IT'S been a long wait but Nissan has finally launched its second fully electrified passenger car - it's called the Ariya and it is pretty special.

The Ariya is a medium-sized crossover SUV that is competitively priced to take on the ever-growing market and it has plenty of road presence.

Buyers can choose between 63kWh or 87kWh batteries which effects the driving range between charges and there are two trim grades called Advance or Evolve. There is also the option of adding e-4ORCE which is Nissan's all-drive system.

We tried the entry-level Ariya Advance model driven by the smaller battery pack. It was priced at £43,845 (£46,365 with options) and this 2WD car delivers 217PS with 300Nm of torque.

It can reach 62mph from a standing start in just 7.5 seconds and maxes out at 100mph with a combined driving range of 250 miles between charges.

The eye-catching Ariya is a beautifully styled model especially if customers opt for the stunning Akatsuki Copper paintwork with the contrasting Pearl Black roof as we did.

Design features include LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, rear privacy glass, heated and folding mirrors, a handsfree tailgate, satin chrome window surrounds, plus LED tail lights, a shark fin antenna and 19-inch alloy wheels with aero covers.

Moving inside, the interior is clutter-free and modern in its design featuring black synthetic leather upholstered seats with fabric inserts. These, along with the steering wheel, can be heated to fend off the winter chill.

The main focal point within the cockpit is the 12.3-inch navigation infotainment screen with sharp graphics. A virtual personal assistant can help with all manner of requests from planning road routes, making a call or finding a radio station and there is wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity and a cabled Android Auto facility.

The climate control system is accessed from a separate panel with touch-sensitive buttons. These work well once you familiarise yourself with them, but are not as simple to operate as traditional dials.

The 12.3-inch digital display screen behind the steering wheel offers all the vital driving details such as battery range, speed and charging status and everything is very driver-focused and easy to use on the move.

A 360-degree camera that detects moving objects makes reversing safer, while the all-round driver visibility is also good.

When it comes to performance and handling, the Ariya is a dream to drive with instant acceleration out the blocks and impressive power levels at your disposal.

It is nicely planted on twisting B roads with minimal body sway and it can cruise effortlessly at 70mph on motorways. However, this will result in the range dropping far quicker than in-town centre driving, where the regenerative braking automatically boosts the battery levels in the background.

The steering is well weighted and the driver can flick through Eco, Standard and Sport drive modes to change the driving characteristics of the Ariya. There is an e-Pedal which means you can drive around town using just the accelerator - as you ease off the pressure, so the car begins to brake.

In addition, noise levels are well supressed and the suspension system does an excellent job of smoothing out any road creases along the way.

On the practicality front, the Ariya is a spacious vehicle with plenty of rear legroom for occupants to stretch out. Taller passengers mayfind their hair brushing up against the headlining though due to the car's sloping roof design.

The boot can accommodate 466 litres of kit and there are a number of practical storage options throughout the car, including two gloveboxes, a charging pad beneath the front armrest, a sunglasses compartment, door bins, front and rear cup holders, front charging ports that are rather awkwardly positioned, along with a couple of ports in the back too.

Safety features are comprehensive with the likes of blind spot intervention, rear cross traffic alert, traffic jam assist,auto high beam assist,intelligent driver alert, traffic sign recognition, intelligent cruise control, speed assist and lots more besides.

The Ariya, with the smaller battery, can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes via a 130kW outlet or from 10 to 100 per cent in 10 hours using a 7.4kW home wallbox.