Nissan Ariya: which version to buy
The Nissan Ariya first generation (from August 2021, still in production) is a five-door electric SUV with five Automatic 1-speed versions, all named AT in the catalogue.
The Nissan Ariya first generation (from August 2021, still in production) is a five-door electric SUV with five Automatic 1-speed versions, all named AT in the catalogue. They are not interchangeable: two are FWD, three are AWD; power runs from 218 hp to 394 hp; 0–100 km/h from 7.6 s to 5.4 s; kerb weight from 1800 kg to 2300 kg; ground clearance is 180 mm on four versions and 150 mm on the strongest. Displacement is not measured on any version, so there is no litres figure and no power-per-litre comparison — only power, torque, mass, drive, and the stopwatch.
There is only one generation. Choosing “which Ariya” is choosing among these five AT lines, not among body styles or facelifts.
Nissan Ariya specs by version: the five AT lines
All five use Electro fuel, Electro drive type, Automatic gearbox, 1 speed, CO2 0. Cylinders, cylinder layout, boost, engine layout, and displacement are not measured.
| Version (name as in data) | hp / kW | Nm | Fuel | Gearbox / speeds | Drive | 0–100 | Top speed | Kerb weight | Clearance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT 218 hp | 218 / 160 | 300 | Electro | Automatic / 1 | FWD | 7.5 s | 160 | 1800 kg | 180 mm | |
| AT 242 hp | 242 / 177 | 300 | Electro | Automatic / 1 | FWD | 7.6 s | 160 | 1800 kg | 180 mm | |
| AT 279 hp | 279 / 205 | 560 | Automatic / 1 wait | Electro | Automatic / 1 | AWD | 5.9 s | 200 | 1800 kg | 180 mm |
| AT 306 hp | 306 / 225 | 600 | Electro | Automatic / 1 | AWD | 5.7 s | 200 | 1900 kg | 180 mm | |
| AT 394 hp | 394 / 289 | 600 | Electro | Automatic / 1 | AWD | 5.4 s | 200 | 2300 kg | 150 mm |
Wheels on every version: 235/55 R19 and 255/45 R20. Front and rear suspension: Independent, spring. Front brakes: Ventilated disc. Rear brakes: Disc ventilated. Tank: not measured. Gross weight: not measured. City and highway consumption: not measured on all five. Mixed consumption: 540 on AT 242 hp; not measured on the other four.
Which Ariya engine and drive: FWD pair vs AWD trio
Buy AT 218 hp or AT 242 hp if you want FWD and the lightest catalogue kerb (1800 kg). Both are Electro, Automatic, 1 speed, 300 Nm, 160 km/h top speed, 180 mm clearance. AT 242 hp has 24 hp more than AT 218 hp (242 − 218) and 17 kW more (177 − 160). On the stopwatch AT 242 hp is 0.1 s slower to 100 km/h (7.6 vs 7.5). Same torque, same mass, same top speed: the extra 24 hp does not buy a quicker 0–100 or a higher limiter in these figures. Weight per horsepower is 1800 / 218 ≈ 8.3 kg/hp on AT 218 hp versus 1800 / 242 ≈ 7.4 kg/hp on AT 242 hp — AT 242 hp is the better mass-to-power FWD, even though the 0–100 number is 0.1 s worse.
AT 242 hp is also the only version with a mixed consumption figure in the data (540). On AT 218 hp mixed consumption is not measured. If you need that field filled, AT 242 hp is the only FWD that has it.
Buy AWD if you want 200 km/h and roughly two seconds less to 100 km/h. The AWD trio is AT 279 hp, AT 306 hp, and AT 394 hp. Versus the FWD pair:
- Top speed: 200 versus 160 (+40 km/h).
- 0–100: 5.4–5.9 s versus 7.5–7.6 s (about 1.6–2.2 s quicker).
- Torque: 560–600 Nm versus 300 Nm (AT 279 hp is +260 Nm vs either FWD; AT 306 hp and AT 394 hp are +300 Nm).
AT 279 hp keeps the same 1800 kg kerb as both FWD versions. You do not pay a catalogue weight penalty for AWD on AT 279 hp. AT 306 hp is 100 kg heavier (1900 − 1800). AT 394 hp is 500 kg heavier than the 1800 kg group (2300 − 1800) and 400 kg heavier than AT 306 hp.
Nissan Ariya performance: 0–100, top speed, mpg
Fastest 0–100: AT 394 hp, 5.4 s. Next: AT 306 hp, 5.7 s (0.3 s slower than AT 394 hp). Next: AT 279 hp, 5.9 s (0.5 s slower than AT 394 hp; 0.2 s slower than AT 306 hp). FWD: AT 218 hp 7.5 s; AT 242 hp 7.6 s.
AT 394 hp’s extra 88 hp over AT 306 hp (394 − 306) buys 0.3 s. AT 306 hp’s extra 27 hp over AT 279 hp (306 − 279) buys 0.2 s and 40 Nm (600 − 560). AT 394 hp and AT 306 hp share 600 Nm; the 88 hp and 400 kg difference is what separates 5.4 s from 5.7 s.
