Order taking for the third-generation Nio ES8 has started in China, with pricing for the brand’s third-row SUV starting from 416,800 yuan (about RM244k). That price is for both the seven- and six-seat versions of the ES8, which are joined by a six-seat Signature Edition for 456,800 yuan (RM268k).
Buyers in China can also opt to get the ES8 through a battery rental programme which lowers the prices of each variant by 108,000 (RM63k). This will require a monthly fee to be paid to rent the battery, although the company is not revealing that figure for now.
Built on a 900-volt electrical architecture, the ES8 is currently only offered with a single powertrain that features a 102-kWh battery providing up to 635 km following the CLTC standard. The battery supports 5C charging rates of up to 600 kW, with a five-minute charge restoring up to 250 km of range.
All dual-motor, all-wheel drive setup is also standard, with the front electric motor delivering 245 PS (241 hp or 180 kW) and 300 Nm of torque, while the rear unit is rated at 462 PS (456 hp or 340 kW) and 400 Nm. Total system output is 707 PS (697 hp or 520 kW) and 700 Nm, enabling a 0-100 km/h time of 3.97 seconds.
The ES8 has a ground clearance of 165 mm and offers a maximum wading depth of 650 mm in case you’re tackling off-road terrain. There’s also dual-chamber air suspension with up to 50 mm of adjustability to make it easier to enter/exit the cabin or load items into the boot. Cargo space is 547 litres, expandable to 3,230 litres with the rear seats folded, and there’s a 230-litre frunk.
Compared to the previous ES8, the all-new model is substantially larger in size to now measure 5,280 mm (+181 mm), 2,010 mm wide (+21 mm), 1,800 mm tall (+50 mm) and with a wheelbase spanning 3,130 mm (+60 mm).
Design-wise, the latest ES8 adopts Nio’s ‘Design for Success’ design language with slim upper daytime running lights set above the main headlamps that have matrix LED technology. The SUV also gets 21-inch wheels, flush pop-out door handles, a roof-mounted LiDAR sensors and full-width taillights that is represented by a light bar featuring 600 LEDs.
Of course, the main attraction of the ES8 is its interior, which can be had with six (2-2-2) or seven (2-3-2) seats. The former has second-row seats that recline up to 151 degrees and come with heated leg rests, enabling a bedroom-like setup when the front seats are folded all the way down. A control panel in the boot also makes it easy to set the car up for loading cargo without having to go around to each seat to fold them down.
In terms of tech, there is a 48-inch ‘Skyline display’ that is essentially a corner-to-corner screen on the dashboard that serves as both a digital instrument cluster and front passenger display. Joining this is a 16.4-inch AMOLED infotainment touchscreen and a 38-inch head-up display with augmented reality.
Other items are dual wireless charging pads, five-zone climate control, fold-out tray tables behind the front seat backrests, a refrigerator, a 27-speaker sound system with 2,600 watts of amplification and Dolby Atmos support as well as a 21.4-inch ceiling-mounted display with 3K resolution for the rear passengers.
Those LiDAR sensors are part of a hardware suite linked to Nio’s Shenji NX9031 chip to enable a wide range of driver assistance features that part of the Nio World Model (NWM). NWM delivers enhanced experiences in parking assistance and point-to-point navigation-assisted driving, with the exterior mirrors sporting blue indicator lights to inform other drivers that the car is in self-driving mode. The company demonstrated this system in May this year, covering 39.3 km with zero takeover.
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