Nissan is preparing a high-performance Nismo version of its Aryia electric SUV for market, showing the speedy model off at the Tokyo Auto Salon.
Due to launch in its native Japan in spring, with other markets yet to be confirmed, the Ariya Nismo has up to twice the power of the base version of Nissan's largest electric vehicle (EV), depending on its battery specification.
Based on the all-wheel-drive e-4orce
Nissan says the Nismo variant of the Ariya is based on the e-4orce model, which currently serves as the flagship of the range. That EV uses dual motors, one on each axle, and a 91kWh gross, 87kWh net lithium-ion battery pack, delivering peak outputs of 225kW (306hp) and 600Nm.
It'll go up to 500km on a charge, all while being able to run 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 200km/h, where legal.
There are also single-motor, front-wheel drive Ariyas, which can do up to 530km on a charge on the 87kWh battery pack, while a smaller 66kWh gross, 63kWh net battery is also offered (maximum range 402km).
The Nismo models will come with both battery sizes, creating the Ariya Nismo B6 e-4orce (63kWh) and Ariya Nismo B9 e-4orce (87kWh).
Go for the former, and its twin motors still deliver more oomph than the current 225kW model, with 270kW (367hp) and 560Nm provided.
The B9, however, ups the ante to 320kW (435hp) and 600Nm, making it precisely twice as powerful as the entry-level Ariya (160kW/218hp, 300Nm) with the single-motor set-up and smaller battery pack.
Nismos promise rapid acceleration
Nissan hasn't confirmed the performance of these models as yet, although with them weighing 2,080kg as the B6 and 2,210-2,220kg as the B9, they're not any heavier than the non-performance Ariyas.
We'd therefore expect the Ariya Nismo B6 to be able to run 0-100km/h in considerably less than the 5.7 seconds it takes the regular e-4orce, as the B6 is about 200kg lighter and 61hp stronger. Expect it to be around the five-second mark.
That immediately raises the idea that the 435hp B9 Ariya could get close to running the sprint in four seconds or thereabouts, making it the most accelerative vehicle the company has ever put into production apart from the R35 GT-R coupe.
Nissan's been a bit coy about the exact spec of the Ariya Nismo's underpinnings, but does say that "every chassis component" has been tuned specifically for these rapid models, while they run on 20-inch aluminium alloy wheels with 225/40 R20 tyres all round.
Noises direct from Formula E
They'll be equipped with an exclusive Nismo driving mode to maximise their responses if the driver is feeling mischievous, while they can also synthesise sound that takes its cues from Formula E racing, where Nissan is one of the leading contenders.
Visually, aside from the larger wheels, the Ariya Nismo models are defined by a meaty lower body kit, including a protruding front splitter and a rear bumper design that mimics a diffuser; Nissan says the revised styling both reduces aerodynamic drag and increases downforce at higher speeds.
Inside, the Ariya's classy cabin is enlivened by Nismo-specific details, such as red contrast stitching, lots of microfibre surfaces, a steering wheel with a 12 o'clock marker, and deeper, more sculpted Nismo bucket seats.