It’s Nissan’s second fully electric car and its first electric crossover, but does its flagship Ariya match its sleek looks with sleek performance? By Al Suttie.

Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE Evolve Sport Pack

List price (BiK): £56,780 (2%) Economy: 309 miles Test efficiency: 300 miles

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Monday

Eagerly anticipated is an understatement when it comes to the Nissan Ariya. Incredibly, this is only the Japanese firm’s second all-electric passenger car and the first, the Leaf, has been around since 2011. It’s also been keenly anticipated by me as I had a very brief drive of the Ariya a few weeks back, so the prospect of a longer period with this goodlooking SUV was something to look forward to just before the Christmas shutdown.

Tuesday

This Ariya has the dual-motor set-up, so it packs plenty of punch to accelerate from rest to 62mph in 5.7 seconds. It doesn’t feel that rapid when you first plant your foot on the throttle, but there’s a typically EV relentless and linear pull all the way to the motorway speed limit. This Ariya is also handy at putting on a turn of speed to smoothly join the second or third lanes of a motorway, and the i-Pedal system works seamlessly as you vary speeds.

Wednesday

It’s been bugging me since I first got in to the Ariya at the start of the week, and it’s this. On the steering wheel, there is a plastic shroud at the back that meets the two cross spokes of the wheel. Where it joins, there is a sharp, unfinished edge and it continually catches my thumbs. It’s not sore, but it’s an irritation that simply shouldn’t be there and undermines the otherwise excellent finish of this car.

Thursday

There’s loads of space inside the Ariya and my kids were chuffed to find heated rear seats in this particular model. My son also pounced on having the right charge socket for his device du jour, which meant he plugged in and tuned out for this evening’s trip to football. Meanwhile, my daughter was fascinated by the centre console that slides back and forth electrically.

Friday

I’m not normally a fan of electric controls in place of physical ones inside a car, but Nissan has come up with a better solution than most with the Ariya. In its centre dash section, the heating and ventilation controls light up and are sufficiently well spaced so you don’t prod the wrong one while driving. They are also clearly labelled to make it easy to establish which one does what, and they respond quickly.

Saturday

Nissan has made a very good job of the ride and handling balance with the Ariya. Unlike many EVs where the weight is countered by an overly firm suspension set-up, the Nissan feels very well controlled and comfortable even on many of the rotten roads around where I live. It’s every bit as good as the Škoda Enyaq I had on test recently and the Nissan feels more nimble in corners than the Škoda.

Sunday

Over the course of the week, I’ve charged the Nissan twice. This has involved four chargers as two refused to work, with no explanation. At least when I’ve found one that does, the Ariya tops up quickly enough not to be a chore and it also offers a better range than most EVs as it can cover a useful distance. Its range indicator is rooted in reality, too, which often not the case with other EVs.