Nissan Ariya Nismo Debuts As Potential Chevy Blazer EV SS Rival

Way back in July 2020, Japanese-based automaker Nissan revealed the Ariya, an all-electric crossover that represents the brand’s first fully electric global crossover. Now, Nissan has unveiled a performance variant of the same electric vehicle, the Nissan Ariya Nismo.

Debuting at the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon, the Ariya Nismo is thus-far exclusive to the Japanese market, and will go on sale in Spring 2024. As of the time of this writing, no other markets, including North America, have been confirmed for the performance EV.

It’s worth noting that the performance-focused Nismo designation serves a similar role to Chevy‘s SS or Cadillac‘s V-Series monikers.

As a Nismo variant, this all-electric crossover boasts a number of items to take its performance chops to the next level, including an electric motor developing 10 percent greater peak output, special tuning, and an exclusive driving mode designed to maximize response.

Under the skin, chassis components work in harmony with e-4ORCE electric-drive four-wheel-control technology, along with a unique wheel and tire setup. These updates help to deliver better stability, turn-in, line-tracing and cornering at high speeds, according to the manufacturer.

Of course, the exterior styling and interior appointments were updated to reflect Nismo’s specific sporty styling cues.

In regard to output figures, two configurations of the Ariya Nismo will be offered in Japan, including one that produces 362 horsepower (270 kW) and 413 pound-feet of torque (560 Nm), and a second that develops 429 horsepower (320 kW) and 442 pound-feet of torque (600 Nm).

While the Ariya is smaller than the Chevy Blazer EV, the regular Ariya’s higher level trims are already offered at similar price point to than those of the Blazer EV in the U.S. As such, the argument could be made that the Nissan Ariya Nismo would be positioned as a potential rival to the Blazer EV SS, if the automaker eventually confirms it for the North American market.

With that in mind, the Chevy Blazer EV SS boasts a marked advantage in the raw output category, as the Bow Tie all-electric crossover is rated at 557 horsepower and 648 pound-feet of torque. Notably, both EVs feature all-wheel drivetrains.

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