TopGear just got off the new Nio ET5. Soon you will read our full test report; now the highlights.
Test object: Nio ET5
Location: Near Rotterdam
Weather conditions: Sunny with a fresh breeze
Hey, it’s been around longer, hasn’t it?
You are probably confused. This is the Nio ET5, which has just arrived in the Netherlands. The larger ET7 has been driving around here for a while. The Chinese brand copied the German competitors and also comes with cars that look very similar. Put the two Nio sedans side by side and the ET5 seems a bit more stocky; especially at the rear it is a bit more compact.
Not a bad look in itself…
Oh no? We also have surprisingly little to criticize on the interior. You would expect from such a young brand (the first cars appeared in China in 2018) that they still have some lessons to learn when it comes to build quality or ergonomics, but they have everything really well on track. The interior consists of beautiful materials, the screen works very fast and the lack of buttons is not very disturbing.
Only the seat may be a little lower and the spokes of the steering wheel a little less thick. Oh, and the rear window is very thin. Perhaps, like Polestar, they should omit the rear window and replace the interior mirror with a screen. There is also a glove box missing. There is a nice large glass roof and a happy voice assistant with the name Nomi on the dashboard.
How does it drive then?
Here too it is actually all surprisingly German; not particularly sporty or comfortable, but therefore very nice for the daily kilometers. The Nio ET5 does not have a buttery soft chassis like Mercedes’ electric sedans, but it is also not a rock-hard cornering monster. Due to the low center of gravity of an EV, you can go through the turns quite hard and stable anyway. The seat contributes to the comfort, although it could offer a little more lateral support.
Should you go for the Nio ET5?
You can lease the Nio ET5 through the boss, you can take out a subscription or you can buy the car and rent the battery. Or you buy the car and the battery. Especially if you are still a bit hesitant to get out of your Audi for an unknown Chinese brand, such a subscription is nice. You can cancel this after two months if you don’t like it.
Incidentally, the Nio ET5 is not a price fighter. The entry-level model costs more than 50,000 euros and then you have to buy the battery for 12,000 euros. For less you have a BMW i4 and for even less you also have a Hyundai Ioniq 6 or a Tesla Model 3. With many Chinese newcomers you would be crazy not to choose a model of the established order for the same money, but Nio knows we just don’t…
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