Nissan Ariya EV SUV spied testing in Maharashtra: will it be one of the two Nissan EVs to launch in India?

HIGHLIGHTS

• Nissan Ariya EV SUV spied in India and hints at a pilot project to gauge customer interest
• Renault-Nissan JV to yield new ICE cars and EVs from 2025 onwards
• Renault could also introduce its Renault Kwid EV in India with heavily localised parts to make pricing competitive

The Nissan Ariya EV SUV from the Japanese carmaker has been spied on Indian roads in Maharashtra and could have been brought to the country to evaluate customer response to the vehicle. The Nissan Ariya EV SUV sits above the Nissan Leaf EV in the international markets and caters to the electric crossover segment.

Renault and Nissan announced their plans for a Rs 5,300 crore investment for the Indian market and also confirmed they will be launching two new EVs in the country after 2025.

Nissan Ariya EV SUV

The Nissan Ariya EV SUV competes with the likes of the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 in international markets. Both the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 have launched in India and have received a warm response. Thus it makes sense for the Japanese carmaker to bring in the Nissan Ariya EV SUV (via: Motor Beam) to the country and gauge public response to the EV. However, the automaker has not yet confirmed any launch timeline for the EV SUV.

The Nissan Ariya EV SUV gets two battery pack options internationally – a 63kWh and an 87kWh unit. The smaller 63kWh battery pack is mated to an electric motor that produces 217hp and 300Nm of torque and delivers a claimed range of 402km. The larger battery pack bumps this up to 242hp and 300Nm and a claimed range of up to 529km. Nissan also makes a higher-spec model with the same battery pack which is rated for 306hp and 600Nm of torque.

The Nissan Ariya EV SUV gets features such as large 12.3-inch screens, Bose’s premium sound system, a head-up display, 19-inch or 20-inch wheels, an illuminated Nissan logo, LED lighting, driver assistance features and has been crash tested with a full five-star rating from the Euro NCAP.

Renault-Nissan announces Rs 5,300 crore investment in India

The Renault and Nissan JV have announced their plans to infuse Rs 5,300 crore into the Indian auto market and have plans to bring new ICE and EV models to both brand portfolios from 2025 onwards. The JV has announced plans for introducing the Renault Kwid EV in India which will be underpinned by the electric CMF-A platform. The electric CMF-A platform will benefit from heavily localised components and the JV aims to pitch it against the likes of the EVs from Tata Motors, Citroen and upcoming Hyundai and Maruti EV products. The companies also have plans to introduce hybrid tech in the country to power larger vehicles.

The joint venture will also be restructured thanks to the new investment and will change the current 70:30 equity distribution that the Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd (RNAIPL) has split amongst Nissan and Renault respectively. The composition will be rejigged and Nissan will hold a 51 percent holding while Renault will enjoy a 49 percent holding in the JV.

Globally, Nissan has announced its plans to introduce Solid State Battery tech and plans to deploy it in public by 2028.