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NIO EL6 review: Can the premium SUV gain a foothold in Europe?

NIO EL6 featured image
Picture: TechnikNews
(Post picture: © 2024 TechnikNews)

We have already published several reports and videos about the Chinese manufacturer NIO. Now NIO has managed to break into the Audi Q6 E-Tron segment, albeit at a much lower price for more features. At least in theory, but has NIO listened to its customers and will they sell more vehicles in Europe in the future? We'll explain that to you in this test!

tl;dr: NIO listens to feedback like no one else?

During NIO EL7 performed very positively in our test, the price was relatively high and scratched the surface 100.000 Euro limitThe NIO EL6, on the other hand, is still on the NT 2.0 platform like the other vehicles, but brings with it a few improvements, also in the details, which have left a good impression. In terms of price, the EL6 at 53.500 euros (including 19% VAT), In addition, the large 100 kWh battery has 289 euros per month affordable battery rental, which also gives you access to the NIO Power Swap Stations. This is a big advantage, especially on long journeys, at least until the charging speeds take a little longer. The entire battery is swapped in just 3-5 minutes and you drive off the lot with 90% SoC. There really is no advantage for the combustion engine anymore.

If you buy the battery, however, you pay 21.000 euros extra. Then we would have a more realistic price of 74.500 euros (including 19% VAT). If we now want a fully electric trailer hitch as well as massage seats, a fragrance diffuser and ventilated and heated seats on all 4 seats, then even more is on the table. You also have to pay 700 euros extra for the funny NOMI Mate voice assistant. The prices for the additional options are limited, however; where we could book well over 10.000 euros in special options with other manufacturers, NIO tops out at a good 5000 euros. Overall, we get a fully equipped NIO EL6 to a total price of 79.500 euros (including 19% VAT)

The price is actually quite reasonable. You get better quality in some cases than from German premium manufacturers. If you rent the battery, you have the advantage of power swapping. The assistance systems are now really more than usable, especially the autonomous parking assistant works perfectly. The steering assistant also works exceptionally well. The rest of the software is smooth and does what you would expect from a high-tech vehicle. A lot has been improved here based on user feedback, hats off to NIO.

Video report:

Design: As always

NIO is known for its own design language, which is even made in Germany. If you didn't know, NIO vehicles have always been designed in Germany. There are rumors of former BMW and Audi designers, and you can see this in one place or another. In any case, the design now speaks for itself, and the EL6 is not spared from it either. The sensors and cameras called "Watch Tower" are enthroned on the roof, including the well-known LiDAR system, which uses laser technology to measure the environment and, in the best case, should offer better autonomous driving. This is now also actively integrated into the assistants, more on that later.

As already known, the design is rather unique, especially the thin daytime running lights, both front and rear, with dynamic indicators (Audi greetings). A continuous brake light and a hidden rear window wiper are also features of the EL6. In our opinion, it is a really nice design and it definitely doesn't look much smaller than the EL7. Nevertheless, it is noticeably shorter and doesn't protrude beyond the 5 meter mark.

We searched in vain for a frunk, although there would probably have been room given the size of the car. But this is not a problem. The trunk measures 579 liters It also offers a sufficiently large storage space, a small underbody for a charging cable, etc. And if necessary, the seats can be divided and folded down to create an almost flat floor, then you get a very lavish, 1.430 litres of storage space.

Interior: Sustainable feel-good atmosphere

The interior is very elegantly constructed, as with any other NIO vehicle, and we find a similar sustainable material mix as in the OIL ET5 or ET5 TouringUnfortunately, in this price range there is often too much piano lacquer in the interior, which NIO has completely banned from its vehicles, which we can only welcome.

In addition to the large display, which is mounted vertically above the center console, there is also a ventilated, wireless QI charger, the familiar selector lever and new buttons. These are responsible for the driving modes, the hazard warning lights and the central locking. Previously, there were larger buttons, but these have now been replaced by narrower ones, which also offer a good pressure point.

NOMI must not be missing in a NIO

The almost cult voice assistant, which you might already know from other NIO models, is called NOMI. By the way, translated from Chinese, that means something like "Know-Me". This is intended to represent the bond between the driver or the occupants of the vehicle and NOMI. Because NOMI is the central control element in every NIO. That's why we personally would always configure the NOMI-Mate for an additional charge. If you want something more simple, you can of course always go for the NOMI-Halo in the base version, same functions, but less emotion.

NOMI has meanwhile started System version Banyan 2.3.5 learned something new, in cooperation with Microsoft Azure, it takes up ChatGPT Basic Currently, it can run an automatically generated "daily report" when you get in. This means that if you synchronize your calendar, it can give you information about the route, or simply tell you the weather for your current location or destination, without you having to press anything.

Furthermore, in the future you will also be greeted personally by your own name. And otherwise the possibilities are actually limitless, but of course NIO is currently keeping the ChatGPT connection on a short leash. Because nobody wants NOMI to say any "weird things". According to NIO's own statement, you could upgrade to ChatGPT 4.0 if it ever comes to that. That is the power of over-the-air updates. As of now, however, you should rather curb your expectations, NOMI cannot tell complex stories like the ChatGPT online tool. But that is only a matter of time anyway.

