Here’s How Much the 2023 Nissan Ariya Will Cost

• The 2023 Nissan Ariya is headed to dealerships late this fall, with a starting price of $44,485 for the FWD version.

• Nissan will also offer AWD versions of the Ariya, as well as a choice of two battery packs: 63 kWh and 87 kWh.

• The AWD Ariya will start at $48,485, making the price difference between the single- and dual-motor versions quite modest.

Nissan's long-awaited follow up to the Leaf is finally on its way to US dealerships, with the automaker eager to field a crossover in this rapidly growing segment. Poised to be the automaker's most important EV launch in over a decade, the Ariya will arrive in a markedly different EV landscape than the one in which the Leaf debuted back in 2011, while also landing in a much more volatile economic environment in those markets where it will be offered.

The rakish crossover will be offered with a choice of two battery sizes, as well as a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The smaller 63-kWh battery (good for an estimated 216 miles of range) will be available with one base FWD Engage version, and with one AWD e-4ORCE trim.

In total there will be five trims offered in a FWD layout and four offered with AWD, giving buyers quite a selection.

The base model will be the Engage trim paired with a 63-kWh battery and will kick things off at $44,485. The same base trim and 63-kWh battery will also be offered with e-4ORCE AWD and will start at $48,485, so the gap between FWD and AWD models will be merely $4000.

The entire price range of all the variants will span only about $15,000, with the top Platinum+ e-4ORCE trim paired with the 87-kWh battery (estimated at 304 miles of range) topping out at $61,485. It's worth noting that this price is almost precisely where the Tesla Model Y now starts—a couple of thousand north of that mark to be exact—which will no doubt be a crucial selling point in this day and age.

"The Nissan Ariya is an important part of our Ambition 2030 goals to drive electrified mobility for all," said Aditya Jairaj, director of EV marketing and sales at Nissan US. "With Nissan offering an EV option for almost any driver, we’re excited for customers to experience a seamless transition to driving electric."

The Ariya will face no shortage of competitors when it lands late this fall, but the Tesla Model Y probably won't be one of them, because it has become so expensive.

Rather, the Ariya will face off against the VW ID.4, Hyundai Kona Electric, the Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge twins, Subaru Solterra, Toyota bZ4X, Audi Q4 e-tron, Chevrolet Bolt EUV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and the Kia EV6, to name a few.

The 2023 Ariya EV crossover will certainly have some work to do to stand out in a suddenly busy segment.