Alongside the new ET5 Touring, Nio has unveiled its latest SUV, called the EL6. It’s a premium SUV with pure-electric power and taking on the likes of the Audi Q8 e-tron and Mercedes EQE.
Chinese brand Nio hasn’t disclosed its intentions for the UK market, but we expect the EL6 and the ET5 in saloon and estate form to arrive here some time in 2024. We’ve already driven the new ET5 and the EL6 will share the same EV architecture.
It’s also clear the EL6 shares plenty of the ET5’s design. The EL6 carries over much of the ES6’s exterior style, with slim headlights and a flush grille area an obvious trait of Nio’s cars. There’s smooth surfacing throughout and pull-out door handles, but the EL6’s bodystyle is that of a traditional SUV. At 4,854mm long, 1,995mm wide and with a height of 1,703mm, the EL6 is comparable in size to the BMW iX.
On the inside there’s a clear evolution of the layout found in the old ES6. There’s a large central touchscreen, a new driver’s display and a head-up display, but overall it’s a minimal design with a small amount of physical switches. Nio says the glass sunroof is the largest in its class providing an opening of one square metre. Nio also says comfort has been a priority with the EL6; the 20-way adjustable seats were developed in-house and feature three-zone heating, ventilation and various massaging functions.
Alongside a comfortable ride, the EL6 features flexible storage space with a three-layer trunk offering a maximum volume of 668 litres. The rear seats can be split and folded in a 40/20/40 layout, generating further storage space up to 1,430 litres.
Sitting on the same architecture as the ET5, the EL6 uses a dual-motor four-wheel-drive system with a 100kW battery sending power to both axles resulting in 483bhp and 700Nm of torque. The 0-62mph sprint is covered in 4.5 seconds – half a second slower than the ET5 Touring.
The EL6 comes with nine driving modes, varying from a comfort-oriented approach to a sportier drive. There’s damping control which can electronically make up to 500 adjustments per second and braking force can also be automatically adjusted for the environment.
UK sales haven’t been finalised yet, but the Chinese brand could make a stir in the EV sector by offering battery-swap infrastructure to reduce charging waits – technology the firm has already rolled out in Europe.
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