A very ambitious Chinese model
The NIO ES6 is the third car from the Chinese brand NIO. It is an all-electric mid-size 5-door 5-seater crossover coupe 4.8 meters long, with very powerful engines with an output of up to 536 hp in the strongest configuration package. This is an interesting and attractive car, but do you know what other cars is it going to compete with? Well, the Audi e-Tron, Mercedes-Benz EQC, Jaguar I-Pace, and Tesla Model X! This is very ambitious, considering that the brand has barely spent 5 years on its domestic market… It is a pity that there is not so much known about the ES6 to draw conclusions about the validity of its ambitions, but we still know something and we will share these details with you. Do not forget to give your opinion below.
Design
The 2018/2019 Nio ES6 looks impressive. It is strong and dynamic, swift and aggressive. It even looks a little like a Porsche, or even a Lamborghini Urus! But, as is often, but rather always, the case with Chinese cars, it lacks something. Either the roof is too rounded and slick, reminiscent of a bald head, or the rear end is pretentious, but not graceful… Hard to say, but the design is certainly cool, albeit not premium. But cool. And we also have to complain to Citroen for the fact that NIO uses a very similar logo, especially when you look from afar. For how much longer?! NIO is already listed on the New York Stock Exchange, so it has enough money for a whole team of world top designers. Can you really not invent something original? Or was it intended?
Power package
The new Nio ES6 is available with a 70 or 84 kWh battery, which provides a driving range of up to 510 km (according to NIO’s own data) in the most powerful configuration. The powertrain consists of two 240 kW permanent magnet motors (output of the magnets is 160 kW) with a total output of 536 hp, capable of accelerating a car weighing 2,345 kg to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds, which is a very, very decent result.
Interior
The interior of the 2019/2020 Nio ES6 resembles any Tesla’s interior. It is modest, but elegant. The car looks decent. Plus, it has everything any modern electric car needs, including:
- infotainment system with the ability to connect 12 speakers with surround sound system;
- 3-zone automatic climate control;
- 4-, 6- and 8-way adjustable seats;
- function of identification and greeting of the driver;
- 4-way electrically adjustable steering wheel;
- keyless entry;
- glass fully protected against ultraviolet radiation of the car and many more cool things.
The visual center of the interior is a giant touchscreen, and there is also a touchscreen monitor on the dashboard. The steering wheel is of a standard shape, but with a slightly truncated bottom edge. The interior is well-lighted, boasting a panoramic roof with an area of 2 sq. m that will not let you fall asleep, even if you want to. The trunk volume reaches 1.4 cubic meters.
By the way, the ES6 comes with the software developed by NIO. Options can be controlled using a voice assistant named Nomi in the form of a small robot head, so you will have someone to talk to along the way. This robot, however, is an authoritarian personality. For example, if the driver or passenger does not fasten their seat belts, it reproachfully looks DIRECTLY IN THE EYES and promises to send a Terminator or something like that. On the other hand, the robot is not devoid of humor, and when the music is turned on, it begins to play along with the rhythm with its virtual maracas.
Safety
There is still not so much information about the safety of the 2021 Nio ES6 design. The platform is new and has not yet been tested. These are all big drawbacks for a new car. But the set of safety options is diverse, including a 360-degree panoramic camera, anti-lock braking system, automatic emergency braking, automatic parking, anti-rollover system, body stabilization system, a full set of airbags and curtains.
