Nissan’s Nismo performance division will create a rival for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N might need to start sleeping with one eye open, because it looks like Nissan’s legendary Nismo motorsport division and performance sub-brand is about to unveil a hot version the Nissan Ariya electric SUV.
Text at the bottom of a teaser image states that the “latest electrified Nismo model” will be unveiled on 12 January at 1am GMT, suggesting the car will make its world debut at the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon, where Nissan will already be displaying Nismo tuned versions of its Z and GT-R sports cars along with an X-Trail Crawler off-road concept.
The time of the car’s unveiling is the only detail Nissan has released so far, but the outline in the teaser image all but confirms it’s the Ariya Nismo we’re about to see. Plus we spotted an Ariya Nismo prototype undergoing testing on the Nurburgring in Germany last year, which also gives us a good idea of what visual changes have been made.
Like most of the cars that get the Nismo treatment, the Ariya will receive a new front bumper with an aggressive splitter and tweaked air vents on the side, while the rear looks like it has some diffuser-like elements now. We also noticed the prototype is sporting a subtle lip spoiler on the tailgate, and a set of 20-inch with Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres that have been designed specifically for use on fast EVs. The production car is sure to feature Nismo’s trademark red accents on top of everything else.
Plenty of changes will have been made under the metal too, as most Nismo models have a bespoke suspension and chassis setup to improve road handling. We expect the high-performance EV to use a dual-motor ‘e-4ORCE’ powertrain like the current range-topping Ariya, which produces 289kW and 600Nm of torque.
However, the Ariya Nismo could pump out significantly more power if it hopes to show up the likes of the Ioniq 5 N, Kia EV6 GT, Ford Mustang Mach-E GT or Tesla Model Y Performance. For instance, the Ioniq 5 N produces 478kW and 740Nm of torque – enough for 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds – while the Model Y Performance has 393kW and 660Nm on tap.
Outside of motorsport, Nismo is well known for even faster, more focused versions of Nissan’s sports cars, but from time-to-time has turned its attention to some of the Japanese brand’s more mainstream models. It produced an all-wheel drive version of the Nissan Juke in 2013, and there’s even a Nissan Leaf Nismo.