Nissan invented the crossover and was an electric car pioneer so can its eagerly awaited all-electric incarnation, the Ariya, live up to expectations writes Geraldine Herbert What is it? More than 15 years ago, the carmaker Nissan replaced its humble Almera hatchback with the Qashqai, a car that would prove to be a phenomenal sales success and spawn a host of rivals. Research by Nissan had revealed how motorists didn’t like the poor fuel efficiency and lacklustre interior quality of SUVs, plus most considered them too large for around-town manoeuvrability and general everyday usability. The idea behind the new car was to merge the best bits of a family hatchback with the elements of SUVs that were most attractive to customers. The Qashqai was born and created a new market segment: the urban crossover. Showrooms across Europe resonated to the sound of customers. In the first 10 years alone, more than 3.3 million Qashqais were sold in 137 countries and more than two million found homes in Europe. Keen to emulate the same success, Nissan has launched the Ariya, an all-electric crossover and our test car this week. Is it a looker? Visually, the Ariya is a truly modern evolution of a crossover. The contrasting roof and pillars and the strong angles give it a striking profile. How about the interior? Inside is a lesson in simplicity and it impresses with both style and a high-quality feel. Two 12.3in screens ensure all the key information, such as battery charge, range and navigation, can be easily accessible. Space throughout is good. Visibility all around is excellent. You can tweak the driving position in myriad ways to get it just right. What does it drive like? On the road, it is light and very easy to manoeuvre. Even on poorly surfaced roads it’s comfortable. It also comes with the e-pedal system, which uses the regenerative braking effect of the electric motor. While it takes a bit of getting used to, once you are used to it, it makes city driving so much easier. What are the range? There’s a choice of two batteries and of two- or all-wheel drive. The 63kWh battery delivers a range of 402km and the 87kWh battery offers a 529km range. Our test car was the 87kWh Evolve and the range proved very reliable. How safe is...