2023 Nissan Ariya: EPA Range And Pricing Overview

The 2023 Nissan Ariya is an all-new, all-electric crossover/SUV model in the United States, which after a big slip in its delivery timeline, finally entered the market in late 2022.

Initially, Nissan started deliveries of the single-motor, front-wheel drive version of the Ariya, but the dual-motor, all-wheel drive version is on its way (“early 2023”). During the first quarter of 2023, the company sold 2,860 units, which including the 201 units in Q4 2022, brings us to over 3,000 total.

In today’s post, we will take a closer look at the offer, when it comes to battery, range, charging, and of course, prices.

EPA Range

The car is based on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s CMF-EV platform. There are two main battery versions of the 2023 Nissan Ariya – 66-kilowatt-hour (kWh) and 91 kWh (total battery capacity), out of which the usable part is respectively 63 kWh or 87 kWh.

In parallel, there are two powertrain options – front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). The single-motor FWD is rated at 160 kilowatts (kW) or 178 kW, depending on the battery (the higher value is related to the larger battery). Similarly, the AWD is rated at 250 kW or 290 kW. All traction motors are of the Externally Excited Synchronous Motor (EESM) type.

The front-wheel drive versions of the Nissan Ariya are already officially listed by the EPA, revealing range numbers from 216 miles up to 304 miles. It’s interesting that only one version of the car, the entry-level trim with the large battery, has more than 300 miles of range.

2023 Nissan Ariya (FWD) EPA Combined range:

• Engage FWD (63 kWh) 19-inch: 216 miles (348 km)
• Venture+ FWD (87 kWh) 19-inch: 304 miles (489 km)
• Evolve+ FWD (87 kWh) 19-inch: 289 miles (465 km)
• Empower+ FWD (87 kWh) 19-inch: 289 miles (465 km)
• Premiere FWD 19-inch (limited initial edition): 289 miles (465 km)

The EPA Combined range of the all-wheel drive version was announced by Nissan, but they are not yet listed on EPA’s website. As we can see below, the addition of the rear motor does not decrease the range much.

2023 Nissan Ariya (AWD) EPA Combined range:

• Engage e-4ORCE AWD (63 kWh) 19-inch: 205 miles (330 km)
  [11 miles or 5% less than FWD]
• Engage+ e-4ORCE AWD 19-inch: 272 miles (438 km)
• Evolve+ e-4ORCE AWD 19-inch: 272 miles (438 km)
  [17 miles or 5.9% less than FWD versions]
• Platinum+ e-4ORCE AWD 19-inch: 267 miles (430 km)
• Platinum+ e-4ORCE AWD 20-inch: 257 miles (430 km)
  [10 miles or 3.7% less than 19-inch version]

Official data:

Energy consumption, including charging losses, of the front-wheel drive version of the Nissan Ariya is around 100 MPGe. The base Engage FWD (63 kWh) version requires 334 watt-hours per mile (207 Wh/km). The most efficient is the Venture+ FWD (87 kWh) version, which gets 103 MPGe: 327 Wh/mi (203 Wh/km).

The efficiency numbers for the AWD versions – according to Nissan – are several percent lower than FWD, so it’s not the end of the world. For example, the Engage e-4ORCE AWD (63 kWh) is rated at 95 MPGe: 355 Wh/mi (220 Wh/km), while the Engage+ e-4ORCE AWD at 92 MPGe: 366 Wh/mi (228 Wh/km).

The top-of-the-line Platinum+ version (19-inch) happens to be the least efficient with 90 MPGe: 374 Wh/mi (233 Wh/km).

The switch to 20-inch wheels cuts the range by an additional 10 miles, according to Nissan’s website.

In terms of charging, a 7.2-kW onboard charger is standard for all versions. Similarly, the car is ready for DC fast charging at up to 130 kW (CCS1 inlet). According to the specs, fast charging from 20 to 80 percent of state-of-charge (SOC), takes 35 minutes (66 kWh battery) or 40 minutes (91 kWh battery).

The AWD versions of the Nissan Ariya are ready for towing of up to 1,500 lbs.

Finally, prices, first announced in September 2022, differ slightly from the ones outlined in 2021. The 2023 Nissan Ariya (FWD, 66 kWh) starts at an MSRP of $43,190. AWD version requires $4,000 more. There is also a $1,335 destination charge.

The long-range Nissan Ariya (FWD, 91 kWh) starts at an MSRP of $47,190. If we compare the same trim (Engage and Engage+), it appears that the larger battery increases the cost by about $4,000.

The top-of-the-line Platinum+ AWD version starts at $60,190 ($61,525 effectively with the DST).

Overall, Nissan Ariya is considered a pretty nice electric vehicle, with a better-than-average interior/materials, but it’s also priced above average.

The tough thing is that cars imported to the US are not eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit, which puts the Ariya in a disadvantaged position compared to some of the other models, like the Tesla Model Y, Volkswagen ID.4 or even Ford Mustang Mach-E. This is a very similar situation to the one with the Hyundai Ioniq 5/Kia EV6.

Only time will tell whether the Nissan Ariya will be able to make any splash, without access to the incentive.

* EPA range according to Nissan

** initial data from 2021