Author: Zhang Yi

At long last! The ES7 from NIO, which was originally scheduled to be released in mid-April, was delayed due to the Shanghai epidemic, but finally made its debut on June 15th. However, what’s impressive is that not only did the ES7 make its debut at the event, but also a trailer named “Xiao Fang Che”!

Currently in NIO’s car lineup, there is the ES8 starting at ¥478,000 and the ES6 starting at ¥368,000. The standard range version of the ES7 starts at ¥468,000, and the long-range version starts at ¥526,000, with the first edition of the ES7 starting at ¥548,000 and the BaaS scheme starting at ¥420,000 (all prices pre-subsidy).

It seems that the ES7 has not filled the gap between the ES8 and ES6, as the name suggests. So what does the arrival of the ES7 mean for NIO’s lineup?

Reinforced Exterior Impression

NIO’s familial design has already penetrated deeply into people’s hearts. Without any explanation, one look at the headlights of the ES7 is enough to distinguish it as a brand new product from NIO.

However, in comparison to the ES8 and ES6, the front of the ES7 is closer to the eT7 and eT5. The air intake grille has been lowered, and the closed front face gives the ES7 a more three-dimensional and light-shadow effect. Instead of the large chrome-plating on the front face of the ES8, the ES7 looks more minimalist and streamlined.

At the same time, similar to the eT7 and eT5, the top of the ES7 also uses a three-cornered design with 8 million pixel vision sensors on the left and right sides and a 1550nm lidar in the middle. However, this design, which is trying to balance technology and aesthetics, might result in a more pronounced polarization between users who like it and those who don’t.

After looking at the front, let’s take a look at the side. The ES7’s top and bottom colors have a golden ratio, creating a floating feeling for the roof and making the ES7’s 4912mm *1987mm *1720mm size extra light and agile compared to other mid-sized SUVs. Additionally, the side skirt line is sharp at both ends and diffuse in the middle, creating a visual tension of blooming. Moreover, the ES7 comes standard with an intelligent frameless electronic suction door and a hidden induction door handle, giving the side a natural and integrated feel.

The eye-catching feature of ES7’s tail lights is the Air Wing tail light, which is unique to ES7 and not found in any other NIO SUV. It looks like a pair of wings waiting to take off at the rear of the ES7. Internally, ES7’s tail lights use diamond carving technology and have 202 high-density arranged LED lights, presenting very delicate effects. Furthermore, both ends gradually narrow towards the middle, creating a gradient effect, and when lit at night, it is believed to have high recognition.

After “blind men and the elephant,” let’s return to the whole picture. ES7 is different from other SUVs, providing a feeling of delicacy and refinement rather than a rough and sporty one.

In terms of details, ES7 also achieves the optimal solution wherever possible. For example, the rounded shape of the roof radar has been repeatedly adjusted by the NIO team to reduce the impact on the vehicle’s aerodynamic drag. It is precisely because of the NIO team’s attention to detail that ES7’s drag coefficient reached 0.263.

Therefore, ES7 does not stop at surface-level family design but incorporates NIO’s unique design thinking and exclusive considerations into the details, raising the overall level of the NIO model matrix’s styling and design.

Breaking the Boundaries of Sight, Hearing, Touch, and Smell

In NIO’s view, as automated driving technology continues to mature, users’ driving time will be greatly reduced, and their attention will be shifted to other parts of the car. Therefore, the user experience in the cabin will gradually shift from driving communication between people and cars to sensory and spiritual experience between humans and machines.

Based on this, ES7 is equipped with HUD, a 10.2-inch HDR instrument panel, and a 12.8-inch AMOLED central control screen, as well as a multifunctional control screen in the rear row for visual experience. At the same time, it is also equipped with the world’s first car-mounted artificial intelligence system NOMI, which not only accurately locates sound and recognizes instructions but also has emotional interaction with users through expressions.

In addition, the ES7’s cabin space is enclosed and equipped with a 256-color waterfall atmosphere light, creating a romantic space exclusively for users. Eight places in the cabin use renewable rattan wood with special textures, which looks simple and beautiful while retaining a delicate and smooth touch, embodying NIO’s concept of creating a second living room for users.

Furthermore, in terms of visual experience, ES7 gives the feeling of being “big”! With a wheelbase of 2960mm, the legroom in the front seat of ES7 is 1050mm, and the front passenger seat is 1107mm, with the rear seat space at 981mm. Users can change their sitting posture freely no matter where they are in the car, just like on a sofa at home.

ES7 features Dolby Atmos panoramic sound technology as standard across its entire range, with 23 top-quality acoustic speakers, 20 outputs and 1000W power output, delivering the perfect presentation for every rhythm, note and instrument sound in music, delivering purest music into the ears of users and creating a immersive listening experience.

In terms of tactile experience, ES7 uses high rebound double-layer foam on the seat cushion and backrest, offering clear support and wrapping sensation to users when they sit on it. ES7 is equipped with two types of seats: one made of Haptex synthetic leather, which is not only comfortable but also has the characteristics of multiple pores, low density and sound absorption, promoting the quietness of the cabin; the other made of Nappa leather tanned with the world’s first application of B-GREEN coffee bean shell, not only ensuring the breathability of the seats, but also eliminating 100% of heavy metals such as formaldehyde, acid and chromium.

In addition, ES7 features seat heating, ventilation, massage, 14-way electric adjustment and seat memory as standard across its entire range. The driver’s seat also has a 60mm roller blind cushion extension. The rear seats support 6-way electric adjustment, 23°-31° backrest adjustment, and standard heating and seat soothing. Both front and rear seats of ES7 allow users to sit in any position in the car, maximizing the comfort and freedom of users in the car.

