First Drive: Can the Nio EL6 rival European premium electric SUVs?

What is it?

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Welcome to another Chinese electric car brand that’s about to arrive on UK shores. Chinese powerhouse SAIC has been here for a while thanks to buying up the British MG brand over a decade ago, while in the past year, GWM Ora and BYD have both launched.

So far, all those brands have had varying degrees of success in the UK – what makes Nio any different? The firm will likely launch in Britain late next year and we’ve been behind the wheel of the car that’s tasked with wooing buyers away from the European premium brands.

What’s new?

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To make your mark in the fickle UK new car market you need a USP – and Nio certainly has that. On paper, its new EL6 SUV doesn’t have an especially remarkable driving range, but when the brand finally arrives in the UK in late 2024 owners will be able to take advantage of Nio’s world-famous battery-swap centres.

Aside from that rather unique proposition, it’ll take a Polestar-like approach to selling its vehicles and not have traditional car dealerships. Instead, ‘Nio Houses’ will be built in major cities and act as places to chill out in and to find out more about the brand. Nio is already selling its cars in Europe and offers a range of models, but for now, here in the UK, we’ll just get the EL6. It’s a five-seater electric SUV that has visions of stealing sales away from Mercedes-Benz and its EQE SUV and the forthcoming Audi Q6 e-tron.

What’s under the bonnet?

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Nio will offer the EL6 in two battery sizes, 75kWh and 100kWh, giving ranges of 252 and 329 miles respectively. The charging speed, meanwhile, is 182kW, meaning a 10 to 80% top-up will take 40 minutes.

At this point, you’ll probably be thinking that’s not all that impressive, but let’s return to those battery-swap stations. Located at the side of motorways and busy places, owners will be able to drive into one of these centres and swap an empty battery for a new one. A robot will perform the swap in under five minutes – about the same time it takes to fill a petrol car.

What’s it like to drive?

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No matter which battery you go for you’ll get 483bhp and 700Nm of torque fed through twin electric motors – one on each axle giving four-wheel drive – which equals a 0-60mph sprint time of just under 4.5 seconds. That sounds fast but, again, the on-paper stats don’t match up to real life. The EL6 feels a lot slower than those figures suggest – not in a bad way, we hasten to add, but while a Tesla Model Y will hurl you towards the horizon, the EL6 favours a more measured driving experience.

The steering is on the numb side, and show the EL6 a twisting set of corners and it’ll lean and roll its way through them. It’s not unpleasant by any means, but it’s a far cry from some other German premium electric SUVs. The easy-going nature is backed up with comfy suspension and almost eerie refinement – it’s deathly quiet inside when on the move.

How does it look?

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Nio may be a Chinese company but it has an engineering facility in the UK and it designs its cars in Munich, Germany. There’s a clear European look to the design – the lines are simple, crisp and sophisticated. But there’s no getting away from the humps in the roof.

These are for the LiDAR and driver assistance systems, and Nio’s CEO was very keen to show these off. When you’ve got some clever tech then why not make a thing of it? The trouble is, it makes the EL6 look rather like a Black Cab.

What’s it like inside?

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It’s inside where it’s clear Nio is trying to rival the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Audi, for the EL6 has an interior that is covered in plush materials. Everything feels very good to touch, and thanks to a massive glass roof (the largest in the class, according to Nio) the interior feels very light and spacious.

With such a minimalist look, the square-shaped 12.8-inch touchscreen rather dominates the interior. Sadly, the Tesla-like operating system is not all that easy to use with many simple features being buried away in menus. If you spend too long prodding the screen while driving the car will politely tell you to ‘pay attention’ to the road ahead. Also, there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto capability as Nio prefers its own system.

The AI-generated voice assistant is good, though. Called ‘Nomi’ it can do most basic tasks such as adjusting the climate control or turning on the massaging seats. Room in the back is good too with plenty of legroom, although the boot, at 579 to 1,430 litres, is just average.

What’s the spec like?

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Nio hasn’t confirmed a launch date in the UK yet alone agreed on the final specification of the EL6, but we do know the car will be arriving probably in late 2024 and will be extremely well equipped.

Features such as electrically adjustable and massaging seats will likely be standard equipment, along with wireless phone charging and the Nomi assistant, while lounge-like reclining seats, an electrically deployable towbar and, curiously, a ‘heated wiper bay’ will be on the options list.

Verdict

Prices will either make or break the EL6. If they’re competitive with European premium rivals, the EL6 could woo some buyers on account of its smart styling, plush interior and super-refined driving experience. Moreover, the EL6 could tempt some buyers who have disregarded an EV up to now on account of Nio’s battery-swapping tech.

Breaking into the UK market won’t be easy, but the EL6 has the right credentials to make an impact.