The first details of the new Nio ES9 surfaced in January, when the flagship electric SUV appeared in China’s regulatory filings.
Now Nio has officially pulled back the curtain on both the exterior and the cabin, giving a much clearer picture of what will become the brand’s new top SUV.
Nio has already confirmed an April 9 product and technology launch event, where the company will announce presale pricing and technical details.
Positioned as an executive luxury model, the ES9 is shaping up to be one of the most important vehicles in Nio’s lineup and, by sheer size, the largest fully electric SUV currently slated for sale in China.
A Flagship SUV With Real Presence
The ES9 follows Nio’s current design language, but everything about it has been scaled up to flagship proportions. Up front, it uses the company’s shark nose face with split headlamp units and projection-capable presale lighting.
Nio says the front lighting system supports multiple welcome effects, while the front fenders integrate wide-angle-capable lidar sensors with additional lighting elements. Together with the roof-mounted-angle lidar, 4D imaging radar, and camera suite, that hardware forms the basis of the ES9’s next-generation-mounted driver assistance system powered by Nio’s Shenji NX9031 chip.
Size is a major part of the story. The ES9 measures 211.2 inches long, 79.9 inches wide, and 73.6 inches tall, with a 128.0-inch-long wheelbase.
That makes it larger than Nio’s already huge ES8 and large enough for multiple Chinese outlets and Nio executives to describe it as the biggest electric SUV in China by size. Wheel choices will range from 21 to 23 inches depending on the version, reinforcing the model’s high-end version positioning.
The Cabin Pushes Hard Into Executive Luxury
The interior is where Nio makes its intentions especially clear. The ES9 uses a six-seat-end layout in a 2+2+2 configuration, with a wraparound dashboard design and a 15.6-inch-screen AMOLED center display running the SkyOS operating system.
Nio’s NOMI Mate 3.0 assistant remains part of the package, sitting prominently on top of the dash. For rear passengers, the ES9 adds two 14.5-inch entertainment screens and an 8-inch rear control screen, pushing the SUV deeper into executive transport territory rather than simply family SUV duty.
Materials and equipment are also aimed squarely at the luxury end of the market. Nappa leather, real wood trim, embroidered details, an in-car inch refrigerator, and electrochromic privacy glass for the rear passengers all point to a much richer cabin experience than what buyers normally expect in a three-row-car SUV.
Higher specification versions also bring second-row zero-gravity seats with heating, ventilation, massage, and deep-recline functions. Combined with the long wheelbase, that should give the ES9 a much more lounge-like feel than the average large crossover.
Big Battery, Big Power, And A More Advanced Platform
Under the skin, the ES9 uses Nio’s newer 900-volt architecture, which is one of the clearest signs that this is meant to be more than just a larger ES8. Power comes from a dual-motor all-wheel-drive layout with a 241 hp front motor and a 456 hp rear motor, for a combined output of 697 hp.
A 102 kWh battery pack is standard, and the SUV is rated for up to 385 miles of range on the Chinese CLTC cycle, with lower-range versions listed at 373 and 360 miles depending on configuration. Top speed is listed at 137 mph.
Nio has also tied the ES9 closely to the company’s newest technology stack. Reports from the official reveal point to features such as steer-by-wire and the SkyRide chassis system, both of which are meant to improve agility and ride quality in a vehicle this large. That matters because the ES9 is not being pitched as just another oversized luxury EV.
Nio is presenting it as the flagship expression of its current engineering direction, combining executive comfort, high-voltage architecture, and its most advanced software and chassis systems in one vehicle. With presale pricing due on April 9, the ES9 now looks ready to become one of the most closely watched premium EV launches in China this year.
This article originally appeared on Autorepublika.com and has been republished with permission by Guessing Headlights. AI-assisted translation was used, followed by human editing and review.