Nissan Ariya Concept Gallery

Lined up alongside other electric car concepts, you'd be forgiven for walking straight past the Nissan Ariya Concept. After all, this all-electric crossover doesn't exactly stand out of the crowd, unlike most show-cars. That, however, is all by design.

Nissan is testing the waters with its new design language, and is fairly upfront about the fact that what we see at the Tokyo Motor Show 2019 today as the Ariya Concept, may largely go on to inspire a production crossover BEV in the not-too-distant future. That means all-wheel drive with electric motors at the front and rear axle, along with driver-assistance tech such as Nissan's ProPILOT 2.0. A far cry from the fully-autonomous vision many automakers tease at auto shows, but a whole lot more practical.

Outside, it's bold but not too bold; inside, a touch-sensitive dashboard, expansive digital instrumentation, and simplified controls are sleek but not infeasible for production. Think more grown-up than the Nissan Leaf, but not so outlandish as to be dismissed as mere whimsy. That's just the attitude Nissan needs as it considers its next BEV.