Nissan Ariya is ‘Auto Express Car of the Year 2022’

Nissan’s all-electric Ariya has been named ‘Car of the Year 2022’ by Auto Express magazine.

The first Ariyas have barely hit UK roads yet, with vehicles set to be delivered to customers in the coming weeks.

Yet that hasn’t stopped critics fawning over the futuristic SUV crossover, which has a range of up to 310 miles between charges, depending on which version you choose.

The Auto Express journos said the Ariya wasn’t just impressive as an EV, it was also a ‘practical, refined and feature-packed car’ in general.

Steve Fowler, Editor-in-Chief of Auto Express, said:

"The new Nissan Ariya is quite simply a fantastic new car – it just so happens to be an EV, too. It’s so cleverly thought through, buyers will find it really easy and enjoyable to live with, while it drives superbly, looks great and is the most premium-feeling Nissan we’ve ever seen.”

The power available with the Ariya runs a spectrum from around 217 PS to a whopping 394 PS with the Ariya e-4ORCE 87kWh ‘Performance’ variant. That most powerful Ariya can cover 0-62mph in just 5.1 seconds - which is seriously impressive.

The interior is eye-opening, too, boasting a cabin Nissan has likened to a ‘sleek cafe lounge on a starship’.

And when it comes to rivals, the Ariya is swimming in the same waters as vehicles such as the Volkswagen ID.4, Kia EV6 and the Tesla Model Y.

The previous winner of the Auto Express Car of the Year for 2021 was the Hyundai Ioniq 5 - another industry-lauded electric vehicle.

Meanwhile there were other notable winners at the Auto Express 2022 bash.

The plucky MG ZS EV was awarded the silverware for ‘Affordable Electric Car of the Year’.

The affordable Dacia Jogger was crowned ‘Family Car of the Year’ while the Fiat 500 was handed the trophy for ‘City Car of the Year’.

The ‘Premium SUV of the Year’ title went to the Land Rover Defender while the Kia Niro triumphed in the ‘Small SUV of the Year’ category.

Auto Express’ Steve Fowler added:

“Our Awards celebrate a whole host of brilliant cars across the entire new-car market and we salute the manufacturers for producing new cars that are more reliable, safer, more comfortable and more efficient year after year – and still delivering them in the face of ongoing global supply challenges."