It was not a welcome sight as I negotiated a busy roundabout in our Nissan Ariya the other day. A warning flashed up on the screen in front of me saying ‘no key detected’ – and I quickly realised what had happened.
I had just collected OX73DZM from my local hand car wash place – and had forgotten to check that said key was actually present in the vehicle before I drove off. (The car was running when I jumped in.)
Luckily, I had only travelled a couple of hundred yards before being alerted, so after a quick about-turn, I popped back to retrieve it with no harm done. And in truth, that’s been the only (self-inflicted) hiccup I’ve experienced with the car.
Our Ariya has only had a short time to impress us, but it has done just that, thanks to its Japanese-inspired design, luxurious and spacious cabin and comprehensive suite of advanced technologies.
Nothing stands still in the world of motoring for long, so should Ariya still be on your shopping list if you’re in the market for an EV in 2025?
Our answer would be a resounding yes – and judging by the fact that I’ve seen quite a few new examples on the roads around my home town recently, it seems as though plenty of people agree with me.
After all, what’s not to like? Its design is sleek and streamlined and the car is loaded with useful features. The cabin really is something special, with a genuine feel of luxury and spaciousness.
Our Ariya is equipped with a 63kWh battery, which when fully charged enables you to travel up to 251 miles. As an Engage trim-level model, it is the entry-level version, but you wouldn’t know it from its extensive kit list.
Security and safety equipment includes traffic sign recognition, intelligent blind spot intervention and intelligent cruise control, a boon on motorway journeys. In addition, there is intelligent speed assist, an adjustable speed limiter and intelligent front emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist recognition plus junction assist.
When it comes to audio and navigation, there is plenty on offer such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth with audio streaming and a huge (although not distracting) screen displaying the sat-nav functionality, your chosen radio station, and even the nearest charging points at any given time.
Convenience is key throughout in fact, with other features including dual-zone climate control and air conditioning, a leather steering wheel with tilt and telescopic manual adjustment, and front and rear parking sensors.
Our car’s paint job – two-tone warm silver with pearl-black roof and door mirrors – is the only optional extra, coming in at £1,275.
Powering the car up hasn’t been a problem, thanks to the Podpoint charging point I have at home. A recent overnight stay with a mate saw the three-pin cable pressed into service with no issues whatsoever and a Type 2 cable is supplied as well of course.
So what’s OX73DZM like to drive? Well, critics might say it might not be the most thrilling on-the-road experience you can have, and they could be right. The handling might be a bit on the soft side for anyone used to driving something more overtly sporty.
Having said that, Ariya is perfect for my needs and I was just starting to feel nicely familiar with the car when it was returned to Nissan. Luckily, I remembered to hand over the key as well as the vehicle when the time came to say goodbye…
- Model: Nissan ARIYA 63kWh Engage
- Price (as tested): £39,645
- Engine: Electric motor, 63kWh battery
- Power: 211bhp
- Torque: 300Nm
- Max speed: 100mph
- Range: 251 miles (combined)
- 0-60mph: 7.3 seconds
- CO2 emissions: 0g/km
- Mileage: 6,805
