Nissan will build European Union-bound examples of the all-electric Ariya in Japan instead of the UK as initially expected.
The Japanese carmaker had considered building the Ariya at its Sunderland assembly plant in the UK. However, with the prospect of a no-deal Brexit looking increasingly likely, Nissan has decided to build the Ariya in Japan and ship them to Europe.
As noted by Nikkei Asia, a no-deal Brexit will see British auto exports face a 10 per cent tariff in the EU. By comparison, Japanese-made vehicles face a lower 7.5 per cent tariff which, in 2026, will be abolished entirely.
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Handling production of Ariya models heading to Europe and the United States will be Nissan’s plant in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture just north of Tokyo. Meanwhile, those sold in China will be manufactured locally.
The Nissan Ariya was unveiled in production-form back in July and retains the same striking looks as the concept. Depending on the market, four different powertrain configurations will be available.
Sitting at the base of the range will be a rear-wheel drive version with a 65 kWh battery and an electric motor producing 215 hp and 221 lb-ft (300 Nm) of torque. Sitting above this model will be another rear-wheel drive version with the same output and a 90 kWh battery pack. Two all-wheel drive versions with two electric motors are also coming, the first of which has a 65 kWh battery as well as 335 hp and 413 lb-ft (560 Nm), while the other uses a 90 kWh battery and pumps out 389 hp and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm).
