The 2026 Nissan Ariya has been given a styling overhaul, but holds steady on battery improvements and charging speeds.

The updated Ariya has been announced for a UK release, following its introduction in Japan earlier this year. In the UK, the Ariya is one of five EVs Nissan offers, alongside the Micra, Leaf, and a pair of vans, the Townstar and Interstar.

In Australia, the Ariya is holding the fort as the only EV in Nissan’s local line-up.

Headlining the changes to the 2026 Ariya is a redesigned front end that swaps the black-pannel V-motion grille frame of the current Ariya for a simpler design with new headlights and running lights, and a closed-off front face.

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A new Plasma Green paint colour and new alloy wheel designs round out the external styling revisions. Inside the 2026 Ariya gains an updated Nissan Connect infotainment system with Google built-in compatibility, a redesigned centre console, and a 15-watt wireless phone charger.

The UK line-up has been trimmed to just two models, down from three, with the Engage+ featuring a 63kWh battery and Advance offering a larger 87kWh battery. Battery capacities are carried over from the pre-update version, and previous all-wheel-drive dual-motor versions have not yet been announced for the UK market.

The new trim levels replace the UK’s previous Advance, Evolve and Nismo grades. Maximum DC charging at 130kW remains, while UK cars offer AC charging at up to 11kW, unlike Australia’s 22kW AC maximum. Official WLTP range claims are yet to be published.

Pricing starts from £37,000 (A$69,600) for the Ariya Engage+ or $£43,425 ($81,685) for the Advance, around £500 (A$940) less than the pre-update versions in the UK. Australian pricing for the current Ariya ranges from $55,840 to $71,840 before on-road costs.

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The Nissan Ariya has sold 104 units in Australia to the end of April 2026, 53 of which were in the month of April alone, spurred on by a $53,990 drive-away deal. Year to date, the Ariya has been outsold by EV rivals like the BYD Sealion 7 (6248 units), Geely EX5 (2639), Hyundai Elexio (446), Kia EV5 (1942), Subaru Solterra (324), Tesla Model Y (6719), Toyota bZ4X (1323), and Zeekr 7X (2698).

A Nissan Australia spokesperson told WhichCar, “There are currently no immediate plans to introduce the facelifted Ariya to Australia, and Nissan will continue to offer the current Australian-specification Ariya locally.”

“The Ariya remains an important part of Nissan’s electrification strategy in Australia. There is currently ample availability of Ariya vehicles across our dealer network nationally, and customers interested in purchasing an Ariya can readily secure one via their local dealer.”