Stare and wonder, this is not an SUV! You might have gotten the feeling that cars other than SUVs and crossovers aren’t even being produced these days – and you’re not entirely wrong. But sometimes a white crow appears in the form of the Nia ET5 Touring, one of the few electric station wagons on the market (actually there are only three, the cheaper MG5 and the hot new VW ID.7 Tourer).
Photo: Lukáš Kukla, Garáž.cz
The Nio ET5 Touring is a very nice car with sophisticated aerodynamics (embellished with retractable handles and frameless door windows), the value of the drag coefficient is thus only 0.25. This means not only lower consumption and a longer range, but also lower noise levels.
But the ET5 Touring is not a typical shoe box on wheels, rather it looks like an elegantly sporty shooting brake, so you can enjoy the handy practicality (we are talking about a trunk with a basic volume of 450 liters, which can be expanded up to 1,300 liters by folding the rear backrests) in style. In addition, it has a very unsophisticated style (you don’t see many cars of the Nio brand on Czech roads yet), so you will enjoy a lot of attention everywhere.
Photo: Lukáš Kukla, Garáž.cz
The trunk has electric contactless opening, the basic volume of 450 liters can be expanded by folding the backrests (divided 40 : 20 : 40) up to 1,300 liters.
At the same time, you don’t lose all the advantages of an SUV, because thanks to the batteries in the floor, you sit behind the wheel a little higher than usual, so getting in and out is noticeably easier, and you also have a better view through the low hood. At the same time, you don’t feel like you’re sitting “on a car” when driving – you easily connect with it and have complete control over it, so you can throw yourself into corners quite boldly and you don’t even have to spare it on the straights when you have a herd under your right foot at your command 490 horsepower (with the certainty of four-wheel drive), which will shoot you to 100 in just four seconds.
But take it more like you always have a sufficient power reserve, the Nio ET5 is tuned more like a family cruiser. It’s actually quite a luxurious family cruiser, because the minimalistic interior hides surprisingly outrageous equipment – electric door closers, leather seats with heating, ventilation and massage, ambient lighting with the option of choosing from 256 colors or an audio system with 23 speakers and a power of 1000 W (with Dolby Atmos and Dirac Pro algorithms).
Photo: Lukáš Kukla, Garáž.cz
The minimalist interior is very reminiscent of a Tesla, but the processing and equipment are a class higher and can confidently compete with the European competition. Another advantage over the Tesla Model 3/Y is that the 12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen complements the 10.2-inch instrument cluster.
Hey where’s my Nomi?!
The personal voice assistant Nomi with its cheerfully animated and moving head is a unique element of Nio cars that will delight children and adults alike. However, it costs 750 euros (converted to 19,000 crowns), so many owners can only get by with its “intangible” digital version (the panel in the middle of the dashboard, which can also do color animations).
Photo: Lukáš Kukla
The Nomi voice assistant can take two forms: On the left, the basic Halo version represented by a surface with color effects located on the top of the dashboard, on the right, the additional Mate with a moving and animated “head”.
So you can have a real disco inside while driving or enjoy the amazing silence and peace together with the smooth and comfortable ride typical of every electric car. It is also a matter of course that it is easy to drive with an adjustable level of recuperation (unfortunately only via a menu hidden deep in the infotainment system) and facilitated by a package of driving assistants (which, however, would need a little more tuning so that, for example, the adaptive cruise control does not catch cars in turning lanes).
Photo: Lukáš Kukla, Garáž.cz
Radar, 12 ultrasonic sensors, seven cameras with ultra-high resolution and LiDAR (laser radar) – the Nia’s sensory equipment is exceptionally wide, but the functioning of the driving assistants still needs a bit of tuning.
How far will it go?
The Nio offers only one power option (two electric motors with a total output of 490 hp and 700 Nm), but you can choose from two batteries. Basic with LFP chemistry (lithium-iron-phosphate) with a capacity of 75 (usable 70.5 kWh) enabling a range of 435 km per charge (charging with a power of up to 140 kW).
Alternatively, you can pay approx. 220,000 extra for a larger 100 kWh (usable 90 kWh) battery with NMC chemistry (lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese) and a range of up to 560 km (charging with up to 180 kW).
Photo: Nio
In its home country of China and Western Europe, Nio has built a network of exchange stations, where in a few minutes you can exchange a dead battery for a charged one.
In Western European markets, the battery can even be rented from the car manufacturer for a monthly fee. There is also a network of exchange stations throughout Europe (they will replace your empty battery with a fully charged one in a few minutes), so you don’t have to delay charging at all. Currently, however, there are only 30 of them, and none of them are on the territory of the Czech Republic.
The Nio ET5 Touring is thus a very pleasant companion for everyday driving and long journeys, offering pampering comfort and solid practicality. And you don’t have to worry about the Chinese origin at all, because it is processed at the European level and leaves Tesla far behind.
Photo: Lukáš Kukla, Garáž.cz
Unfortunately, also in terms of price, because on the Czech market you can buy it from an individual importer, the Prague company Cario, for some 1.6 million. The rival of the Nia ET5 Touring is not the Tesla Model 3 or the Model Y, but the recently introduced VW ID.7 Tourer.
Just to be sure, let us remind you that Nio cars are subject to the standard three- (for the basic model), or a five-year factory warranty and you get a standard 8-year / 160,000 km warranty on the batteries. The service is carried out through foreign partners and the official assistance of the car company Nio.
Technical data Engine 2× synchronous electric motor Power 360 kW (490 hp) Torque 700 Nm Transmission permanent reduction gear All four wheel drive Curb weight 2 265 kg Acceleration 0-100 km/h 4.0 s Maximum speed 200 km/h Range 440 km Battery capacity 75 kWh (usable 70.5 kWh) Charging AC 11 kW, DC 140 kW Wheels and tires 245/45 R19 Dimensions (length/width/height) 4,790/1,960/1,499 mm Wheelbase 2,888 mm Boot volume 450/1,300 l
2024-02-27 04:00:00
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