The NIO ES9 is NIO's latest luxury flagship, positioned directly against the Range Rover in China, where Land Rover still has no fully electric option in its lineup. Reviewer Elliot Richards from Everything Electric APAC walks through the car in detail.
At 5.3 meters long, over 2 meters wide, and 1.87 meters tall, the ES9 is a large vehicle by any measure. What makes it unusual is its drag coefficient: 0.264, the same figure achieved by the BMW i8 supercar, despite having a dramatically larger frontal area. That number is a result of careful surface design that minimizes turbulence at the roofline, around the mirrors, and along the flanks. The 23-inch alloy wheels are standard fitment, with tire replacement running roughly £500 per corner.
The exterior integrates 31 hidden sensors as part of the Aquilla suite, which includes lidar radar units concealed behind body panels. Running boards extend automatically when a door opens and retract when it closes, wider at the rear for easier entry. The electronic doors close with a single finger touch.
The rear cabin is where NIO allocated most of its budget. Zero-gravity seats feature 42 massage points and 67 ways to adjust. A foot massager is built into the footrest in front of the rear seat. Between the rear seats sits a fridge, a personal safe, a drinks holder, and a center console table with an inbuilt mirror and a light that tracks its position when the seat moves. Two 16-inch OLED screens support video calls, entertainment, and seat controls. Sound comes from 47 speakers producing 4,630 watts total, with diamond-coated tweeters on some trim levels.
The side windows are electrochromic and can be tinted in sections using controls on the door panel. You can darken just the top portion, just the bottom, or create a diagonal divide, visible from inside while remaining opaque from the street. The panoramic roof uses standard manual slides rather than electrochromic glass. The boot offers 600 liters with the false floor in place.
Drive-by-wire carries over from NIO's ET9 flagship. The ES9 slots below the ET9 (priced above $100,000) in NIO's lineup and is aimed at a broader audience. A European launch is likely if pricing strategy holds. If the direction Chinese EVs have taken over the past two years is any indication of where the next five are headed, this is a reasonable place to start looking.