Nissan plots sub-Ariya, Juke-size electric SUV [Update]

On November 29, 2021, Nissan revealed the Nissan Chill-Out, an all-electric Juke-sized electric SUV concept in a virtual presentation. The series production compact electric SUV will be allocated to the GBP 1 billion (circa EUR 1.19 billion) flagship EV hub, ‘EV36Zero’, centred around the Sunderland (UK) plant, Nissan announced in July 2021. Nissan expects an annual production capacity of 100,000 units for the new electric coupe-SUV.

Design & Features

The exterior design of the EV represents a coupe-SUV body type making it lower and flatter than the Ariya. It could be related to the Renault Arkana with more dynamic proportions and high-tech design elements but from a lower segment.

The highlight of the concept SUV has to be the pillar-less sides that allows a grand entrance into the lounge-like cabin. Nissan designers have imagined this concept SUV as a Level 5 Autonomous Vehicle, which explains the retractable steering wheel, turning the slim dashboard into a wide leg rest for the front passengers. The wide floating screen neatly sits at the centre, but expect these features to be dialled-down in the production vehicle for everyday practicality and regulations.

Expressing its breath-taking acceleration and feeling of control, this new-generation EV represents the shape of things to come: sleek design, energizing driving, advanced safety technologies, and a productive and comfortable interior space.

Ashwani Gupta, COO, Nissan (Nissan Ambition 2030 strategy announcement on November 29, 2021)

Nissan’s upcoming electric SUV could also include the V2X and ProPILOT technologies. “As early as 2011, Nissan launched V2X and created a distributable energy model where EVs act as a mobile energy storage,” Gupta said during the Nissan Ambition 2030 strategy announcement. Further, he talked about commercializing V2X:

We are confidently moving towards the commercialization phase, targeting the mid-2020s. We aim to expand V2X services and also establish battery recycling facilities in Europe and the United States.

Ashwani Gupta, COO, Nissan (Nissan Ambition 2030 strategy announcement on November 29, 2021)

A LiDAR scanner may be included in Nissan’s next-gen ProPILOT technology, which might make its way into the upcoming coupe-SUV. During the Nissan Ambition 2030 strategy announcement, CEO Makoto Uchida said that the company “aim(s) to complete the development of this technology by the mid-2020s, with the goal of incorporating into most new models by 2030.”

Nissan Leaf successor

As per a report on Autocar UK, Guillaume Cartier, Chairperson – AMIEO of Nissan, has indicated that the upcoming electric SUV-coupe will be the Nissan Leaf successor. The Leaf will get the axe after the second-generation model. He also suggested that Nissan would discontinue the ICE Micra and launch an EV instead.

Platform & Specifications

The production version of the Chill-Out Concept will be based on the CMF-EV platform that debuted in the Ariya. In the C- and D-segment vehicles, this platform enables a range of up to 580 km (360 miles) as per WLTP. This platform also offers great cabin room due to the ample wheelbase and flat floor.

Technically, the Nissan Chill-Out concept could be closer to the Renault Megane E-Tech. It could feature an Android Automotive OS-based infotainment system with built-in Google Maps, Google Assistant, and Google Play.

At the presentation of the concept, Nissan indicated that it could offer the Chill-Out concept-derived SUV-coupe in a standard-range variant and a long-range variant. This could mean a similar approach as in Ariya, which gets a 63 kWh battery pack with a range of up to 360 km (224 miles) and an 87 kWh battery pack with over 500 km (311 miles) of range.

The Ariya supports DC fast charging at 130 kW, but since the electric SUV is far from the launch, we expect it to feature 200 kW fast charging. The batteries for the new EV would be sourced from the Envision AESC gigafactory that Nissan plans to construct in the UK by 2024. As of November 29, 2021, the official plan was to have a 9 GWh capacity initially and a potential capacity of 35 GWh.

Release Date & Price

Expect the new Nissan electric coupe SUV to be revealed in 2024, and go into production shortly after. The coupe SUV is allocated to the Sunderland plant in the UK. Being a successor to the Nissan Leaf, the electric SUV should have economic configurations ranging around GBP 25,000-30,000 price-point.

Nissan Juke-size EV FAQs

Featured Image Source: Nissan