Skip advert
Advertisement

New 2023 Nio ET5 Touring: 482bhp electric estate revealed

Chinese firm Nio presents its answer to the electric estate car, with up to 482bhp and a chassis designed to take on Europe’s best

With the insatiable market demand for electric SUVs and crossovers, we’ve barely scratched the surface of battery-powered estate cars in these early days of electrification. Sure, there’s the MG5 and the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo, but more mainstream manufacturers are yet to make waves in the sector, and Chinese brand Nio is aiming to fill that void with an electric estate of its own: the ET5 Touring.  

Advertisement - Article continues below

Based on the BMW i4-sized ET5 saloon, the Touring will hit the roads towards the end of this year to target European buyers. It won’t be available in the UK initially, but given the appetite for estate cars on our shores there’s every chance it might be in future, particularly if it wins over customers elsewhere. With a promising set of specs and a chassis tailored for European roads, it could do just that.

The ET5 Touring rides on Nio’s bespoke NT2.0 electric car platform, featuring a dual-motor powertrain for sports-car-baiting performance. With a 201bhp motor driving the front axle and a 281bhp unit at the rear, the ET5 Touring generates a total of 482bhp and sprints from 0 to 62mph in 4 seconds – within a whisker of the BMW i4 M50, and quicker than a Porsche 911 Carrera.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Advertisement - Article continues below

Nio offers two battery options with the ET5 Touring, both of which are relatively large to accommodate the energy demands of the motors. The smaller 75kWh unit provides up to 270 miles of range, while the 100kWh model extends this to 348 miles, and these figures are possible thanks in part to the Touring’s competitive 0.25 drag coefficient. The battery pack is removable too, with Nio’s innovative Power Swap service allowing users to install a fully charged unit in less than five minutes, rather than plugging in. Power Swap stations hardly exist in Europe for the time being, though. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

The packaging constraints of EVs bring certain compromises in practicality, and the ET5 Touring’s 450-litre boot falls 50 litres short of an equivalent petrol-powered BMW 3-series Touring. Nevertheless, the Nio’s battery layout enables a 50:50 weight distribution and a low centre of gravity, and the firm promises ‘sharp handling and composure’ having carried out the model’s development programme in Europe. 

The ET5 Touring offers an advanced tech suite powered by an NVIDIA chipset, which supplements the car’s driving assistance features and onboard LiDAR sensor. Inside, there’s a 10.2-inch digital dash set behind the steering wheel, with a larger 12.8-inch portrait touchscreen mounted to the centre console and providing media controls, climate settings and navigation. The decluttered, button-free design is reminiscent of other EVs such as the Tesla Model 3, but Nio has given the ET5 Touring its own flavour with composite material finishes and its ‘Nomi’ virtual assistant, which sits on the dashboard as an animated face that responds to the driver’s requests. A quirky touch in a resolutely sensible sector.  

We don’t yet know how much the ET5 Touring will cost, but the saloon version is priced from €59,500 (£50,800) in Germany, with the 100kWh model costing €68,500 (£58,500). Expect the estate version to command between €2-3000 more.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

The Volkswagen ID.GTI could be the hot hatch that changes everything
Volkswagen ID GTI Concept N24
News

The Volkswagen ID.GTI could be the hot hatch that changes everything

The ID.GTI Concept previews a future compact electric hot hatch, and we've taken a look at the 2025 Nürburgring 24 Hours
1 Jul 2025
Kia EV6 GT 2025 review – Hyundai Ioniq 5 N parts make for a genuinely fun EV
Kia EV6 GT
Reviews

Kia EV6 GT 2025 review – Hyundai Ioniq 5 N parts make for a genuinely fun EV

Kia’s EV6 GT has gained some Ioniq 5 N-esque toys and the results are compelling
19 Jun 2025
Skoda Elroq vRS 2025 review – a sheep in sheep’s clothing
Skoda Elroq vRS – front
Reviews

Skoda Elroq vRS 2025 review – a sheep in sheep’s clothing

The swiftest-accelerating Skoda yet is an excellent electric family car but lacks excitement to back up its vRS badge
16 Jun 2025
The Alpine A390 is France’s answer to the Porsche Macan
Alpine A390
News

The Alpine A390 is France’s answer to the Porsche Macan

A battery-powered Porsche Macan rival with an emphasis on driving dynamics is the second model in Alpine’s EV offensive, and its made its debut at Le …
13 Jun 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Honda Civic Type R for £5k off – save 10 per cent on the ultimate hot hatch
Honda Civic Type R deal
News

Honda Civic Type R for £5k off – save 10 per cent on the ultimate hot hatch

The Civic Type R is not long for this world and there are deals to be had on Honda’s pricey but near-perfect hot hatch
26 Jun 2025
Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?
Lotus factory
Opinion

Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?

Lotus’s latest troubles are grabbing headlines, but the writing’s been on the wall for some time.
28 Jun 2025
Iconic cars of the 1990s driven, from Renault Clio 16v to Ferrari 355 – car pictures of the week
evo eras 1990s
Features

Iconic cars of the 1990s driven, from Renault Clio 16v to Ferrari 355 – car pictures of the week

In the latest issue of evo magazine, we go back to the 1990s on the finest Welsh roads with a selection of iconic youngtimers
27 Jun 2025