Nio’s 697-HP ES9 Wants A Seat At The Luxury SUV Table
by AutoExpert | 28 May, 2026
Nio is no longer acting like a startup trying to prove itself. With the new ES9, the Chinese brand is going straight after the upper end of the luxury SUV market, and honestly, the specs alone make it hard to ignore.
The ES9 is enormous. At over 211 inches long with a wheelbase stretching nearly 128 inches, it sits firmly in full-size luxury SUV territory. Underneath, every version uses a 900-volt electrical architecture paired with a 102 kWh CATL battery and dual electric motors producing a combined 697 hp.
That’s enough to shove this giant SUV to 62 mph in 4.3 seconds, while range varies between 360 and 385 miles depending on the trim. Of course, the big Nio ES9's talking point remains battery swapping. Instead of waiting around at a charger, the ES9 can swap its entire battery pack in roughly three minutes at one of Nio’s dedicated stations.
Buyers in China can also choose the company’s battery subscription model, lowering the starting price to 390,000 yuan ($57,500). Purchasing the SUV outright with the battery included starts at 498,000 yuan ($73,500), which still feels surprisingly competitive considering the size and equipment on offer.
The exterior design stays fairly restrained by modern Chinese EV standards. You get slim split headlights, clean body lines, a full-width rear light bar, and massive 23-inch wheels, but the real focus is clearly the cabin. Inside, the ES9 feels more like a luxury lounge than a traditional SUV.
A giant 48-inch display stretches across the dashboard alongside a 15.6-inch infotainment screen and a large head-up display.
The second row is where Nio really flexes, though. Rear passengers get reclining captain’s chairs with massage functions, fold-out footrests, entertainment screens, a panoramic roof, and a 47-speaker audio system. There’s even a 42-point massage setup that feels more like a spa treatment than a car feature.
A few years ago, buyers looking for this kind of luxury experience almost automatically went German. Cars like the ES9 are starting to challenge that assumption.
