The nose is pointed, with 3 resolute air intakes/Walla system!, Rami Gilboa
Price:
NIS 429,000 for the test vehicle (NIS 344,000 for the base version)
Competitors:
Tesla 3 Long Range, Hyundai Ioniq 6, BMW i4
We liked:
exterior design and passenger compartment, engine performance, technology, driving range
We didn't like:
price , loading rate, human engineering
Score:
8/10
Like that lion struggling to maintain its territory in the African savannah, this is how Tesla looks around, tired of years of struggle against all those who came to oust her from her royal position.
There is no doubt that Elon Musk brought the electric revolution to the world, but competitors from all over the planet are nipping at his heels.
European luxury manufacturers offer better branding and capabilities, unknown manufacturers from China bombard with engines with hundreds of horsepower, and now also come the highest level of refinement and performance.
The first luxury brands from China were Hongchi, Voyah and Xpeng and now comes NIO with a selection of impressive models.
Today we are looking at the compact among them, the ET5 located 'bull in pony' of the Tesla-3.
The roof arches elegantly, creating a dynamic 'coupe' silhouette/Walla! system, Rami Gilboa
ET5 is a sports sedan a few centimeters larger than Tesla-3 and its basic price is NIS 344,000, including a battery of 75 kWh, 489 hp and 4.0 seconds from 0 to 100, with a driving range of up to 451 km WLTP The test vehicle came in an improved Comfort Pack + 20" version.
With a 100 kWh battery and 20-inch rims, it offers a range of up to 583 kilometers WLTP and a hefty price tag of NIS 429,000.
This price places it not only NIS 175,000 above the Tesla 3 long-range, which costs NIS 254,000 'only', But also in very challenging proximity to the BMW i4, which, like NIO, is also imported by Delek Motors. The ET5 in the test version is placed against the prestigious M50 Superior version of the BMW i4, which costs NIS 590,000.
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A huge sunroof covers the entire passenger compartment.
Access to the trunk is not the most convenient/Walla! system, Rami Gilboa
Design:
With a body length of 4.79 meters, the ET5 presents soft and flowing lines, a design that is not flashy, like some of the nearby competitors.
The inspiration is elegant European, trying not to scare off the rich customers from Stuttgart.
The nose lacks a central grille but side air intakes add visual interest, the thin headlights fit well into the pointed nose.
Three strange protrusions above the windscreen slightly disrupt the visual flow, they house some of the cameras and the laser radar that give the ET5 a very advanced safety specification.
I loved the Sunbathe Yellow shade of the test car - infinitely nicer than the usual white-black-grey tones these days - and in its wake also comes light beige upholstery, beautiful and eye-catching. The sides are not carved in a flash, the roof curves elegantly, the waistline is horizontal and above it relatively large windows. From the optional 20-inch rims protrude red calipers with a sporty flavor; Ferrari, Porsche, someone ?The back of the 'coupe' slopes down, slightly limiting the headroom for those sitting in the back. The general feeling is that of a mature and homogeneous vehicle, with an elaborate but not flashy design.
The dashboard is extensive, clean and minimalistic.
The space between the steering wheel and the seat is a bit limited/Walla system!, Rami Gilboa
Passenger compartment:
the door handles come towards you electrically, and the door itself is frameless.
The ET5 is a low 'coupe' car, and getting in and out is not the most comfortable.
It's not only the (low) roof height but also a higher floor than usual, which makes it difficult to get your feet under the steering wheel.
The refined design also continues in the passenger compartment - a clean and elegant dashboard, minimalist, with curved lines that would not embarrass a European luxury car.
A 12.8-inch monitor is installed in the center of the dashboard, with the help of which dozens of operations are performed - some of them are buried under layers of menus that are annoying to dig through.
I was happy to find a 10.2-inch dashboard behind the wheel, which allows the driver to keep his eyes on the road.
The board shows with extraordinary accuracy what is happening far ahead - you can notice the driver changing lanes, 4 or 5 cars ahead of you;
In time and regulation, this will be an excellent aid to more autonomous driving.
