Review – Nio ET5 Touring (2024)

EV offensive

Chinese car brand NIO introduced no less than five models in the Dutch market last year. In spring 2023, we were introduced to the ET5, a compact sports sedan that will compete with some familiar names in the electric segment, including the BMW i4, Polestar 2, Hyundai Ioniq 6, BYD Seal and, of course, the Tesla Model 3. Now there is the NIO ET5 Touring. It is a station wagon variant, which has considerably less competition. In fact, electric stations can still be counted on one hand: MG 5, Opel Astra Sports Tourer Electric, Peugeot E-308 SW and the Porsche Taycan Sport/Cross Turismo. These are also by no means all in the same price range.

490 hp

In terms of price and specifications, the NIO ET5 Touring is more on the side of the Porsche Taycan Sport and Cross Turismo. For example, it has 490 hp and 700 Nm of torque as standard, resulting in impressive acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4 seconds. You can’t do that with an MG 5. A handy little switch on the center console lets you quickly switch between driving modes. On the large screen in the center you can instantly read what the 0-100 time is in the various driving modes. In Sport+ mode, you shoot away at the stoplight in the aforementioned four seconds, but in Sport mode in just under six seconds.

Range and fast charging

There is no version with less than 490 hp of power. The NIO ET5 Touring does offer two battery options: 75 kWh with a range of 435 kilometers and 100 kWh with a range of 560 kilometers. We are testing the version with the “small” battery pack. With normal driving, you should expect a range of about 380 kilometers. If you put the car in Sport+ mode and pull the stones out of the street at every stoplight, count on a range of about 300 kilometers on a full battery.

load

The ET5 Touring can fast charge with 125 kW (75 kWh battery pack) or 180 kW (100 kWh battery pack). At least, that’s what the booklet says. In practice, the local Fastned fast charger regularly indicates that we are hitting 140 kW. Did NIO secretly update? In addition, the charging curve is quite favorable: it can maintain the high charging power for a long time. Are you really in a hurry? Then you can swap the entire battery pack at a Battery Swap station from NIO. There are now nine locations in the Netherlands where you can quickly change your dead battery for a full one: Dordrecht, Apeldoorn, Den Hoorn, Harmelen, Tilburg, Maastricht and Utrecht.

More luggage space

But why choose the Touring over the sedan? Simple: you get more storage space. Although that is disappointing in practice. In the rear, there is 450 liters of storage space. Not an excessive amount, then, for a station. But the ET5 Touring is also not made for a traditional family camping vacation on Lake Garda. For this model, design and style are key. Similar to Porsche’s approach, then. For a truly practical electric EV, you have to turn to Opel or Peugeot. But rest assured, totally impractical the ET5 Touring is by no means. If you fold down the bench, you have 1,300 liters and can store quite a few suitcases and bags. It can tow up to 1,400 kg, and the roof can hold skis and mountain bikes.

Lower seat

The interior, of course, is identical to that of the ET5 sedan. Although the front seats are positioned a bit lower and, thanks to the continuous roofline, there is a bit more headroom for passengers in the second row of seats. The materials – as with the sedan – are of a high standard. Everything you touch feels soft. The infotainment system has more than enough computing power and – despite the large list of menus and options – is fairly easy to operate.

What does the ET5 Touring cost?

The base version of the ET5 Touring, the one we tested, costs 64,000 euros. This version is already thick with stuff by default. For 51,900, there is the option of battery leasing, which involves paying a monthly fee for the battery. You pay 169 euros per month for the 75 kWh battery and 289 euros for the 100 kWh battery. For a fully equipped variant including the large battery you will pay 73,000 euros. The NIO ET5 Touring can be ordered through the NIO app, at the NIO House or on the website, and the brand now has eight bodyshops and five service locations in the Netherlands and 19 locations for minor maintenance and tire changes. In the video below, we tell you more about the driving experience in the ET5 Touring: