Strengthening the onslaught of EVs in the UAE is yet another Chinese electric carmaker, NIO. Anticipated to go shoulder-to-shoulder against BYD, the brand currently offers three models in our region, a sedan, a full-sized flagship SUV and the most stylish haute-couture currently, a coupe-SUV. The latter is christened ‘EC6’ which graces the roads with a tantalizing design and very clever technology that would prove nifty in the perfunctory life.
AESTHETICS
The EC6 follows the theme of minimalism like most premium electric counterparts. Front-end is characterized by a drooping hood with two trapezoidal sections that seam into the lighting compartment at their borders. Neatly executed LED DRL appliques draw attention.
The midriff is characterized by the smart looking flush type door handles and a rising shoulder line to make up for a beefy stance. Another hallmark of its design is an expansive panoramic glass roof that seamlessly blends with the rear glass area.
It is the rear from where the car appears the sportiest with a chunky LED light bar that runs across the width and a meaty skid plate that adds to its SUV pretensions. The dual-mode active spoiler arouses novelty for itself while being functional.
INTERIOR & FEATURES
A gaze at the NIO EC6’s interior will reveal that it is extremely futuristic, courtesy the materials used for the trim, function keys, storage spaces and seats. Elevating its aura is ambient lighting and an AI Bot on the dashboard for added convenience.
The EC6 has four interior themes which emulate earth’s natural elements and are called Onyx Black, Stream Blue, Red Loam and Stellar Violet. A special mention must be made about the extremely well contoured seats that offer 16-way power adjustment for the driver and 18-way power adjustment for the co-driver. For a truly tranquil experience, these seats also offer heating, ventilation and massage in a three-zone system encompassing the backrest, seat cushion and leg rest.
Being a coupe, the boot opening aperture is wide enough to stow 594-litres of cargo. However, with the rear seat row folded flat, the luggage volume expands to an enormous 1402-litres. This is not just a namesake SUV but one that can tow trailers weighing upto 1260 Kg. Even the roof rails provide a payload capacity of 75 Kg.
As one would expect, the NIO EC6 scores high on features with a 12.8” high resolution AMOLED center display that opens doors to a great amount of comfort. In fact, there’s also a 6.6” rear HDR Control Display which encapsulates functions such as rear air conditioning, seating position, heating, ventilation, massage for the rear seats and even the media player.
The AI Bot ‘NOMI’ allows for enhanced voice control to alter certain settings inside the car without having to take eyes off the road. Making life easier is a 9.3” head-up display unit which projects all the vital information to the driver and can be personalized in terms of appearance and resolution.
In addition to the 256-colour ambient lighting system where one can switch between 10 themes, the car also produces soothing rhythmic effects to create a scintillating atmosphere inside the car. The 7.1.4 surround sound system aims at delivering a melodious experience through 23 speakers that spout a combined audio output of 1000 watts.
The car doesn’t skimp on safety features as a great chunk of advanced driver assistance tech is present to include automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, active lane change and advanced park assist.
PERFORMANCE
The NIO EC6 comes powered by a 150 kW front motor and a 210 kW rear motor to achieve optimum balance between power and range. On the NEDC cycle, it can secure the feat of clocking an estimated 550 Km on single full charge while darting to 100 Km/h from a standstill in just 4.4 seconds. The car goes the extra mile to foresee road conditions and adjust its dampers. While braking, it adjusts the brake force to restrict inertia inside the cabin so that the occupants feel safe and comfortable.
Depending on the terrain and your requirement, there are nine driving modes to choose from – Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Custom, Sand, Snow, Wet and Trailer.
Price and Availability in UAE
While exact price figures for the UAE and GCC markets are yet to be known, the NIO EC6 price is estimated to start from AED 239,900.
In addition to its existing lineup, NIO is set to introduce the stylish coupe-SUV, the ‘EC6,’ which is expected to launch sometime next year.
On the whole, the NIO EC6 comes across as a unique contender in the fast evolving EV space. If priced right, it has all the bells and whistles to drive its success.