The menu structure is not always intuitive.
In the center of the dashboard stands NOMI, who tries to have a polite conversation with you/Walla! system, Rami Gilboa
The air conditioning vents are hidden from view and in the center of the dashboard sticks a black ball and inside it Nomi, a digital assistant who tries to chat with you as best she can.
Sometimes it is effective, sometimes it is unnecessary.
There are a number of minimalistic controls on the steering wheel, access to the sound and air conditioning is done through the central screen.
The field of view of the central mirror is very limited, due to the low roof and a plastic shelf that blocks the view to the rear;
I was happy to read that the ET5 has 33 cameras and radar sensors, but tell me, kind engineers, couldn't you put another camera in the rear-view mirror, for the benefit of rear view?
The back seat is wide, also suitable for three.
There is no place to thread your feet under the front seats/Rami Gilboa
The level of materials and the quality of the work are high and very invested, most of the materials are pleasant to the touch and feel, there is a wealth of finishing materials - most of them are recycled and environmental, and hence they lack that old-fashioned citrus that comes from the British Isles, for example.
Human engineering is not perfect, the window breakers work the opposite way from normal.
The seating position is good front and back, there is an excellent sound system (but no smartphone pairing).
A huge sunroof overlooks you from above, without a shading curtain;
It will be hot here in August.
With a volume of 386 liters, the trunk is not huge (the station wagon version that is not imported to Israel has 450 liters), and there is also no front cargo tub.
There is a minority of storage cells, and some of them are relatively small;
The passenger T does not have a glove compartment at all.
Despite this, the level of indulgence and equipment is very high, but is there a real threat to the prestigious competitors from Europe?
The red calipers exude a performance atmosphere/Wala system!, Rami Gilboa
Engine performance and charging:
as a backup for the sporty design, all ET5 versions are armed with two electric motors: 204 hp in the front and another 285 hp in the back, giving a total power of 489 hp and 71.4 kg.
These fly the car from a standstill to 100 km/h in a short 4 seconds - this is the territory of the Tesla Performance, BMW i4 and other lightning-fast electrics. The
245/40R20 tires provide excellent grip, and relatively low rolling noise. Except for wind noise Light (blame the radar bump on the roof?) The ET5 is very quiet, even at significant accelerations. You can choose between 5 driving modes: economical 'eco', 'comfort' (standard), sport, sport-plus and a 'personal' mode, in which you set your preferences.
The choice between the modes is hidden among the menus, but it is very effective. Comfort is suitable for every routine need, Sport-plus is really extreme and powerful; pressing the gas pedal sends you forward with dizzying acceleration. As a family man, I would be happy to find an option to temporarily disable the sports modes , for the safety of young drivers; I don't think a young driver should handle 489 hp.
The gear shift switch is designed in an original way, comfortable and pleasant to operate.
The charging system is based on fast charging (which is not so fast) and, in addition, a battery replacement system, in the extinct spirit of Better Place.
Changing the battery should take 3-4 minutes, but European experience indicates a time closer to 8 minutes.
The truth is, it's not that interesting because in Israel there will be - "maybe, we don't commit, it's not completely closed yet" - only two stations towards the end of 2024, maybe 2025. This is a minimalist distribution, which should not be built on at the moment.
The maximum charging rate is 125 kW, a fairly average figure.
Charging the 100 kWh battery from 10% to 80% should take about half an hour; I charged from 15% to 45% in 28 minutes, a little less well.
Some of the sensors are mounted on the roof of the car;
It's a little strange to the eye, but improves the performance of the cameras and the laser radar/walla system!, Rami Gilboa
The safety system is very extensive and is based on 33 sensors, including a central LiDAR, high-resolution cameras, surround cameras and ultrasonic sensors, a connection to a satellite navigation system and other terms taken from the world of ballistics.
Currently there is autonomous braking, lane keeping, external traffic monitoring and alerting, excellent cruise control, and much more.
7 airbags complete the picture, and there are also five stars in Euroencap.
A yellow shark is ready for battle.
