NIO ES8 is a huge electric SUV that doubles as a walk-in wardrobe
We’ve not yet got confirmation that NIO is coming to the UK but the ES8 could be its flagship here
The new Firefly showed us NIO has what it takes to compete in the all-electric supermini sector when we drove it earlier this year, but the Chinese car company is sticking with its big guns too as shown by the new ES8 flagship SUV.
Officially launched this week at ‘NIO Day’, this third-generation ES8 is the largest model in NIO’s line up, measuring 5,280mm long, 2,010mm wide and 1,800mm tall. That makes it bigger than the Range Rover Electric, Volvo EX90 and the Kia EV9.
The ES8 hasn’t been confirmed for the UK just yet, although over in China it’s just gone on sale, lining up alongside NIO’s all-electric executive saloon - the ET9.
The ES8 is priced from 298,900 Yuan (roughly £31,000) in China, although that’s under NIO’s battery subscription service; to own the seven-seat ES8 (including the battery) outright costs 406,800 Yuan (roughly £42,000). In ‘Executive Premium Edition’ six-seater form it is up to 446,800 (around £46,000), and adds two captain’s armchairs in place of the middle row.
While you can’t yet buy a NIO in the UK, there are plenty of big electric SUVs to pick from on the Auto Express Find A Car service right now.
The wheelbase of the ES8 is more than three metres, which has allowed NIO to fit a large 100kWh battery in there. That means under the more lenient CLTC efficiency testing scheme, the ES8 can return almost 400 miles on a charge. Power goes to a dual-motor set-up that generates a combined 697bhp and 700Nm of torque, resulting in a sub four-second 0-62mph time.
The design of the ES8 is an evolution of the first-generation ES8 that we drove back in 2018, although the car’s size and its technological features have expanded since then. Tech such as automatically lowering suspension upon approach, a full-width infotainment bar across the dash, and a huge 15.6-inch central touchscreen in the middle all feature.
For a brand with premium aspirations, the interior of the ES8 looks suitably tidy with quilted upholstery, a Mercedes-like split-opening centre console and electric seats front and back. For rear passengers there’s also dimmable glass, a fridge large enough for six bottles, a 4.7 m² sunroof and a fold-down 21.4-inch display. There’s also a massive 777-litre boot and even a clothes rack to make it almost a walk-in wardrobe.
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