In many ways, the 2022 Nissan Ariya electric crossover represents the future of the brand. That includes the badge on its nose. The Ariya is the first model to get Nissan's new logo.
The new logo has been in the works since 2017, Nissan said in a press release Wednesday. It's the first redesign of the automaker's logo in 20 years.
While it retains the same basic format of "Nissan" script bisecting a circle, the execution is different. Design boss Alfonso Albaisa gave the design team, led by Tsutomu Matsuo, the keywords "thin, light, and flexible" to work with when designing the logo.
On electric cars, the logo will be illuminated by 20 LEDs, symbolizing the 20 years between logo redesigns. Illuminated logos were once a trademark of the now-defunct Wolseley, and have been used more recently on certain Mercedes-Benz models. Nissan's Infiniti luxury brand put an illuminated logo on its LE electric concept in 2012, and Volkswagen has done the same on recent concepts. VW also used a new electric production model—the ID 3 hatchback—to debut its own redesigned logo last year.
Nissan Ariya
The Nissan Ariya will compete with the upcoming Volkswagen ID 4, as well as the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y. It's expected to have close to 300 miles of range, with a base price of around $40,000, substantially undercutting the Model Y.
The Ariya rides on the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance's CMF-EV platform for electric cars, and is the first production model with Nissan's e-4ORCE dual-motor all-wheel drive system. That setup boasts a combined output of 380 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque from both motors. However, base models will only have one motor, sending 214 hp and 221 lb-ft to the front wheels.
Nissan's new logo will soon adorn several other new models. The automaker is in the midst of a product push aimed at reversing its fortunes. In addition to the Ariya and the recently revealed 2021 Rogue, redesigned versions of the Frontier pickup truck and Z sports car are also in the pipeline.