3rd

Nissan Ariya

The battery-only Ariya is offered in front- or fourwheel drive (e-4orce) forms, with two batteries (63 and 87kWh net). Quoted ranges are quite low compared with rivals and our test of the 63kWh 250-mile range version realised a real-life range of 195 miles, which brings the quoted efficiency down from 3.9 miles per kWh to only 3.1. It’s also expensive, from £43,845 rising to £56,290 for the top-spec 4x4.

On initial acquaintance the interior feels nicely designed and thoughtful, with features such as an under-bonnet heating and ventilation system which allows an open floor across the front. The rear seats are comfy but the height of the battery means you can’t get your feet under the driver’s seat. And the trim quality also tails off markedly as you travel back.

While the electric drivetrain refinement is exemplary, the brake pedal feels soggy and the ride quality is dreadful, which isn’t something we normally say about Nissans. It feels undersprung and overdamped. Combined with the sharp steering, that means you negotiate a bumpy road being flung from side to side.

Where the Qashqai family SUV should have been on the shortlist for last year, I’m not sure what the Ariya is doing in the top seven; it simply isn’t class-leading in a field of highly capable (if very similar) competitors.