I test drove the ET7 in Harbin on March 13 – a car whose features I knew inside out but had never experienced before.
Firstly, it is worth noting that a brief test drive may not necessarily be an accurate representation of long-term use. There may be significant disparities between the two experiences as daily use is context-dependent.
This article is divided into three sections: design, performance, and a highly subjective comparison.
Design
The design section is further divided into exterior and interior design, the car’s onboard computer, the static driving experience (including seat acoustics/air conditioning) and small details.
Tall and Thick Exterior
The test car we received was equipped with 20-inch wheels with extended range, with a grey paint job – the paint quality was good with no noticeable orange peel.
Here’s an aside. In my opinion, the deep blue color of the car pairs well with either these wheels or 21-inch wheels, while the green color would benefit from 20-inch multi-spoke wheels.
Perhaps due to the color, this car looks less elongated than the car in the official website pictures. Instead, it appears to be tall and thick. That is the only aspect that was not quite satisfactory, but the plentiful headroom in the back seats made up for it. After all, electric cars require a battery pack under the car.
Controversial Interior
Firstly, after three or four test drives, the white interior remained clean. The staff informed us that the interior had a dirt-resistant coating, and it was not advisable to wipe it with alcohol.
It’s worth noting that when I brought a pen and a notebook inside the car, the staff suggested that I keep the pen put away. Perhaps this indicates that white interiors are quite delicate. Though I think white is the best-looking interior, as it can best show the grain of the wood, and the ambient light reflection is optimal.
The controversial aspect of the ET7’s interior design is whether it follows a minimalist style or the Tesla prototype style. Initially, I was opposed to the latter, but after the test drive, I came to appreciate this point with abstract reasoning: the ET7 and Model 3 designs make the screen too prominent, which gives off a sense of simplicity.
For me, I prefer the interior design of the Range Rover or the Ideal One due to the split screen design, which reduces the prominence of the screens and makes operation clearer and more comfortable. The leather used on the screens also elevates the luxury element.
Of course, this design is not suitable for sedan cars, but it does prove that the excessive prominence of screens has negative consequences, as the ET7’s screen is small with high visibility and needs to achieve the same amount of work as three screens (16.2 inches, 12.3 inches, 10.1 inches) in a total of 38.6 inches.
One reason for this small screen is NIO’s high centre console design that impedes the screen from extending downwards, though this design does make room for a gear lever that I really like.
Bugs and Details
One major bug is the lack of a sunshade for the sunroof which could make the back seat unbearable on a summer afternoon.In the end, it can be affirmed that the craftsmanship of NIO is unmatched by Tesla. From the unique and elegant ambient lighting to the window buttons (levers) that are beautifully designed but still not user-friendly, from the classic gear lever to the exquisite steering wheel, everything tells you that this is a great car.
Infotainment
Compared with the products of other traditional car companies, the Infotainment of NIO is very convenient. However, compared with the ideal system, there is still some learning curve. After all, it cannot be split-screen or have all functions on one page, but it is still satisfactory.
The test car is at firmware version 070, and the fluency is not very high but it is usable. The 360-degree camera for reversing is very good, and the transparent chassis image is also good. Unfortunately, nomi is not available, and the noise from the nomi motor is still a bit loud.
During the test drive, I encountered a situation where the window was delayed and stuck. I was a bit confused and wanted to ask if the Infotainment system is in charge of this. Also, someone asked if the speed of the window could change with force, the answer is no and unnecessary.
Static Sitting Experience
First of all, the design of the headrest is very good and the support for the head is very suitable. However, the lumbar support for the front and rear seats is not enough. The rear seats are slightly softer than the front seats and quite comfortable.
The seat configuration is relatively high, with enough intensity in the massage function, and it would be even better if it could massage the shoulders. I really like the Back Comfort System for the rear seats, but it is a pity that the rear seats cannot be adjusted.
Space
Just to mention one point, the headroom in the rear seats is extremely spacious. As long as you look up, you can see the sky without any sense of oppression. You cannot see the side or rear ceiling. Wonderful!
There are some flaws, such as the front passenger seat occupying a space as large as the glove box, although it doesn’t have one. Also, the lower part of the rear seats still cannot accommodate feet. The trunk space is slightly small.
Acoustic Environment
The sound insulation of this car is good, and the sound system configuration is in place. The official demo is very good, but we lack support for Dolby sound sources. One small question, can the Dolby sound source of Apple Music be played on the car via Bluetooth? That would be great.
After listening to the demo, listening to California Hotel sounds normal, the sound field is not wide enough, but the sound of the tweeter is clearer. It feels that further adjustments are needed, and the bass part was not tested due to forgetfulness.
Air Conditioning
One word, fast.
I love the air conditioning of electric cars, especially the air conditioning of the ET7.
Performance
The performance section can be divided into the power section, the handling section, and the dynamic riding section.
Power and Energy Consumption
We conducted an acceleration test on a flat and open road. As for the description of the feeling of acceleration for electric cars, everyone has a similar feeling, so there is no need to go into detail. What attracted my attention was that after full throttle for a certain period of time, fellow reminded us that the speed has reached 170km/h – I still thought the speed was only 120-130km/h. This smoothness and contrast between speed and acceleration can only be experienced in high-end cars like the Bentley / Rolls-Royce. But the most obvious, still, is the NIO ET7.
