Facelifted Nissan Ariya EV SUV Unveiled in Japan

Here’s a first look at the facelifted Nissan Ariya EV, which just debuted in Japan with minor upgrades all around.

Following its teaser at the Japan Mobility Show (JMS) earlier this year, the facelifted Nissan Ariya EV has now made its Japanese debut. As shown in the teaser images prior, the updated EV SUV gets minor design changes, several interior upgrades, as well as some mechanical updates.

The most notable change for the new Ariya would be the exterior, where the EV SUV adopts a mildly redesigned front face that now features a clean, grill-less front face with a reshaped front bumper. To make the Ariya look fresh, Nissan has taken some design cues from the new Leaf EV, which are the fang-like LED DRLs that extend from its main LED headlights.

While the rest of the car remains unchanged from the pre-facelift model, the new Ariya does get a new set of 20-inch alloy wheels made from aluminium and resin materials. Last but not least, buyers can also opt for the EV SUV with a new Hisuinohikari paint option that pairs a bold Plasma Green body colour with contrasting Midnight Black accents.

On board, the updated Ariya sports the same cabin layout as the previous model, albeit featuring some new equipment and material options. The biggest highlight is easily the updated NissanConnect infotainment suite that now runs on Google’s software architecture, which includes new functions like Navi-Link Battery Conditioning and Intelligent Distance Control, on top of the usual Google services.

Nissan designers have also added a new leather trim option that features a subdued green tone with light grey elements for a softer, more minimalist cabin look.

On the mechanical side, the Japan-spec Ariya facelift still retains the same powertrain lineup as the previous model, namely the single-motor FWD and dual-motor e-4ORCE AWD options—the latter rated at up to 389 hp (290 kW) and 600 Nm. Similarly, Nissan also sticks to the existing 66 kWh (B6) and 91 kWh (B9) battery options for the EV SUV, with the latter capable of delivering up to 640 km of WLTC range.

What’s been upgraded for the new Ariya is the suspension tuning, which has been optimised specifically for Japanese roads, with an extra emphasis on comfort to deliver a more refined ride for this midsize EV SUV.

Updated 2026 Nissan Ariya Nismo

Not to forget, the 2026 update also applies to the sportier Ariya Nismo, although it skips all the minor visual upgrades and only gets the new interior bits as its non-Nismo twin.

The updated 2026 Nissan Ariya facelift retails from JPY 6.6759 million (RM173,759) for the base B6 FWD variant and goes up to JPY 8.0729 million (RM210,120) for the top-spec B9 e-4ORCE. That said, pricing for the updated Ariya Nismo will be revealed at a later date.