Nio will also introduce battery-swap stations in the UK to allow owners to change their batteries in around five minutes, giving the brand a useful unique selling point if it can install a decent-sized network.
Based on the ET5 saloon, the estate offers 64 more litres of boot space, at 450 litres with the seats up and 1300 litres with the 40/20/40-split folding seats down. A further 42 litres of underfloor storage is available. This makes it larger than the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, but smaller than the current BMW 5 Series Touring on which the i5 Touring is based.
Inside, it gets a dimming and lengthened panoramic sunroof, which, the firm says, protects occupants against 99.99% of UV rays and blocks 80% of the sun’s heat. A 23-speaker Dolby sound system and 14-way ventilated and massaging front seats are optional extras. Over-the-air updates also feature, which allow safety and driver assistance systems (of which there are 23 as standard) to be bought and downloaded.
Nio’s second-generation NT2.0 infotainment system brings a digital cockpit with a 10.2in display for the instrument cluster and 12.8in central display. Incorporated into it is Nomi, the firm’s AI-based virtual assistant, which also features on the ES8 SUV.
Elsewhere inside, the firm has included “thoughtful solutions” to increase the car’s storage and practicality, including magnetic straps from which occupants can hang bags, easy-to-clean fabrics and a removable torch.