However, there is still an inconvenient problem! The large space in the rear seats and the 6.6-inch rear control screen form a stark contrast. When users lie on the rear seats, it is not convenient to look at or use the control screen, and the sitting position needs to be adjusted greatly in order to touch the control screen, which inevitably reduces the luxury experience a bit.

Next is the olfactory experience. When it comes to olfactory experience, it is natural to talk about the unique fragrance systems of each car. Admittedly, ES7 uses fresher and more natural natural synthetic fragrances, and can intelligently voice control the fragrance concentration. However, what we should see more is that ES7 tends to use natural materials to the maximum extent in both the surface and interior of the interior, minimizing the discomfort caused by the odor produced by chemical substances for users.

When users are in the cabin, because every part of the senses is taken care of, the ultimate feeling that users experience is the comprehensive riding experience that is weighted by sight, hearing, touch, and smell. Direct to the heart through the senses!

Keeping Smart and PowerfulIn the intelligent cockpit system, the ES7 also adopts the Banyan·Ficus system, just like the eT7 and eT5, which is different from Nio’s Alder·Populus and Aspen·P. tremula by its remarkable AR/VR application.

Wearing the exclusive ES7 AR glasses, users can see an equivalent 201-inch large screen projected at a distance of 6 meters, which is like turning the outdoors into the user’s private cinema when combined with the aforementioned sound system. If this function can be successfully implemented, it will be a major breakthrough for Nio in outdoor scenarios.

Removing the AR glasses, let’s go back to the cabin. In addition to the intelligent emotional voice interaction and supercomputing power commonly touted by intelligent cars, ES7 also brings users a more warm-hearted feature – child interaction. ES7’s NOMI can not only interact with adults in a rational way, but also engage in some non-linear and more emotional interactions with children. For family users, this will be a very interesting point.

In terms of intelligent driving, the stacking of sensors is naturally indispensable. ES7 has 33 high-performance sensors that generate 8G of data per second, and with the support of NIO Adam’s 1016TOPS total computing power, it can identify pedestrians on the road more clearly and accurately; avoid sudden obstacles; and deal with complex driving scenarios. It can achieve automatic driving more safely and reliably in some limited scenarios, such as high-speed, urban areas, parking, and battery swapping.

Regarding driving performance, ES7 has four characteristics: fast acceleration, good braking, stable handling, and precise control.

Firstly, it has fast acceleration, with a 0-100km/h time of 3.9 seconds. Nio vehicles can be said to flow high-performance blood with the EP9 that set the record at the Nurburgring. In the ES7, the front 180kW permanent magnet motor is paired with a rear 300kW induction motor, with a maximum power of 480kW and a peak torque of 850N·m. Its fast acceleration performance is far ahead of other models in the same class.Next comes the ability to brake effectively. With an acceleration of 3.9 seconds for 0-100km/h, it is crucial to be able to brake efficiently in order to ensure the safety of users who enjoy driving fast. The ES7 series comes standard with Brembo four-piston fixed calipers, 355mm ventilated brake discs and high-performance NAO friction pads, allowing the ES7 to achieve a braking distance of only 33.9 meters for 0-100km/h, effectively controlling the ES7’s powerful acceleration.

Furthermore, the ES7 is designed for stable driving. Equipped with front double-wishbone and rear H-Arm multi-link suspension, the ES7 ensures precise steering and stable passage. In addition, the ES7 series comes standard with air suspension with a height adjustment range of 90mm and a total of 5 gears that can be adjusted to adapt to different scenarios.

Lastly, the ES7’s IDB integrated dynamic braking system provides users with a more linear and precise sense of control by detecting the amount of pressure the user applies on the pedal and directly driving the braking system with electronic signals. Additionally, different driving modes can provide users with just the right pedal feel to reduce driving fatigue.

Make the Boundary Visible

When the ES7 slowly appeared on stage holding a small trailer at the launch event, Li Bin’s surprise had the desired effect.

The ES7 is one of the first passenger cars certified to legally tow a trailer on the road. A sturdy towing hook not only connects the camper traveling between heaven and earth but also ignites the romantic imagination of many users about outdoor activities.

Since the rise of new energy vehicles, we often hear descriptions of cars as “a second home.” Before the ES7, however, the concept of a “second home” was more like a wishful thinking of manufacturers, and in the minds of users, the car remained just a means of transportation.

But with the ES7, the boundary of the home has finally been expanded and visible to users.

However, there is always a flip side to everything. The practical issue of towing a trailer for outdoor adventures is still a reality that needs to be faced.The ES7, equipped with a 74kWh battery, has a range of 485km, and with a 100kWh battery, the range increases to 620km. We all know that the current range is overrated, and pulling a trailer will likely have a significant impact on the actual range, which is lower than the above figures.

In this regard, NIO still needs to analyze the relevant data for users to refer to, so that they can more confidently tow a trailer and embark on an outdoor journey.

Electric power has something to say

NIO has launched the ES7, directly targeting the BMW X5L. Although the ES7 surpasses the X5L in many aspects, for users who like fuel-powered vehicles and those who prefer new energy vehicles, the driving experience represented by the ES7 and X5L are two completely incomparable fields.

However, the ES7 breaks through the boundaries of sight, hearing, touch, and smell in terms of sensory experience, and further expands the range of home and outdoor activities in terms of space. This is an experience that the X5L cannot bring to users.

For users, the ES7 further transcends the attributes of a driving tool and integrates into various aspects of life, providing more comprehensive services for their sophisticated spiritual world and convenient material world.

On August 28, the ES7 will be officially delivered. By then, whether the above experience can be transformed into good user experience will be revealed. However, whether users are willing to pay for the ES7 or not, NIO’s exquisite and high-end brand image has once again been elevated by the ES7!

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.