The voice recognition has also become better and faster. Voice commands are understood correctly even if you pause for a moment or make a mistake. This of course enables a more natural interaction, which we welcome. If you don't want to use NOMI's childish, slightly anime-like voice, you can now select NOMI-Halo's voice in the NOMI menu, which is a little more grown-up and prosounds more professional. You can find more impressions of NOMI in our detailed Test of the NIO ET7.

Infotainment: Faster and better route planning

The loading route planning has been updated since the last time weprohave also gotten a bit better. We now have many filter options here, and the planned charging routes seem to make sense. And if there are power swap stations on the route, these are also diligently planned in to save time. You can search for POIs using NOMI, and now also using the Google database in the background so that you can find the right places. Images from Google are also shown, and you can even view them in full screen. Reviews directly from Google Maps are also shown, which is where NIO has clearly caught up.

The general map display also looks good in our eyes. The standard head-up display also allows you to see a little more through the windshield, and navigation instructions and assistance systems are displayed up-to-date. We would also like to see it possible to scroll through your Spotify or Tidal playlist, like in BMW, without having to look at the display in the middle. Augmented reality arrows would also be nice, but the HUD on the EL6 has become larger and you can read and see everything easily.

The operation is also very intuitive, there are real buttons on the steering wheel with a good pressure point. Relatively self-explanatory, you have to admit. The left side is responsible for the assistants or the adaptive cruise control, the right side takes care of calls and media control. If desired, the middle right button can also perform a desired function if pressed for a longer period of time; in our case, we opted for the 360-degree camera. Because we have everything you would expect from a car these days, and more, on board with every NIO.

Driving: Despite the lack of air suspension, very comfort-oriented

I was amazed when I left the first few kilometers in the EL6 behind me. The adaptive suspension, which is not an air suspension, does an astonishingly good job. I don't want to exaggerate here, but it is definitely on a BMW level, if not a bit better. Depending on the driving mode, the steering is either very artificial or light or heavy, such as in Sport mode. But we also have Sport+ mode, where this colossus of an SUV in good 4,5 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h sprints. You have to experience it first. In terms of driving technique, we always get an all-wheel drive system with the equivalent 490 PS. More than sufficient after we switched the Sport+ mode several timesproThe braked trailer load, however, is unfortunately rather secondary, just 1,2 tons can be drawn. We would have liked a little more.

From the rest of the driving behavior, we noticed that it handled corners well despite its size. We never had the feeling that we were not in control of the car for a second. This is not only ensured by the numerous assistants but also by the good tuning. If you need to go from 100 to 0 quickly, you can leave that to the sports brakes manufactured in cooperation with BREMBO, which can be optionally applied to the vehicle in an orange. The brakes engage firmly and safely and ensure very good grip. Thanks to the new “Smooth Stop Technology” Every stop at a stop sign or red light becomes a very comfortable experience, because the car does not stop abruptly, but rather glides to a stop when braking gently without jerking or shaking too much. In retrospect, we really liked that, and the passengers did too.

What's next?

NIO has been represented in Germany for a good two years now. What can we expect in Germany after the ET2, EL7, ET7 (Touring) and the new EL5? Of course, only NIO itself can know exactly, but we would like to give a brief preview of what could come. In China, NIO has already introduced its first "sub-brand" - imagine it like Skoda from Volkswagen. It is called "ONVO" and is now intended to offer a much cheaper entry into the NIO universe compared to the NIO vehicles themselves. The first model, which is due to roll off the production line in China at the end of this year, is called ONVO L6. It should start at around 60 euros, plus there is access to the existing NIO Power Swap stations and other advantages such as the good but very probably slightly adapted software that you already know from NIO.

NOMI, however, will probably continue to be reserved for NIO's own vehicles. But as long as another good voice control is installed, you can overlook it with a tear in your eye. There is currently no plan as to whether ONVO will also find its way to Germany or Europe. Since it is an SUV coupe, the market should certainly be there.

Project Firefly: The Rescue?

Sounding like a movie title, Project Firefly is probably the salvation for NIO in the global and European market. If you look at the registration figures, it quickly becomes clear that NIO is unfortunately not selling as many vehicles as probably planned. This is not because the vehicles are bad, but perhaps simply because no one really knows who NIO is. In our opinion, there is unfortunately too little marketing. They rely more on the face-to-face approach, or user to new user.

However, this only seems to work to a limited extent. Project Firefly is now set to change this in the coming year, i.e. 2025. The plan is to create a compact crossover car roughly the size of a VW T-Cross or a slightly taller VW Polo. To define the size class. The price is expected to be around the magical 25.000 euro mark, but mind you, these are all rumors and not based on official information.

We really hope that NIO can improve their sales figures in Europe with this. The technology is good, as is the software. You would like something that would be more suitable for the mass market. In any case, we are excited and look forward to following the further development of NIO in Europe with you.

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Dominic Lux

Dominik is 22 years old and very interested in new hardware for smartphones, as well as in the VR and AR area. He enjoys writing articles on these subjects. He has a fable for smartphones and gadgets, as well as electromobility. So he is currently busy writing in the new mobility department here TechnikNews.

Dominik has already written 133 articles and left 8 comments.

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