- The Nissan Ariya gets simplified for 2025 while remaining a stylish all-electric SUV with a premium interior
- The Ariya starts at $41,160, including delivery| Price it your way
- On sale now | See Nissan Ariya models for sale near you
Nissan’s current struggles may not be encapsulated in one vehicle any better than its all-electric Ariya SUV. After a less-than-impressive start, Nissan officials went back to the drawing board and made changes to simplify the offerings on the EV, hoping to spark sales. On the surface, it seems like a fine idea. In fact, since Nissan is the creator of the first mainstream EV, the original Leaf, one might think the company possesses an advantage over the competition. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
The Ariya’s exterior is attractive, but not substantially different from competitors like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Volkswagen ID.4, Toyota bZ4X, and Ford Mustang Mach-E. But where they do separate the Ariya from the pack is with its tasteful, spacious cabin. It almost has enough personality to pass itself off as a luxury car’s cockpit.
Let’s explore what Nissan offers in the Ariya.
Passenger Room and Comfort
With no transmission, thus no transmission tunnel through the middle of the cabin, designers have carte blanche to take over that space and be creative. Nissan’s team moved quickly to do just that. The Ariya offers 101.2 cubic feet of passenger space — a figure you might expect from a larger car. Smooth surfaces and a panoramic moonroof add to the sensation — no one feels cramped in an Ariya.
Nissan is famous for its unique Zero Gravity seats. Designed based on NASA research, they keep the body close to a neutral position to minimize fatigue. Our editors have loved them for years. The Ariya offers them in the first row, and they are heated for all trim levels. If you want ventilated front seats, you’ll need to move up to the Premium+ AWD trim level. Those in the back seat aren’t left out as heated second-row seats are standard equipment for every 2025 Ariya. On the days too hot or too cold, all trims enjoy cabin preconditioning.
Features and Tech
Often, EV interiors are minimalist, tech-heavy affairs; however, Nissan designers strike a balance between the trendy minimalist design and keeping the more “analog” controls you’re used to. They achieve this with sleek touch-capacitive buttons embedded in stylish wood trim. It looks less crowded than a button-filled dash but is full of useful controls. There’s also that crucial volume knob we all need to avoid fumbling for simple tasks.
The dashboard features a pair of 12.3-inch screens mounted together in a single housing as if they were one wide screen. The intuitive user interface lets you swipe information back and forth between them, which makes using them simple and easy. Most trim levels also get a head-up display that projects critical driving information like speed and turn-by-turn directions onto the windshield, letting the driver know what they need to know without taking their eyes off the road.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and Amazon’s Alexa is built in. Nissan’s native audio system is standard until the Premium+ trim, when you upgrade to a Bose premium sound system. Between Alexa and a “Hello Nissan” voice command system, you can control nearly every aspect of the car without taking your hands off the wheel. Nissan’s ProPilot Assist driver assistance suite has advanced features like adaptive cruise control. ProPilot Assist 2.0, found on higher trim levels, builds on the standard system by adding hands-free highway driving and assistance with changing lanes.
Materials and Design
The Ariya may be the Nissan design team’s finest work. At higher trim levels, it could almost pass as an effort from the brand’s Infiniti luxury division. Inside, elegant touches abound. A wide, copper strip down the horizontal center of the dash is pure flare for no functional purpose — meant as a compliment here. A matching line in the center console carries the theme back.
Capacitive-touch buttons are embedded in cool wood trim for an elegant look. Our test drivers love how this gives it the clean look of modern EVs but the simplicity of buttons, not menus, for most climate and entertainment functions. Upper trims offer plush Nappa leather seating and unusual color combinations, including a lovely blue/gray combination that is more interesting than the usual black-or-beige options.
Cargo Room and Flexibility
The Ariya offers a class-competitive 22.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, which is fine, but it trails some of its competitors, such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen ID.4, and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Fold the rear seats flat, and the cargo space expands to 60 cubic feet.
Knowing that many owners like specific spaces for specific things, Nissan’s designers put thought into how you’ll store things day-to-day. A pop-up divider creates storage space under the rear cargo floor, organized into several cubbies. Up front, a drawer slides out of the center of the dashboard. A flat tray on its top can serve as a hideaway laptop desk (when parked), while the space under holds stray items. It’s a clever use of what would otherwise be dead space. Unfortunately, the power-operated hidden storage was removed from the Evolve+ and Platinum+ grades for 2025, and the tonneau cover is no more for all trim levels.
Build and price your own version of the 2025 Nissan Ariya to see this week’s KBB Fair Purchase Price, or check out Ariya models for sale near you
