Nissan Ariya Nismo

Electric SUV gets a sporty makeover courtesy of Nissan's motorsport division, with more power, stiffer suspension and more aggressive looks On sale Now Price from £56,630

- DAN JONES [e-mail]

NISMO, NISSAN'S MOTORSPORT division, has spent the past 40 years building some of the most iconic Japanese performance cars. It's a list that includes the likes of the Le Mans-themed Skyline R33 Nismo GT-R LM, monstrously quick Nismo GT-R and even the Skyline R34 Nismo Z-Tune, which is considered by many to be the pinnacle of all Skylines.

But unless you count the brand's Formula E racer, there hasn't been a single electric car on that list - until now. That gives the new Ariya Nismo quite the challenge.

The Nismo version of Nissan's electric family SUV certainly looks the part, with a bespoke front bumper, a racing car-style 'diffuser' under the rear bumper, a 'ducktail' spoiler on the tailgate and new five-spoke, 20in wheels. These serve to improve the Ariya's aerodynamics, as well as making it look more aggressive.