Nissan is preparing to launch a hotter Ariya electric crossover that could be a Nismo variant. New spy photos have captured the sportier-looking model at a Tesla charging station near the Nurburgring with its revamped design fully exposed.
Nissan designers tweaked the front fascia, giving the Ariya a new bumper with a narrower intake and a new lip spoiler. The vertical intakes on its face now feature fresh garnishes. The EV also rides closer to the ground, hugging the sticky Michelin Pilot Sport tires that wrap around the 20-inch wheels.
Gallery: Nissan Ariya Nismo Spy Photos
The new side skirts could help lower the crossover's appearance, but the crossover might also have a re-tuned suspension. The Ariya at the back features a prominent spoiler between the liftgate glass and the full-width taillight element.
While our spy photographer caught the Nissan parked at a charging station, they couldn't get any interior shots with someone sitting in the vehicle. We don't expect the automaker to make any significant changes to the cabin, but if this is a Nismo variant, the car should receive unique badging on the seats and new screen graphics. It might even have bolstered seats.
We hope the Ariya's sportier look coincides with a performance bump. The most potent version makes 389 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque with the company's e-Force all-wheel drive on tap. A sportier variant could deliver more than 400 hp, but we'd be much more excited if it competed with other high-powered EVs like the 576-hp Kia EV6 GT.
We don't know when Nissan will reveal the hotter Ariya Nismo variant. When it debuts, it might not even feature the Nismo name, but its reveal feels imminent. We might see it before the end of the year, but time is running out.
The automaker introduced the Ariya in 2020, and we would welcome the addition of a new, sportier variant to the lineup. Nissan has sold 9,699 examples of the electric crossover through the third quarter of this year, helping the automaker achieve its best BEV sales quarter since 2014.
Learn more about the Nissan Ariya by watching the video below:
