- All-new electric SUV will be positioned above the Ariya
- Will be based on Nissan's modular CMF-EV platform
- No word on global launch, yet
Nissan’s all-electric line-up could soon include a large SUV that will join the Leaf and the recently revealed Ariya SUV. As Nissan’s third bespoke electric model, a large SUV is a natural next step given the demand for such vehicles in China and the US, as well as the company’s role in the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance to lead projects involving large cars.
It’ll share its platform with the Nissan Ariya
The Ariya, which was unveiled just a fortnight ago, uses the new CMF-EV architecture – a modular platform created purely for Nissan’s electric models. As with other carmakers, such as Volkswagen and its MEB electric platform, a family of Nissan models is expected to use the architecture given the heavy investment involved.
Nissan Europe’s EV boss, Helen Perry, hinted at the large SUV, saying, “The platform will be used for other cars in the future. The C-SUV and D-SUV segments are due to grow about 300 percent over the next three years, so we will look to use the platform in growth segments in the next few years.”
It’ll have a similar range as the Nissan Ariya
An electric large SUV would offer around 500km of range, matching the Ariya’s top range figure. Perry didn’t write off future EVs offering longer ranges but said the Ariya’s 500km is an important threshold to bring consumers on board. Perry also elaborated on the reason the Ariya has switched to a different on-the-go charging solution in Europe, shunning the Chademo connection of the Leaf for the more widely used CCS system.
She said: “We expect the Ariya to be the first car in a household, whereas the Leaf is typically a second car.
“The choice we’ve made for the Ariya is based on the way the customer will use the car. We’ve put in a bigger battery to have as little range anxiety as possible – hitting the 500km mark – so it’s important if people are using it to travel [long distances] that they have access to the widest options for quick charging.”
However, CCS doesn’t currently support vehicle-to-grid charging like Chademo does, and this is an area that Nissan is keen to grow.
Perry said: “We are not abandoning Chademo. We will continue to have it on the Leaf and e-NV200. It also has bi-directional charging [for vehicle-to-grid] while CCS is at the early stages of investigating that.” Chademo will also still be used for the Ariya in Japan.
International reveal and launch date yet to be decided
Nissan has pledged that 50 percent of its line-up will be electrified by 2023, but Perry wouldn’t divulge if the next EV will arrive by that date.
“It all depends on the demand of the customer,” she said. “If we’d bought Ariya to market earlier, I’m not sure customers would have been ready for it. Technology wouldn’t have been as up to date as it will be at launch. And while COVID-19 has been terrible, it has made customers review what is important – for example, emissions.”
Considering this new all-electric SUV’s international launch has yet to be confirmed, an India launch in the near future is unlikely. However, the Japanese marque is working on bringing its new compact SUV to India, the Nissan Magnite. The Magnite, which is Nissan’s smallest SUV yet, made its world premiere in near-production concept form on July 16, giving us plenty of details regarding the Hyundai Venue rival before it arrives in January 2021. Nissan is also considering bringing its big Patrol SUV to our market to act as a brand-builder for the Japanese firm.
Also see:
Nissan Magnite Concept first look video
Production-spec Nissan Magnite closely resembles concept