The first shipment of Nissan Ariyas has landed at the Port of Tyne in the United Kingdom over the weekend, signaling the imminent start of UK deliveries for the long-overdue electric crossover.
Nissan says the next step for the Ariya EVs that have arrived in the UK will be a final quality control check before being sent to dealerships ready for customer test drives and first customer deliveries.
The first Nissan Ariya vehicle off the boat at the Port of Tyne was an entry-level Advance grade with a 63-kWh battery pack, Akatsuki Copper paint and a Pearl Black roof fitted with an optional Sky Pack—electric opening sunroof with power sunshade.
Starting at £43,845 ($52,700) OTR in the UK, the Nissan Ariya Advance brings decent standard kit including the Monolith 12.3-inch dual TFT screens, ProPILOT with Navi-Link, e-PEDAL step, wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto as well as heated front seats, steering wheel and windscreen.
Gallery: First shipment of Nissan Ariya EVs lands on UK soil
The base model features a 63-kWh battery that powers a front axle-mounted electric motor rated at 160 kilowatts (215 horsepower) and 221 pound-feet (300 Newton-meters) of torque. The vehicle sprints from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.5 seconds and tops out at 100 mph (161 km/h). The driving range is estimated at up to 250 miles (402 kilometers) for this configuration.
According to the automaker, the next shipment of Nissan Ariya EVs to the United Kingdom is just a few weeks away and will bring many of the customer pre-ordered vehicles.
Unveiled exactly two years ago, the Nissan Ariya was repeatedly delayed across global markets because of semiconductor shortages and other supply issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was initially expected to debut in mid-2021, but deliveries only started in May 2022 in Japan. European customers are expected to start getting their Ariyas this summer, followed by US buyers in late fall.
Speaking of the United States, Nissan USA has instructed dealers to stop taking new reservations for the 2023 Ariya as the company decided to limit orders to what can realistically be delivered in a timely manner.