The ET5 is offered in a rich and refreshing selection of body tones/walla system!, Rami Gilboa
The maximum range in the current European WLTP standard for the test vehicle is set to 583 km; the power of the regenerative charging can be controlled, but not to the extent of driving with one pedal. In intercity driving, I achieved electricity consumption that allows a realistic range between 430 and 500 kilometers, which is not bad at all With the 75 kWh battery, the ET5 will achieve a range of approximately 320-380 kilometers, here there is already room for some range anxiety.
Comfort and road manners: With a multi-link suspension at the rear and double wishbones at the front, the ET5 exhibits good ride comfort.
On highways it is pleasant front and rear, on the relatively stiff-sporty side.
The test car had optional 20-inch rims that aren't great for absorbing bumps, and on bumpy city roads it was quite bouncy.
I assume that with the standard 19" rims it will be more comfortable. Also this time I can recommend choosing the smaller rims.
The gear knob is strange looking and original, but pleasant to use/Wala system!, Rami Gilboa
With a considerable curb weight of 2,235 kilograms, there is nothing to expect for light and agile road behavior.
But with an optimal weight distribution of 50%-50% front and rear, the car is balanced and enters corners well.
The grip of the tires is very satisfying and even if it does not produce classic driving joy, the ET5 can delight you in sporty driving.
Braking is also good, and the extroverted effect of the red aluminum calipers cannot be ignored.
In parking maneuvers we heard a strange noise from the turning of the steering wheel.
The winter weather that prevailed during the test did not encourage me to excessive driving fun, but the potential for fun is definitely here.
How will the NIO logo cope with the blue propeller logo, the big star and the three rings? / Walla! system, Rami Gilboa
The bottom line:
Last month, 8,840 electric cars hit Israel's roads, about 23% of the total sales in the country.
About 100,000 trams are already traveling on the country's roads, and the number will only continue to rise.
In this thicket, NIO ET5 brings a unique line, a Chinese muscle car with a European flavor, refined in its design and pretentious in its technical specifications.
The attractiveness potential of ET5 is very high for customers who dislike ornate design, and love excellent performance and a sophisticated cabin, in a relatively introverted package.
To improve the premium experience, a personal advisor will be assigned to each customer who will take care of all the customer's needs from buying, treatments to selling.
The price of the car also includes the cost of treatments for five years.
The prestigious Europeans install a diamond-encrusted analog watch here;
The Chinese have Nomi/Walla! system, Rami Gilboa
And even with free treatments, the problem is the price.
In the range between 334 and 429 thousand shekels, ET5 moves away from the market segment of Tesla-3 and Ionic 6, and enters head-to-head with the best European manufacturers.
This is a conservative and demanding market segment, where one of the most important parameters is the positioning of the brand.
The Israeli customer has already proven that he knows how to attack unknown Chinese brands, but not at such high premium prices.
Despite the high quality of NIO ET5, the anonymous logo will have a hard time standing out against quality and veteran manufacturers from Europe and the UK, Japan and America.
It will be interesting to see the sales volumes the new manufacturer will reach.
On the technical side: NIO ET5
Engine:
2 electric motors, with a total power of 489 hp, 71 kg
Transmission:
direct transmission, dual drive
Battery (kWh):
100 (75 in the base model)
Maximum charging rate:
125 kWh (140 in the base model )
Dimensions:
Length (meters):
4.79
Width (meters):
1.96
Height (meters):
1.50
Wheelbase (meters):
2.89
Trunk (liters):
386
Tires:
245/40R20
Curb weight (kg):
2,235
Performance (manufacturer):
0-100 km/h (seconds):
4
Maximum speed (km/h):
200
Manufacturer's maximum range:
583 km
Maximum test range:
450 km
Safety:
European crash test score: 5 m 5 stars (2023)
Active safety:
autonomous emergency braking (even in reverse), adaptive cruise control, lane departure control, vehicle detection in a 'dead zone', pedestrian and cyclist detection.
Warranty:
5 years or 150 km on the vehicle , 8 years on the battery
More on the same topic:
electric car