The Nissan Ariya, Now Dead in the U.S., Gets a Fresh Look in Japan
U.S shoppers will miss out on the Ariya’s new, sleeker styling after Nissan paused production for our market last month.
nissan ariya refresh
Nissan
Nissan announced that it will unveil the refreshed Ariya SUV at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo this month.
The Ariya’s new face appears inspired by the 2026 Nissan Leaf, with sharper headlights and a smoother look without the previous model’s patterned grille trim piece.
The U.S. will likely miss out on this updated Ariya, after the brand paused production of its compact EV SUV ahead of the 2026 model year.
The Nissan Ariya’s presence in the United States was short-lived, with the Japanese automaker announcing last month that it was pausing production its its compact electric SUV for the U.S. market ahead of the 2026 model year. While the Ariya is dead in the U.S.—at least for the time being—Nissan is already gearing up to reveal a refreshed model for the Japanese market, providing a sneak preview of the SUV’s new look ahead of a full reveal at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo later this month.
The updated Ariya takes on styling cues seen on the 2026 Nissan Leaf, which marked a massive change for Nissan’s smallest EV and is set to go on sale in the U.S. this fall. The Ariya’s new face features a black band linking the chunkier headlights, while the patterned grille trim piece below the Nissan badge is gone, replaced by a body-color panel.
Nissan
The headlights are more V-shaped than before and have three LED stripes in the lower section that angle inwards. The front bumper is simplified, ditching the vertically oriented vents that sat just ahead of the front wheels. Nissan hasn’t shared any photos of the rear just yet, but the refreshed Ariya retains the black-painted contrasting roof and thick cladding around the wheels.
Other details are still sparse, but Nissan said the facelift would also bring a Google-powered infotainment system and vehicle-to-load functionality, allowing owners to use the car to power external electronic devices such as a hair dryer or a blender. The suspension is also said to be upgraded, tuned more specifically for Japanese roads. It’s unclear if Nissan ever plans to bring the Ariya back to the U.S. market, but if it does, it could reach our shores wearing a new, sharper face.
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Caleb Miller
Associate News Editor
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.