A mid-life update for the Nissan Ariya will debut in Japan later this month, weeks after the electric SUV arrived in Australia after multiple delays.
The Nissan Ariya has been confirmed to live on – for now – with a mid-life update debuting in Japan later this month, weeks after it was launched in Australia after multiple delays, and then axed in the United States.
Due to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show on October 29, 2025, the revised Ariya electric SUV – a rival to the Tesla Model Y – resembles the smaller, new-generation Leaf, featuring slimmer headlights and a grille-less front design.
It will also receive new alloy wheel designs, a new infotainment system with built-in Google apps, vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, and suspension upgrades "tailored for Japanese roads".
Nissan has confirmed the 2026 Ariya is due to launch in Japan by March next year, while an Australian introduction is likely in the 12 months that follow.
Drive has contacted Nissan Australia for comment.
Earlier this month, Nissan USA announced the Ariya would not be offered for Model Year 2026, as it seeks to cut costs amid global financial struggles, while focusing its attention on the new-generation Leaf small SUV.
However, a Nissan Australia spokesperson said the decision "has no impact" on the local market, after the Ariya arrived in local showrooms in September, three years after its global launch.
The local division of the Japanese car maker has claimed customers were not ready for the Ariya in Australia until now, among other factors such as unique Australian Design Rules regulations, production availability and pricing discussions.
"For me, it’s about when is the market ready for a product? It’s not about ‘here’s a product; shove it on the market’," Nissan Australia boss Andrew Humberstone said.
"This market and the consumer [were] not ready for this car three years ago.
"And given the volatility of what we've seen with regulations between New Zealand and Australia, it would have absolutely been to our detriment to have brought it earlier."
It also follows the introduction of the Federal Government's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which will allow the Ariya to offset emissions fines racked up by other vehicles within its range, such as the V8-powered Patrol Y62 four-wheel-drive.
The current, pre-facelift 2025 Ariya is priced between $55,840 and $71,840 before on-road costs in Australia, placing it in similar territory to the Tesla Model Y, BYD Sealion 7, Kia EV5 and Volkswagen ID.4 electric SUVs.
Just 47 Nissan Ariyas were reported as sold in Australia last month, far behind the Model Y (3927), Sealion 7 (1887), EV5 (307) and ID.4 (144) – let alone the petrol or hybrid Nissan X-Trail (1403).
At the 2025 Tokyo motor show, Nissan will also unveil the new-generation Elgrand people mover and Roox Kei car.
Also on display – despite many of these vehicles not being sold in Japan – will be the Patrol Y63, new Leaf, electric Micra city hatch, Chinese-market N7 sedan, updated X-Trail SUV, and a limited-run '400R' edition of its Skyline sedan.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
