Nissan has finally launched its second electric car, to sit alongside the big-selling Leaf in its line-up. Given the company's success with the Sunderland-built Qashqai, there's no surprise that Nissan's sophomore EV is a crossover, and it's this - the Ariya.

A ray of light

As with the Qashqai, the name comes from Arabic and means, roughly, 'Ray of Light.' Nissan, currently beleaguered by financial troubles, will be sincerely hoping that it lives up to its name.

Certainly it seems to have the technical capability to do so. It rides on an all-new platform, called the CMF-EV, which has been co-developed by Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi. That platform allows the Ariya to offer two battery capacities - 65kWh or 90kWh. Now, the official figures for these batteries are still pending, but they should be good enough for a range of between 211- and 223 miles for the base car, and as much as 310 miles for the larger battery model.

Range of up to 310 miles

As well as two batteries, Nissan will offer the Ariya with two powertrains. Basic cars get a single electric motor with 217hp, or 242hp if it's using the 90kWh battery. You can up-scale that to an 'e-4ORCE' model that uses two electric motors to develop 278hp for the 65kWh battery, or 306hp for the 90kWh version. Finally, there's a range-topping 'Performance' model with as much as 394hp and 600Nm of torque.

For charging you can choose from a standard on-board 7.4kW charger for the 65kWh battery, or a 22kW charger for the 90kWh battery. The Ariya can also charge at a maximum speed of 130kW from a high-output public charger for rapid top-ups. Nissan reckons that the Ariya is capable, with one charge en route, of covering 500 miles in eight hours.

Sleek exterior styling

On the outside, the Ariya has a striking design, almost concept-car clean, which represents a new start for Nissan's style. It's much more pared back and 'de-contented' compared to current models such as the Qashqai or X-Trail, the latter of which is similar in size to the Ariya.

Inside, that minimalist feel continues with twin 12.3-inch screens for instruments and infotainment, and a distinct lack of physical buttons and switches. The Ariya gets Nissan's latest ProPilot tech, which helps to keep you safely in lane when driving on motorways and more, and which uses the e-4ORCE four-wheel-drive system to aid both the car's handling and stability, depending on what you need.

We have no idea of prices yet, other than that Nissan says that the Ariya will be 'competitively priced' against other large-ish SUVs and crossovers and the order book will open early in 2021.