Top speed does not rank the AWD versions: AT 279 hp, AT 306 hp, and AT 394 hp are all 200 km/h. FWD AT 218 hp and AT 242 hp are both 160 km/h. Extra power inside each drive type does not raise the listed limiter.
Mpg / consumption: city not measured, highway not measured on every version. Mixed: 540 on AT 242 hp only; not measured on AT 218 hp, AT 279 hp, AT 306 hp, AT 394 hp. CO2 is 0 on all five. There is no tank figure (not measured), which matches Electro fuel.
Dimensions and weight: what the extra mass buys
Kerb weight is the split that matters.
- 1800 kg: AT 218 hp (FWD), AT 242 hp (FWD), AT 279 hp (AWD). Same listed mass, three different outputs: 218 hp / 300 Nm, 242 hp / 300 Nm, 279 hp / 560 Nm. AT 279 hp is the version that adds AWD, +37 hp versus AT 242 hp (279 − 242), +61 hp versus AT 218 hp (279 − 218), and +260 Nm versus both FWD, without adding catalogue kilograms.
- 1900 kg: AT 306 hp only. +100 kg versus the 1800 kg trio, +27 hp and +40 Nm versus AT 279 hp, 0.2 s quicker 0–100, same 200 km/h, same 180 mm clearance.
- 2300 kg: AT 394 hp only. Heaviest by 500 kg versus 1800 kg and 400 kg versus AT 306 hp. Ground clearance drops to 150 mm (30 mm less than the other four). That is the only clearance split in the first generation.
Weight per horsepower (kerb / hp):
- AT 394 hp: 2300 / 394 ≈ 5.8 kg/hp (lowest; most power per kilogram).
- AT 306 hp: 1900 / 306 ≈ 6.2 kg/hp.
- AT 279 hp: 1800 / 279 ≈ 6.5 kg/hp.
- AT 242 hp: 1800 / 242 ≈ 7.4 kg/hp.
- AT 218 hp: 1800 / 218 ≈ 8.3 kg/hp (highest).
Gross weight: not measured on all five. Wheels do not differentiate versions: 235/55 R19 and 255/45 R20 throughout. Suspension and brakes are the same English labels on every AT.
AT 394 hp is the only version where “more power” coincides with less ground clearance. If 180 mm is the requirement, AT 394 hp is the one to skip; the other four share 180 mm.
Nissan Ariya which version to choose
Choose AT 218 hp if the brief is FWD, 1800 kg, 180 mm, and the smallest listed output (218 hp / 160 kW / 300 Nm). It is 0.1 s quicker to 100 km/h than AT 242 hp despite 24 hp less. Mixed consumption is not measured.
Choose AT 242 hp if you want the same FWD package with 242 hp / 177 kW, still 300 Nm, still 1800 kg and 160 km/h, and the only mixed figure in the table (540). You do not buy a higher top speed or a quicker 0–100 versus AT 218 hp; you buy 24 hp and a filled mixed field.
Choose AT 279 hp if you want AWD without adding kerb weight. Same 1800 kg as the FWD pair, 279 hp / 205 kW, 560 Nm, 5.9 s, 200 km/h, 180 mm. Versus AT 218 hp that is +61 hp, +260 Nm, −1.6 s to 100 km/h, +40 km/h top speed, FWD to AWD, mass unchanged. Versus AT 242 hp: +37 hp, +260 Nm, −1.7 s, +40 km/h, AWD, mass unchanged. Mixed consumption is not measured.
Choose AT 306 hp if you want the middle AWD: 306 hp / 225 kW, 600 Nm (tied with AT 394 hp for peak torque), 5.7 s, 200 km/h, 1900 kg, 180 mm. Versus AT 279 hp you add 27 hp, 40 Nm, 100 kg, and cut 0.2 s. You do not add top speed or lose clearance. Mixed consumption is not measured.
Choose AT 394 hp if the ranking is power and 0–100 first: 394 hp / 289 kW, 600 Nm, 5.4 s — the strongest and quickest Ariya in this generation. Versus AT 306 hp: +88 hp, +64 kW, same 600 Nm, −0.3 s, +400 kg, clearance 150 mm instead of 180 mm. Versus AT 279 hp: +115 hp, +40 Nm, −0.5 s, +500 kg, −30 mm clearance. Versus FWD AT 218 hp: +176 hp, +300 Nm, −2.1 s, +40 km/h, AWD, +500 kg, −30 mm. Mixed consumption is not measured.
Do not treat the five AT names as one car. Same catalogue name, five power figures. If two listings both say AT, match them by horsepower: 218, 242, 279, 306, or 394.
Generation choice does not apply: one generation, SUV 5-doors, from August 2021, no end date in the data. Reliability, common problems, and prices are not in this dataset.
Short ranking from the numbers only
- Lightest AWD / best “AWD with no extra kg”: AT 279 hp.
- Best kg/hp and quickest 0–100: AT 394 hp (accept 2300 kg and 150 mm).
- AWD with 180 mm and 600 Nm without the 2300 kg: AT 306 hp.
- FWD with a mixed figure: AT 242 hp.
- FWD with the quicker of the two FWD sprints: AT 218 hp.