Upping the stakes for bragging rights

Ian Lamming gives Nissan’s Aryia Nismo the shock treatment

It doesn’t tax the little grey cells too much to realise that Nismo stand for Nissan Motorsports.

But what you may find surprising is that the specialist sports division has been souping up Nissans since the days of Datsun in 1958.

The latest to get the Nismo treatment is Nissan’s excellent electric SUV, the Aryia. The normal Aryia is impressive enough, being ultra-modern to look at, with decent levels of performance and first-rate range.

It’s a great starting point and the Nismo folk have done a commendable job upping the stakes in a world where bragging rights matter.

For surprisingly little extra money you get a lot more punch, a gloriously well styled and equipped interior and sharp handling, all wrapped up in the heritage of the Nismo name.

Nismo immerses a great looking car in sporting legacy while adding amazing performance and handling to a sizable and practical package.

As ever with EVs you have to face the expense of charging in supermarkets – one charge cost me £63 for just 225 miles – so make sure you have a home charger.

I love the look. The normal Aryia is an uber-modern and very smart EV but the Nismo treatment adds even more appeal and prompts nods of respect from people in the know.

You slip easily into a Japanese sub culture of blinged up performance vehicles. It’s enough to make you want to drift the tail out – though I do resist the temptation…officer.

Inside is a feast of technology and tactile materials including Alcantara. There’s a contemporary version of wood, complete with grain, in which somehow haptic-backed switches are buried.

Super cool, they are easy to use on the dashboard and central transmission tunnel giving the Nismo a unique feel.

Aryia is a sizeable SUV making it a practical family car but its enhanced performance and handling make it something distinct.

Don’t get me wrong, the normal Aryia is great to drive but the Nismo is superb. Power galore from the twin motors, the limpet-like grip of all-wheel-drive and steering sharp enough to shave with, make it an engaging, exciting and thoroughly enjoyable experience.

The ‘one-pedal’ feature helps you lift off the throttle to reduce speed for bends and slot into traffic with consummate ease thanks to regenerative braking. It helps you feel like a much more polished driver.

Twin electric motors offer 424HP worth of power and 600Nm of torque making Nismo worthy of its sporting badge. It’s staggeringly quick but you do lose 100 miles in range as a result.

Those 20in alloys not only look great but are shod with low profile 255/45 tyres to boost grip. E-4orce all-wheel-drive helps channel all that power safely to the road. In real world situations it is blisteringly quick and great for making rapid progress cross country – without speeding, of course.

Specification includes heated seats, heated steering wheel, 10 speaker Bose hi-fi and easy to use touchscreen, so that’s job done then I’d say.

Nismo red metal finishes and ambient lighting, loads of mock leather and suede and hi-tech faux wood make the Aryia truly special and at £56k it’s not that much more than the standard model.

There’s also red stitching and an embroidered logo for added feel-good. How about stealth grey for a colour? Yes please.

If you thought the standard Aryia was good then you can’t fail to love the Nismo. If range isn’t an issue then it is certainly worth the extra money. It’s just a brilliant car.