Nissan has promised at least one new EV for Australia by 2027. But what’s happened to the Ariya?
While the Australian arrival timing of the Nissan Ariya electric SUV remains uncertain, the Japanese brand has confirmed it will be launching at least as yet unseen new electric vehicle here in the next few years.
It just hasn’t named what it is.
The confirmation of a “C-crossover EV” for the Oceania region (Australia and New Zealand essentially) came from the very top of the company – Nissan President and Chief Executive Officer Makoto Uchida pictured top – at the reveal last week of the company’s new business plan dubbed ‘The Arc’.
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Planned out in two phases – April 1 2024 to March 31 2027 and the April 1 2027 to March 31 2030 – The Arc intends 30 new models to be launched by fiscal year 2026 (March 31 2027), of which 16 will be electrified.
No detail was provided about the ‘C-crossover EV’, except it will be the first home of a new generation of X-in-1 powertrains that reduces size and cost by 30 per cent compared to 2019 technology.
However, it is most likely the next generation Leaf. While it’s been an orthodox hatchback in its first two generations, the new Leaf is widely forecast to turn into a soft-roader for generation three with global launch timing set for 2026.
Both Leaf generations have sold in Australia and it remains the brand’s sole EV on offer here.
However, the new EV arrival could also be the next Qashqai, which is going electric and launching in 2027. The next Juke is also going electric, but it is currently a B-segment vehicle.
These vehicles have been hinted at by a series of recent concepts including the Hyper Punk, Hyper Urban and Hyper Adventure (pictured top with Uchida).
All-up, across two different press announcements, Nissan confirmed four new model arrivals in Oceania by March 31 2027.
Two of them will be the next Nissan Navara ute and Patrol 4×4 wagon, which means only the fourth is as yet unknown.
Beyond that, Nissan also said more EVs would arrive in Oceania as “the transition to electrification gathers pace”.
Presumably the Ariya’s not included in that or being counted among the 16 new electrified vehicles appearing over the next three years globally.
First revealed in 2020 and on-sale in Japan since 2022, it was confirmed for Australian sale in mid-2023 and even subject to media drives.
However, outgoing Nissan Australia chief Adam Paterson has told EV Central the local arrival of the Ariya is being hampered by the need to comply with unique Australian Design Rules (ADRs).
The main one is the fitment of a centre top-tether point – something that also recently caught out the Tesla Model 3 and BYD Atto 3.
“There are specific Australian ADR requirements that are unique to here versus in Europe or the US or other markets where the car is on sale that need to be met for Ariya to be launched here,” Paterson confirmed.
Nissan wants overseas type approval of new models to be applied locally, rather than the existing ADR system with its unique additions.
“There’s specific engineering requirements for this market, which come with a cost and therefore those are built into… the on-sale price,” he said.
Contributing: Toby Hagon
