Price shock! Nissan Ariya undercuts Tesla Model Y with $55,840 starting price

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Nissan has confirmed its electrification centrepiece, the Ariya midsize SUV, will finally land in Australia with a starting price of $55,840 before on-road costs.

Orders have now opened for the Ariya, with the electric midsizer available in four different grades and two battery sizes, front- and all-wheel-drive options and a driving range figure of between 385km and 504km depending on the specification.

The entry point undercuts the segment-leading Tesla Model Y (from $58,900), along with the Volkswagen ID4 (from $59,990) and Toyota BZ4X (from $66,000), though Chinese rivals, including the BYD Sealion 7 (from $54,990) and Leapmotor C10 (from $45,888), still hold the edge.

Ariya becomes only the second fully electric Nissan to go on sale locally, despite the Japanese brand being one of the EV pioneers back in 2012 with its Leaf hatchback.

A spokesperson told Chasing Cars there were no plans to introduce the Ariya Nismo to Australia at present but didn’t rule it out either.

The Ariya Nismo adds a more powerful rear motor for a tail-led 40:60 bias, an overall output of 320kW/600Nm, and a five-second 0-100km that’s six-tenths quicker than the regular dual-motor, AWD model sold locally.

The long road to Australia

It comes after a difficult few years for Nissan Australia, which has blamed local Australian Design Rules (ADR) for delaying the Ariya’s introduction. The midsize SUV was first put on sale globally in 2022.

In the wake of financial woes from Nissan more broadly, the Australian arm has been looking to drive sales by launching a conditional 10-year, 300,000km warranty and slashing the price of its best-selling X-Trail midsize SUV, among other measures.

What does each grade of the Ariya include?

Ariya Engage: from $55,840

The entry-level Ariya Engage is fitted with a 63kWh usable battery offering 385km of WLTP-tested range, feeding power to a 160kW/300Nm motor driving the front wheels.

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights, tail-lights and rear fog lights
• 12.3-inch multimedia screen
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 12.3-inch digital driver’s display
• Wireless phone charger
• Six-speaker stereo
• Cloth seat upholstery
• Six-way manually adjustable front seats
• Leather-accented steering wheel
• Rain-sensing wipers

The Ariya also includes the following safety features:

• Front and rear parking sensors
• Lane keep assist
• Forwards AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Blind-spot monitoring and intervention
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Driver attention monitoring
• Automatic high beam function

Ariya Advance: from $59,840

Retaining the same battery and drivetrain but stepping up in terms of equipment, the Ariya Advance adds or swaps in the following features:

• Black cloth and synthetic leather-accented seats
• Heated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• 360-degree camera
• Hands-free automatic opening power tailgate
• Bose 10-speaker premium sound system 
• Six-way power adjustable driver and front passenger seats
• Two-way power lumbar driver seat
• Rear privacy glass
• LED front fog lights

Ariya Advance+: from $63,840

Adding a larger 87kWh battery means the Ariya Advance+ offers the best range of the lineup at 504km. Power is still sent to the front wheels but boosted to 178kW, though torque remains unchanged at 300Nm.

An optional three-phase AC charger can be fitted, with the remaining changes found on the inside:

• Black synthetic leather seats with Ultrasuede inserts
• Head-up display
• Panoramic glass roof
• Power sliding centre console
• Eight-way power adjustable front seats w/ memory function
• Four-way power lumbar driver seat
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Heated rear seats
• LED front and rear sequential turn signal

Ariya Evolve E-4orce: $71,840

The only AWD variant in the lineup, the Evolve E-4orce consists of a 160kW motor on the front and rear axles, producing a combined 600Nm of torque. Nissan quotes a 0-100km/h time of 5.6 seconds.

Range is reduced to 487km with the same 87kWh battery, but the towing capacity is increased from 750km on FWD variants to 1500kg. The on-board three-phase AC charger also becomes standard equipment.

Other additions include:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Blue Nappa leather upholstery
• Rear-view camera (replacing the 360-degree camera)
• Automatic LED headlights with adaptive driving beam 
• Power-adjustable, folding, and heated door mirrors 
• Power tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment w/ memory function

Nissan Ariya 2025: prices in Australia

All prices listed are before on-road costs.

• Enage: $55,840
• Advance: $59,840
• Advance+: $63,840
• Evolve E-4orce: $71,840