Nissan has taken the covers off its first ever performance electric SUV.

Revealed at the Tokyo motor show, the new model is the product of Nissan's racing and tuning division, Nismo. The resulting Ariya Nismo boasts more power, new styling inside and out, and a raft of chassis tweaks to improve on-road performance.

It's based on the current top-spec e-4orce version of the Ariya, which uses an intelligent four-wheel drive system to boost on- and off-road traction. Nismo has tweaked the twin electric motors on the top spec model to give 429bhp and 600Nm of torque – a 10% power improvement on the standard car. The body receives a host of Nismo-branded paraphernalia comprising new splitters, twin vortex generators, side skirts and a rear spoiler. These additions not only mark out the sporty newcomer, but also to give the car more downforce and there by increasing grip on the road.

Nissan has confirmed two specifications – B6 and B9. The former uses a 66kWh battery pack and has 329bhp on tap, while the B9 boasts the full 429bhp and uses a 91kWh battery – 4kWh more than the current largest batteried Ariya. The B9 also sits 5-10mm lower to the road than the B6, but is also 200kg heavier. The chassis has also been worked on by Nismo, while large 20-inch wheels have also been fitted. 

Inside, the interior is trimmed in black and there's a pair of heavily bolstered Nismo-branded sports seats. There's also plenty of red and suede trim on show, and a special Nismo driving mode which sharpens up the car for more enthusiastic driving and produces a special sound that's said to be evocative of Nissan's electric Formula E racing cars.

Key rivals for the Ariya Nismo are the Volkswagen ID.5 GTX and Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, and it will arrive in Japan in the spring. Nissan, however, hasn't confirmed if the car will arrive in Europe soon after.

Nismo model gets a raft of styling tweaks to mark it out as the hot Ariya