Leaked patent images of the Nissan Ariya could indicate a production-ready model

Earlier in 2020 at the 46th Tokyo Auto Show, Nissan unveiled its Ariya concept to the world. It was designed to be an electric crossover with the brand’s future design language in mind. With the unveiling of the concept, it signaled the start of a new era for Nissan as the company seeks to redefine its brand philosophy for the coming years. That new era might just be starting soon as photos of the Ariya’s design patent have been leaked online. If the images prove to be authentic then this could be Nissan’s second fully electric vehicle aside from the LEAF. While the electric crossover's launch date is still unknown its hatchback stablemate the Nissan LEAF will be making its way into the country sometime soon. 

The leaked images show that the production version is very similar to that of the concept car, however, it does have minor tweaks to the design. At the front, both the concept and production model share the same front clip, however, the patented images show that the Ariya gets two additional smaller lights located on the sides of the bumper. These might indicate that the vehicle will have small LED fog lights. While the bumper design retains a similar look, adjustments have been made in order to give the vehicle a tow hook. The lower front bumper now has four vents instead of just one. 

The side profile of the vehicle also has been altered slightly making way for a charging port on the left front quarter panel of the vehicle. Everything about the side profile is just about the same as the concept with the exception of charging port and the addition of a shark fin antenna at the rear. 

Moving on to the rear of the production Ariya. Like the concept, it is again very similar, the shape and design remain the same except for a minor change on the lower bumper garnish of the vehicle. It now is much wider than that of the concept. 

The Nissan Ariya from its concept to its leaked production photos is shaping up to be an exciting model. It could very well be one of the first fully electric SUVs with an affordable price tag to hit the market soon. While the patent images do not showcase the interior we can look to the concept to gauge what the production Ariya’s interior could look like. The concept car featured a minimalist interior design that could be applied to the production version of the electric SUV. While no exact dates have been specified as to when the vehicle will be officially unveiled reports state that the all-new Ariya could be officially launching in the first half of 2021.