Nissan has officially confirmed that Nismo is coming back to Europe. The Japanese car manufacturer's performance sub-brand will arrive in the Old Continent later this year. However, you may not like the model in question, as it is nothing more than another electric crossover, albeit a sporty one.
Unveiled at the beginning of the year, it is none other than the 2024 Nissan Ariya Nismo. In its home market of Japan, the base one enjoys 362 hp (367 ps/270 kW) and 413 pound-foot (560 Nm) of torque combined from its two electric motors powered by a 66 kWh battery pack.
The superior one uses a higher capacity battery of 91 kWh and boasts 413 hp (419 ps/308 kW) and 443 pound-foot (600 Nm). Depending on the specification, the weight varies between 4,872 pounds (2,210 kg) and 4,894 pounds (2,220 kg). Besides the 10% increase in peak motor output, Nissan also says the Nismo versions of the Ariya feature a dedicated driving mode.
It may not represent a significant boost over the regular Nissan Ariyas, but the Nismo also gets a sportier exterior design. It has a tweaked front bumper with an extended splitter, modified rocker panels, side mirror casings, a sporty roof spoiler, a generous lip on the tailgate, and a new glossy black bumper, joined by a few red accents and exclusive 20-inch wheels.
Photo: Nissan
Nissan also made a number of changes to the vehicle's cockpit, which now gets front sports seats with Nismo branding, red contrast stitching, red accents on the dashboard and center console, and a few other bits and bobs that draw a thicker line between the regular versions of the Ariya and the range-topping Nismo flavor, including dedicated badging all around.
Did you think that the changes stopped here? Well, they didn't, as the automaker also mentions the fine-tuned e-4ORCE system that improves the power and torque distribution to the rear wheels. The Ariya Nismo is said to provide continuous and linear acceleration even at high speeds. It has a dedicated suspension setup, finely tuned brake pads for better-stopping power, etc.
Nissan's Ariya Nismo will officially touch down in Europe for the first time at the London E-Prix, where interested parties can see it in the flesh in a local premiere. You are probably curious about the specifications for the Old Continent and how much it costs. The latter answer will vary depending on the country, and both will be detailed in due course.
The automaker says more product updates are coming later this year, and we expect it to open the order books for the Ariya Nismo before the end of 2024. Are you excited about the sporty electric crossover, and would you ever consider buying one?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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