The ultra-long battery life tire is quite slippery. The first half second of acceleration is all skidding…
Harbin is still quite cold in early spring. On the day of test drive, the temperature reached minus 8 degrees Celsius. After a wild run, our average power consumption was around 22, while the ES8 could reach 27-30 power consumption during the test drive. I also checked the average power consumption of this car for the past month, which is about 17. It seems that sedans are different.
I don’t want to talk too much about power consumption because there are always people arguing. As a test driver, no one can control variables such as wheel hubs, tire pressure, temperature, and load. However, based on these few days of performance, the ET7 is still quite power-saving.
Handling and Braking/Energy Recovery Calibration
When driving the ET7, the author performed several high-speed lane changes and rapid U-turns. The suspension is obviously harder in Sports+ mode, but the lateral suspension support is still somewhat lacking. Although I can feel the CDC’s intervention, the intensity can be greater instead of the current “hard but not completely hard” uncomfortable state.
At the same time, the author is looking forward to the 4D chassis under the combination of LIDAR. In a quick right turn, the left front wheel pressed against a raised surface, causing the entire left front side of the chassis to feel like it was going to bounce up. The author can only continue to look forward to the improvement of its function.
The ET7’s kinetic energy recovery and brake pedal feel are very satisfactory. The energy recovery of gears one and two is very similar to that of a human driver’s brake and basically eliminates the drag sensation. The brake is also more linear, and the electric power-assisted brake is well tuned.
Dynamic riding experience, this needs to be explained in detail.
Initial evaluation: basically satisfied, consistent with the value, still looking forward to the 4D chassis.
When passing through continuous bumps quickly, the response of the ET7’s suspension is very good. In comfort mode, the road feeling is very slight, and the shock absorption is quite aggressive. It feels like driving a mid-to-large-size executive car.
The overall body of the car is very strong but resilient. How to explain this sentence? It means that the suspension and body will not sink or oscillate back and forth with a clanging sound. They are balanced very well between these two extremes.
In Sports mode, the road feeling is obviously stronger, without the sense of isolation from the road, and the suspension becomes harder. However, as mentioned above, there is still the feeling of “hard but not completely hard” … … This is also the reason why I am looking forward to the 4D chassis, which can prevent it from bouncing up when encountering large bumps, and further increase the hardness to enhance support.
As an aside, whether the LIDAR is really magical and can detect the road surface in front of the car for several meters is still open to question.
How to evaluate the quality of a chassis? I think it is still judged based on personal preferences. A sentence like “high-end feel” or “resilience” is not enough to evaluate. I hope everyone can try it out personally, compare it by themselves instead of following the crowd blindly.# Comparison from a Highly Subjective Perspective
I have not test driven the Jiqu XK001, thus this section will be highly subjective and based on online reviews.
Why is the NIO ET7 priced over 140,000 yuan more expensive than the Jiqu XK001?
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The online videos show that the back seat of the ET7 is larger than that of the Jiqu XK001,
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The audio hardware on the ET7 is more luxurious,
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The ET7 has NOP driving capability and utilizes a top-rated autonomous driving chip,
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The ET7 has a complete charging and battery replacement system,
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The ET7 has better comfort configurations,
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The ET7 is more energy-efficient.
In today’s transparent electric vehicle market, I personally do not think these differences are worth 140,000 yuan.
In the gasoline era, a difference of 360,000 to 500,000 yuan was not a very large price difference. Even the price difference between two cars of the same series can be greater, with only different engines, a few comfort configurations, and exterior accessories.
You could only grit your teeth and accept such a large price difference. The essence of it all is that the engine is monopolistic and you do not really know how much it is worth. You just know it is expensive and you have no choice.
In the electric vehicle era, things are very different. The BYD Han, Model 3P, and Jiqu XK001 have shown us that cheap cars can also have dual motors and accelerate quickly.
At this time, high-end electric vehicles lost their monopoly capital. Some electric vehicles use battery replacement as a moat (I believe the battery replacement function is only worth around 45,000 yuan, not more), while others use more aggressive parameters, even going so far as to use three motors to break into the market. But they can no longer boldly open the price gap like gasoline vehicles did in the past.
Therefore, consumers are likely to give up a series of comfort and autonomous driving configurations in favor of the unbeatable cost performance of the Jiqu XK001. NIO’s situation remains perilous.
By the way, it should be noted that most household cars promoted by their chassis did not fare well, as they did not meet people’s demands for comfort and soft suspension. However, with the adjustability of suspensions today, we hope that a varied driving experience and comfortable riding experience will be created through cars like the NIO ET7. Unlike the Old 866, the NIO ET7’s chassis is completely self-developed, which means there will be more upgrades and larger improvements in the future.
To sum up, I am confident driving this car, and it is quite comfortable to ride in, with excellent power delivery and smoothness. On the one hand, it benefitted from the electric power, and on the other hand, it saw the progress of the NIO chassis.But it is undeniable that compared to the competitor set by NIO — 56E, ET7 is quite outstanding. As for benchmarking against BMW7, there is still a slight gap in space…
Hope that domestic cars can improve, and hope that outstanding representatives of domestic pure electric vehicles can sell well.
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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.