The Nio ET5 Touring is the Chinese Tesla rival’s first model developed for Europe, reflecting the region’s importance in the company’s sales strategy. The midsize electric wagon targets premium customers with a sleek design, high performance, and a decent driving range.
At a recent global media event, we got to experience both the Nio ET5 and the ET5 Touring, examining their design, features, comfort, quality, and other aspects in detail. Here’s what we think about Nio’s electric wagon from our experience:
Design
The Nio ET5 Touring features a minimalist exterior, in line with the brand’s reductive design philosophy. Expansive surfaces, flush integrated elements, and slim lighting elements are key to this theme.
At the front, the ET5 Touring has split headlamps with the signature double-dash DRLs at the top and the low- and high-beam lights positioned lower into the concave bumper. Its elongated roof integrates a LiDAR and two cameras in a watchtower layout at the front and gradually slopes, swiftly connecting to the rear spoiler.
A sleek glasshouse, pronounced fenders, a strong shoulder, 20-inch five-double spoke wheels, orange brake calipers, and a raked D-pillar add to the sporty look created by the sloping roofline.
The dynamic styling continues at the back with a diffuser-style bumper, concave bodywork, and a forward-leaning windscreen. The signature illumiBlade tail lamp spans across the width of the vehicle.
Interior
The low-profile theme continues inside. The dashboard has no buttons, switches, knobs, or any other physical controls, and seamlessly connects to the door panels, creating a wraparound look. Nio designers have concealed their air vents to maintain this clean appearance.
A 256-color ambient lighting system indirectly illuminates key areas of the dashboard and door panels, as well as the footwells. Nio’s in-car companion NOMI Mate sits in the centre of the top part of the dashboard. The panoramic glass roof covers an area of 1.35 m2 (14.53 ft2) and features electrochromic shading.
The front seats are 12-way electrically adjustable and come with massage, heating, and ventilation functions, as well as an extendable cushion. The rear seat also offers a heating function.
Experience in the Nio ET5 Touring
For tall drivers, entry into the ET5 variants requires care due to the low roofline, whether it is in the front or the rear. The exterior door handles are touch-sensitive, and the doors close with a soft-close action.
The cabin relies heavily on touchscreen operation and voice commands. Even the HVAC and steering-wheel adjustments are handled through the interface or by using NOMI, the in-car voice assistant, which I felt was unnecessarily complicated.
As expected in this body style, front-seat headroom is limited but workable for a six-footer even with the glass roof. The front seats include extendable cushions that provide strong under-thigh support. Back support is adequate, while shoulder support is only average due to the curved seatbacks.
The pedal box is spacious, accommodating my size 12 running shoes, and includes a comfortable dead pedal. Material quality feels premium throughout. Storage includes a charging pad, cupholders, a center console bin, and an additional lower compartment suitable for a small bag.
Outward visibility is limited by the low-slung body and roofline, but the rear quarter glass helps in the electric wagon. With the front seat set for a six-footer, rear knee room is available but the seating posture is slightly knee-up due to the raised floor.
Rear headroom is adequate for a six-footer, and the glass roof greatly improves the sense of light and openness in the second row, given the darker interior finish.
Rear amenities include rear air vents, a USB port, a fold-down armrest, and adjustable cupholders. The flat floor allows three-across seating, but shoulder width and comfort favor two adults over three, with three shorter occupants more realistic for shorter trips.
Specifications
The Nio ET5 Touring measures 4,790 mm (188.6 in.) in length, 1,960 mm (77.2 in.) in width, and 1,499 mm (59.0 in.) in height and has a 2,888 mm (113.7 in.) wheelbase. It offers 450 liters (15.9 cu. ft.) of cargo space, expandable to 1,300 liters (45.9 cu. ft.) by folding the rear seat.
Nio offers the ET5 Touring in Europe in a dual-motor AWD variant, with a 150 kW (201 hp) induction motor powering the front wheels and a 210 kW (282 hp) permanent magnet synchronous motor powering the rear wheels.
With 360 kW (483 hp) of total power and 700 Nm (516 lb.-ft.) of total torque, the electric wagon accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in four seconds flat. That said, it can only go up to 200 km/h (124 mph).
The ET5 Touring offers a maximum towing capacity of 1,400 kg (3,086 lbs.). Customers can configure it with a 75 kWh LFP battery pack or a 100 kWh NMC battery pack, which deliver a WLTP range of 435 kilometers (270 miles) and 560 kilometers (348 miles), respectively.
Price
In Germany, the Nio ET5 Touring retails at EUR 59,500 (USD 70,858) in the standard range variant and EUR 68,500 (USD 81,576) in the long-range variant.
Nio offers a BaaS (Battery-as-a-Service) option, in which customers need to pay EUR 47,500 (USD 56,568) up front for the car and a monthly subscription fee for the battery pack, set at EUR 169 (USD 201) for the 75 kWh unit and EUR 289 (USD 344) for the 100 kWh unit.
Nio is available in Mexico, but the brand is not on sale in the United States or Canada. Nio has signaled interest in entering the U.S. market, but regulations, tariffs, and broader geopolitical considerations have made the U.S. launch generally difficult for Chinese automakers.
An automobile engineer by training, I’ve analyzed the global car market since 2005, with a keen focus on EVs since 2008. My journey in online automotive publishing spans 17 years, during which I have reviewed cutting-edge automotive technologies and interviewed leading global CEOs and vehicle developers.
