Skip advert
Advertisement

Ariel Nomad 2016 review

The Ariel Nomad is like nothing else out there, and we've been for a spin

Overall Auto Express rating

5.0

How we review cars
Find your Ariel Nomad
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

The Nomad, like the Atom before it, is a work of rare genius, no question about that. In many ways it’s even better to drive than it is to look at, managing to be softer and more liveable with, but still with the razor sharp responses that the Atom is famous for. Ultimately it’s a toy, but if you have the space to use it properly, it’s like nothing else out there.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Seeing the Ariel Nomad in the flesh for the first time is extraordinary, and it's impossible not to crack a smile. The brilliantly garish orange and black paintwork sits so well with the chunky pipework structure and you just think; I bet that thing's hilarious to drive.

And of course, you'd be right. On-road the Nomad is an absolute scream, thanks to its beefed-up suspension and chunky wheels but off-road, where it's been designed to go in the first place is even better still.

The name Nomad is a loose term referring to tribes who refuse to settle in one location. Instead they like to roam the world, travelling anywhere, at any time, and over pretty much any kind of terrain. So it’s the perfect name tag for the go-everywhere version of the now 19-year-old Ariel Atom.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

Qashqai

2018 Nissan

Qashqai

52,849 milesManualDiesel1.5L

Cash £10,900
View Qashqai
5008

2022 Peugeot

5008

46,225 milesManualDiesel1.5L

Cash £18,506
View 5008
Puma

2023 Ford

Puma

67,042 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash £12,506
View Puma
EQC

2023 Mercedes

EQC

21,307 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £26,000
View EQC

The key watchword for the Nomad is fun. This is not a car that many of us could claim to be desperately in need of, after all, but it is surely one that most of us would want to try at some stage during our lives.

In base form it costs £33,000 and comes fitted with a 2.4-litre, four cylinder Honda engine that produces 235bhp at 7200rpm and 300Nm at 4300rpm. That’s good enough to send the 670kg Nomad to 60mph in a scant 3.4sec, claims Ariel, and to 100mph in just 8.7sec. Top speed is a suitably realistic 125mph.

Power reaches the road via a six-speed manual gearbox, as per the regular Atom. But elsewhere the drivetrain has been strengthened, the springs and dampers heavily uprated, the body panels made more flexible, all in the name of increased dynamic versatility, be that on the road, the track or, better still, when buried deep in a forest.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The view forwards is much like that of the standard Atom, but in this case it feels even more military and, thanks to the optional new windscreen fitted to the test car, much more panoramic too. The roll cage dominates the front three quarter view but the clarity of vision, not just forwards but to the sides, is far better than in the regular Atom thanks to that screen.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

So what’s it like to drive, the Nomad? In a word, naughty. When the Honda engine catches at the press of a button, and the throttle response goes wap-wap, the last thing you feel like doing is clicking on the indicator to turn left out on to the public road. Where’s the nearest rally stage, you immediately wonder.

On road the Nomad’s ride is far more soothing and relaxed than that of the regular Atom because the suspension is that much softer. As standard, wheels are just 15 inches with chunky tyres but our car wore the optional (and deeply sexy) 18-inch rubber. The best part of the Nomad, though, is that it still feels very much like an Atom on the move. The steering still responds with the same sweet immediacy, the brakes still have the same delicious bite through the pedal, and the driving experience feels every bit as intense.

So it’s the same but different, in other words - harder edged visually but also friendlier and more approachable than the Atom on which it’s based. Which is why the order books are already full to bursting, and why the Nomad is yet another example of why Ariel continues to be one of the smartest small British sports car companies trading right now.

Skip advert
Advertisement

More reviews

Car group tests

New & used car deals

Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £38,140Avg. savings £3,019 off RRP*Used from £13,895
Audi A3

Audi A3

RRP £26,295Avg. savings £2,513 off RRP*Used from £5,500
Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £18,725Avg. savings £4,199 off RRP*Used from £15,337
Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

RRP £19,785Avg. savings £3,331 off RRP*Used from £9,600
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k
Kia PV5 Passenger - show front

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k

New entry into the electric people carrier market undercuts the VW ID. Buzz by a significant margin
News
29 Apr 2025
Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price
BMW X7 - front

Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price

German firm’s flagship SUV could never be called cheap but it is exceptional value at £735 a month – making it our Deal of the Day for Sunday 27 April
News
27 Apr 2025
New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645
Kia PV5 Cargo on display at Commercial Vehicle Show - front 3/4

New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645

All-new entry into the van market promises competitive pricing and comes with a range of up to 247 miles
News
30 Apr 2025