These days, Nio unveiled its sixth product, the ES7, its first mid-size SUV based on the "big five-seater" concept and its first SUV since entering the NT2.0 era. It is priced at

- 75kWh: 468,000 RMB

- 100kWh: 526,000RMB

- 100kWh First Edition: 548,000 RMB

The ES7 means more to Nio than that, as it is also tasked with upgrading the Nio brand and competing head-to-head with more "traditional powerhouses".

Is it up to the task? Let's see if it has the product power to compete with the luxury brands in its class.

First Look of nio es7

 

The ES7 is a mid-size SUV with a length, width, and height of 4912mm/1987mm/1720mm and a wheelbase of 2960mm. The new design language reduces the fuel-like grille, leaving a large area of the front face "white" like the new generation electric cars, and further simplifying the elements.

 

 

The overhead LIDAR on the front windshield and front side cameras on both sides, and the three roof bumps are still distinctive features that identify the Nio NT2.0 model. The purpose of this design is to expand the field of view of the LIDAR, the lateral forward-facing cameras, and incidentally to give the LIDAR the ability to locate the car.

 

 

When you turn to the side, you may have a strong sense of resemblance - the lines at the front and rear wheel positions are so easy to confuse with the ES6! But with the adjustment of the roof trim and other details, the rear of the ES7 is visually more inclined and a bit more coupe SUV. By the way, the NT2.0 technology platform eliminates the onboard AC-DC inverter, so the left front fender no longer has a reserved AC charging port. The ES7 also features an 8-megapixel side-to-rear assisted driving camera on the plastic wheel brow.

 

 

Through-tail lights cover nearly the entire rear of the ES7 so that visually the ES7 appears wider than it is. A "shark fin" antenna on the roof integrates the rear-facing driver assistance camera and 5G communication module. Like the front, Niodesigners have simplified the lines and trimmed off the ES7's rear.

 

Aerodynamically optimized, the ES7 is a mid-size SUV that achieves a wind resistance of 0.263. For an SUV with a large frontal projection, every little reduction in wind resistance is reflected in a longer range.

 

About the Nio ES7's interior, smart cabin, and technology features

 

 

 

If we compare the cabin of the earliest "668" to the cabin of today's NT2.0 ES7, we will see that Nio has found its way to express the luxury atmosphere: fewer "physical" buttons, large areas of coffee bean-tanned leather, and recycled rattan wood. The car's luxurious feel is created by reducing the number of "entities" such as buttons and using coffee bean-tanned leather, renewable Barnwood veneers (sustainability is also an important aspect of luxury in today's context), and reflective ambient lighting. The design is a bit "Shy Tech", a style of Niocalls "second living room".

 

In terms of basic features, the Nio ES7 follows the ET7-like route of standard equipment. Even in the rear, the ES7 is equipped with air cushion seat massage, an 8-way power adjustment, and even a 2-way power adjustment for the center rear seat. The front row passengers can enjoy the 18-way power-adjustable seats and their ventilation, heating, and massage functions, and the passenger seat comes standard with Azera's signature "Queen's Co-Driver", which allows the passenger to "lie flat" quite comfortably.

 

 

The new powerhouse brand has recently started to roll in its audio-visual entertainment system, and the ES7 is equipped with a 7.1.4 stereo audio system with 23 speakers and 1000W amplifier power. And that's not all, ES7 owners can also connect AR/VR devices to their cars, combining the combined experience of the equivalent 201-inch screen and sound made possible by wearable devices.

Underpinning all of this is the NT2.0 platform electronics architecture and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 processor responsible for the Smart Cockpit domain, which enables the ES7 to support 5G mobile, Bluetooth 5.2, WiFi 6, and UWB communications, ensuring interconnectivity with a wide range of devices.

 

The fastest, the smartest Nio product

 

Before tonight, Nio's most powerful and fastest-accelerating SUV was the early version of the ES8, which had two asynchronous induction motors with a total power of 480kW and a 100km acceleration time of 4.4s. The ES7 has set a new record, with the same maximum power value of 480kW (653PS), but with a lighter body and a 100km acceleration time of 3.9s. --The ES7 is also the fastest SUV from Nio.

 

This figure is provided by a combination of a 180kW (245PS) permanent magnet synchronous motor up front and a 300kW (408PS) asynchronous induction motor in the rear. But the NT2.0 technology platform uses SiC (silicon carbide) high-voltage components, resulting in improved energy efficiency - 485km from a 75kWh battery, 620km from a 100kWh battery, and a 150kWh semi-solid-state battery that will take it to 930km in the fourth quarter of this year.

 

The ES7's body-in-white is made of aluminum and carbon fiber structural parts are added at key locations to give the car good torsional stiffness figures without adding too much weight. We refer to the ES6 data, which achieves an amazing 44,930Nm/deg in an SUV.

 

In terms of handling, the ES7 is also loaded - with brakes from BREMBO for 33.9m braking distance, electronically controlled damping, and air springs controlled by its own ICC body domain controller, the hardware specifications are quite high. Not long ago, it also unveiled its ICC body domain controller, which means these components are integrated into the vehicle's electronics system and henceforth have FOTA capability, bringing an updated driving experience at a frequency of about once every quarter.

 

Finally, the mid-size SUV has also received national approval for towing, allowing it to tow trailers of up to 2000kg. With the included hitch and the recently introduced external discharge device from Azera, as well as an on-board camping mode, the ES7 can support trips to the wilderness.

 

In August, Nio will deliver the first batch of ES7s to customers, making this mid-size SUV one of the fastest and most compact product rhythms from launch to delivery.

 

Of course, this segment of the market is also a big cake covered by many manufacturers, and soon there will be a large number of rivals with similar positioning, parameters, and configuration, competing with the ES7. We don't know the result yet, so let's keep an eye on the next development of ES7.