Joining the electrified ET5 saloon that is already on sale in a few select European countries, Chinese premium brand Nio has added the upmarket ET5 Touring estate and EL6 SUV to its European model range, as the manufacturer sets its sights on growing its sales across the continent.
Specialising in electric vehicles (EVs), Nio is already up and running in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. The manufacturer hasn’t explicitly stated its intentions for the British market as of yet, but Nio’s three-model range is expected to arrive in the UK sometime next year, as the fledgling marque sets its sights on expanding its sales to 25 countries and regions around the world by 2025.
Built on the same foundations, the ET5 and EL6 have a similar exterior design that features slim headlights on a grille-less front end that is framed by pronounced air intakes on either side of the front bumper. With a wheelbase length of 2.9 metres, the ET5 is a similar size to the BMW i4, while the large EL6 is directly comparable to the likes of the BMW iX.
Provided that it does eventually make its way to the UK, the ET5 Touring will join a slim field of all-electric estate cars available on the British market, which consists of the mainstream MG 5 and luxury Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo.
Inside, both Nio models feature a cockpit layout with a raised centre console and armrest that separates the driver and front passenger. The brand has kept the interior design simple, with most functions controlled using the floating 13-inch infotainment screen.
Targeting upmarket rivals like BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, Nio says that comfort is a key priority for the brand, and so both models come with electronically-adjustable front seats with three-zone heating, ventilation and a massage function.
Opening the ET5 Touring’s motorised boot lid reveals 450 litres of boot space, with a further 42 litres of underfloor storage space. Dropping the rear seats ups the load space to 1,300 litres. With camping and roadtrips in mind, Nio has installed two magnetic straps, two storage nets, a pair of hooks and a portable flashlight in the boot area.
The larger EL6 offers 668 litres of boot space, which extends to 1,430 litres with the rear seats folded.
Both cars come with a large panoramic sunroof that can be dimmed to protect against UV rays and prevent the cabin from heating up.
The EL5 Touring and EL6 make use of the same 360kW dual-motor all-wheel drivetrain. Both models produce up to 483hp, but the estate can accelerate from 0-62mph in four seconds flat, while the SUV can reportedly muster a 0-62mph sprint time of 4.5 seconds.
With no firm plans for a UK rollout on the table as of yet, UK pricing for the ET5 range and EL6 is currently unknown. The ET5 Touring is currently priced at €60k in Germany (around £51k), while prices for the EL6 start at €66k (£56k).
While standing out in an increasingly competitive luxury EV sector will be no easy feat for the Chinese marque – a sector currently led by the likes of Tesla – Nio’s battery swap service could prove to be a unique perk that turns heads. Already in operation in Norway, the scheme allows Nio drivers to swap their partially-depleted battery for a new one.
