Nissan reveals pricing for the Ariya Nismo, a tuned-up electric crossover

Nissan is giving its Ariya EV the Nismo treatment, complete with a 100bhp power boost

The Ariya Nismo is priced from £56,620. Here’s when you can pre-order. (Nissan)

Nissan has revealed that the new Ariya Nismo will be priced from £56,620, and that pre-orders officially open in the UK this Thursday 17 October.

Buyers who place their orders will receive exclusive benefits, including limited-edition artwork and £500 worth of free charging at more than 55,000 public charge stations across the UK, which form the company’s new Nissan Charge service.

The souped-up Nismo edition is about £6,000 more than the entry-level Nissan Ariya, or just £1,780 more than the previous range-topper, the Ariya e-4orce 87 kWh Evolve.

Upgrades for the Ariya Nismo edition include changes to the exterior, interior and powertrain. The latter sees an increase of more than 100bhp over the regular Ariya, with power up from 302bhp to 429bhp, and there’s a healthy 600Nm of torque on offer too. The car has an 87kWh battery, but Nissan hasn’t provided a range figure just yet.

The Ariya Nismo’s interior gains sporty red accents over the standard model (Nissan)

Nissan claims a 0-62mph time of “within five seconds” for the Nismo, and a 50-70 sprint time (a good indication of the car’s overtaking abilities) of just 2.4 seconds. Incidentally, that stat is quicker than Nissan’s own R35 GT-R Nismo sports car.

While quicker than the standard Ariya, the Nismo edition is still some way behind its most obvious high-performance EV crossover rivals. The Tesla Model Y Performance hits 62 mph in just 3.5 seconds, for example, and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is a tenth of a second quicker than that.

Enhanced steering with more feedback is also a part of the Nismo package, along with a setup that makes the dual-motor car feel more rear-wheel-drive than front, and stiffer suspension. There’s a new Nismo drive mode too, and Nissan says the ABS has also been tuned.

Exterior upgrades that claim to improve the Ariya’s aerodynamic performance include a new front bumper and splitter, an extended rear diffuser, new wheels and a spoiler on the tailgate.

Along with £500 of free public charging, the first UK customers will also receive a 1-of-100 limited edition Ariya Nismo artwork created by Juan Alcalá Lara, a graphic artist who is also responsible for Nissan’s Nismo Formula E art. Speaking of Formula E, the new Ariya Nismo has an electric soundtrack that’s designed to evoke the sounds of an electric race car.