The new ES6 will be officially launched on May 24, with test drives available on the same day and deliveries starting on May 25, Nio said today.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
Nio (NYSE: NIO) will officially launch the new ES6 SUV in China next Wednesday, and deliveries will begin the next day, making it the fastest model from launch to delivery.
The new ES6 will be officially launched on May 24, with test drives available on the same day and deliveries starting on May 25, the company announced today on its mobile app.
The model is available for pre-order now, and consumers who pay a RMB 5,000 ($720) pre-order deposit before its official launch and convert those payments into a non-refundable deposit by July 31 will receive a Moon-themed exterior package and orange caliper worth RMB 8,000 and NOP+ two years free access worth RMB 9,120.
Nio has not announced any more information about the new ES6 based on its latest NT 2.0 platform, and its pricing is expected to be known on May 24.
It is not clear whether Nio will hold an offline launch of the new ES6 or whether the model will be launched only at an online event.
(Image credit: Nio)
Nio officially unveiled the 2023 ET7 sedan at a brief launch event on the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 18, and allowed an improved version of the ES6 SUV based on the NT 2.0 platform to make its debut.
The older ES6 based on the NT 1.0 platform was previously offered in three versions -- Sport, Performance and Signature -- with starting prices of RMB 386,000, 426,000 and 496,000 respectively.
On May 11, Nio asked its community for opinions on the pricing of the new ES6, and a questionnaire at the time offered six options: under RMB 368,000, RMB 368,000, RMB 378,000, RMB 338,000, RMB 398,000, and above RMB 398,000.
For Nio, the new ES6 will be a model of strategic importance, as it will be the least expensive of Nio's SUVs. The move underscores the high hopes it has for the model's sales prospects.
From January to August 2022, 32,877 units of the ES6 were delivered, contributing 46 percent of Nio's total deliveries of 71,556 units for the period, according to figures monitored by CnEVPost from the company and the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
The new ES6 is now widely seen as being powerfully equipped and competitively priced, which has sparked discontent among some owners who previously purchased the ES7 SUV.
Last month, several ES7 owners formed a WeChat group to collectively express their dissatisfaction that the upcoming new ES6 means Nio has betrayed them.
Nio's announcement today of the launch date for the new ES6 confirms a rumor from earlier this month.
Local auto industry media D1EV reported on May 4 that the new ES6 will be officially launched on May 24, and that show cars of the model will be available in Nio stores starting on the launch day.
Compared to the old ES6, the new model will retain only the Sport version, and the previously available higher-priced Performance and Signature versions have been optimized to become the new ES7 model currently on sale, the report said.
($1 = RMB 6.9582)
