Nio wants to expand its presence in Europe and other mature car markets and it’s creating the kinds of vehicles it thinks will do well. After the EL7, which is the firm’s answer to the Audi e-tron, now it’s revealed the EC7, which is a coupe-like version of the same model, a direct rival to the Audi e-tron Sportback.
The EC7 shares the EL7’s front end, but the greenhouse and rear section are different. In the back, it gets its own unique full-width light bar, as well as a pop-up spoiler that rises at speed. Nio says that it is in fact the world’s most aerodynamic SUV, with an impressive drag coefficient of 0.23 – for reference, a Tesla Model X, which was the previous slipperiest SUV has a drag coefficient of 0.24 in its latest version.
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Inside, the EC7 appears identical to the EL7, with a portrait style 12.8-inch infotainment screen, as well as Nio’s cute digital assistant called Nomi, which is AI-powered “to create a more personable, immersive user experience.”
The EC7 has the same dual-motor powertrain as the EL7, with a combined output of 644 horsepower (480 kW) and a peak torque rating of 626 pound-feet (850 Nm), enough to propel the vehicle to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.8 seconds (four tenths quicker than the EL7); top speed is limited to 124 mph (200 km/h).
It will be available with either a 75 kWh or 100 kWh battery pack, with the smaller pack giving a range of 304 miles (490 km) on the Chinese CLTC test cycle, which should translate into around 400 km WLTP. Nio also says it will offer a 150 kWh battery pack that will push the vehicle’s range to over 584 miles (940 km), but it isn’t available yet.
Notable features include a massive panoramic glass roof, three-zone climate control, front and rear heated seats and a 23-speaker premium audio system.
In China, the base Nio EC7 with the smallest battery costs the equivalent of around $70,000, while the 100 kWh pack-equipped vehicle costs just under $80,000. It is therefore slightly more expensive than the more practical EL7, and this price difference will remain when the vehicles are sold outside the People’s Republic.
