Author: CH_Han
The ET7, which has been all the rage on the Internet, is indeed amazing!
In the past few days, I have received both good and bad news about the NIO ET7.
First, the bad news, due to the pandemic, the test drive at the track in Ningbo has been postponed. It’s so disappointing that I have to delay my wish of driving the ET7 on a track again.
Fortunately, I also received good news. As an ET7 pre-order customer, I have the opportunity to have a test drive at the dealership in advance.
As the experience time is relatively short, I cannot give a detailed introduction of this car in all aspects. In this video, we will only chat about my experience with dynamic driving and the interior part, which I focus on. Let’s leave other parts for the next official media test drive.
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Dynamic Driving
The first surprise: it’s very easy to drive. Although the ET7 has a vehicle length of up to 5.1 meters and a width nearly 2 meters, it’s not bulky to drive at all. The turning radius is significantly smaller than that of the ES6. The car has good responsiveness when turning and changing lanes. Driving in the city gives a very relaxed feeling.
The second surprise: the chassis is very advanced. The tuning of the air suspension is excellent–whether passing speed bumps or changing lanes quickly, the chassis has no unnecessary shaking. The ride comfort level is the same as that of the BMW 5 series long-wheelbase version, but with better sport performance.
The third surprise: the kinetic recovery is very well-tuned. It brings a more gradual and closer feeling to the deceleration when the driver steps on the brake. When you release the accelerator pedal, the deceleration “g” value gradually increases, making you think there is no kinetic recovery, but in fact the car slows down quickly.
Apart from that, the NIO ET7 does not have any apparent shortcomings in power, steering, or sound insulation.
The accelerator pedal feels almost identical to that of the ES6 and ES8, with strong and controllable power. The official 0-100km/h acceleration time is 3.8 seconds. The steering isolates the road feel with delicate damping, providing a comfortable driving experience without too much sportiness. The overall sound insulation is excellent, comparable to that of the BMW 5 Series, although there may be some tire noise entering the cabin due to the use of 20-inch wheels. In addition, a faint humming sound can be heard from the front motor during sudden acceleration.
All in all, driving the ET7 is great – it’s easy, sophisticated and not boring.
Interior
The first surprise is the excellent interior quality. As soon as you sit inside, the white interior of the test drive car offers a sense of luxury, with materials that are both attractive and tactile for visual and tactile enjoyment. In particular, the rattan wood in the car looks fresh and uncommon, with rough and uneven textures that feel good to the touch.
The second surprise is the excellent sound system. With 1000W of power, 23 speakers and Dolby panoramic sound as standard, it is definitely a top-of-the-line configuration. In fact, playing the 7.1.4 channel music prepared by NIO gave me goosebumps. In terms of surround sound, it should be better than the Bowers & Wilkins system on Volvo cars.
The third surprise is the comfortable seats. They are noticeably softer than those of the previous model. The front seats are equipped with electric leg rests, with all four seats except for the middle rear seat having massage functions that offer five levels of intensity. The interior of the ET7 is spacious, and three colleagues who sat in the back felt the seats were comfortable with no uncomfortable seating positions.
Drawbacks
The infotainment system of the test drive car we experienced was a bit laggy, and some parts of the vehicle were not well-made. For example, the leather on the seats was wrapped too loosely, making it prone to wrinkles. However, since the test drive car in the dealership is not yet in mass production, we will have to wait and see if these two issues will be resolved in the mass-produced version.
In addition, the trunk space of the NIO ET7 is not particularly spacious among C-class sedans. The electronic components, such as the speaker under the floor, affect the opening of the trunk and the available height. Also, the backrest of the rear seats cannot be folded down, and the convenience of trunk storage is average.
Overall, the NIO ET7 did not disappoint us, and it is definitely another masterpiece of high-end car models from Chinese brands. Although the pre-subsidy starting price is as high as 448,000 RMB, it is definitely worth the price.
Hopefully, the pandemic will improve soon so that we can test drive it again, especially on the racetrack.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.