an electric car across all manufacturers.
That is some really good praise, but how is the driving? Well, the front-wheel-drive model’s acceleration is adequate, and the car also feels fairly nimble when cornering. The Nissan Ariya’s double-paned front and rear windows provide excellent noise insulation, and the ride quality is excellent thanks to the standard 19-inch wheels.
With the basic battery, Thomas can travel more than 450 kilometers, or over 280 miles, in good weather and on relatively flat ground. The Ariya seems to provide the full package overall, but you need watch the entire video to learn about some of the drawbacks the reviewer pointed out.