For size, price and performance, the EL6 fits perfectly into the center of the newcomer Nio brand. We have already tried it.
With a length of 4.85 meters, the Nio EL6 is located between the Nio ET5 sedan (4.79 meters) and the EL7 SUV (4.91 meters).
Design
Aesthetically and technologically, all Nio models are very similar. With a smooth front, recessed door handles and a sloping rear with a roof spoiler, the EL6 also follows the latest design trend for electric cars.
Typical of Nio are the sensors mounted very visibly around the vehicle, and especially striking is the protuberance on the roof, which always reminds a little of an English taxi sign, and in some ways is quite nice.
The interior is also designed clearly and simply. It’s amazing how this company, founded in 2014, has quickly found its own style. It is true that the general design always reminds us of the Tesla model, but everything is done with care in the details and arranged with quite good taste.
Cabin
The instrument panel – which as is known does not exist in Tesla – provides a lot of information, the 12.8-inch central touch screen is used, as usual, to control (almost) all functions. So, for example, the mirrors and steering wheel are also adjusted via the menu and then with the buttons on the steering wheel.
The test car did not come with Nomi Mate (pictured) – the cheerful, constantly flashing face on the dashboard. It’s nice to know that the additional price for this can actually be saved, especially since the system itself – Hello Nomi – has learned noticeably compared to the latest Nio models, reacting more intelligently and calmly than before.
Space in the front is adequate, perhaps not as generous as would be expected given the car’s dimensions. The seats, in the ventilated and massaging test car, are wide and adjustable in many directions, but not especially contoured.
In the spacious rear seat, you sit very comfortably on pleasant padding. The fairly flat trunk has a capacity of 579 to 1,430 liters; It is not excessively large, Nio does not include a front compartment, and the payload is 428 kilograms.
Ingo Barenschee / AUTO BILD
Engine and behavior
The EL6 is powered by two electric motors, one at the front with 204 HP and another at the rear with 286, for a total of 490 HP. The test Nio achieved a standard 0-100 km/h acceleration in 4.1 seconds, reaching a top speed of 200 km/h. It accelerates strongly up to 160 km/h, but then it slows down.
The electrical system is easily controllable, with adjustable recovery, but only through the menu. Only there is the transmission’s neutral mode found, not on the shift lever. And the single pedal mode is missing until stopping.
Ingo Barenschee / AUTO BILD
Speaking of which: to stop from 100 km/h, the Nio needed 37.7 meters in the test; There are better ones in this class. Plus, the pedal feel is soft and spongy.
The steering also has room for improvement, responding with a delay, being unresponsive and barely providing feedback. The Nio is designed primarily for comfort, absorbing long undulations in the asphalt with ease, but being a little harsh over short bumps with its 20-inch wheels.
Factors to decide the purchase
The EL6 fits perfectly into Nio’s product range. With a clean design, complete equipment and good quality of adjustments and materials. The autonomy of almost 400 kilometers is correct. In general it is a product that complies, but here and there it still needs a little polishing.