Nio Plans April Reveal and June Launch for Flagship ES9 SUV
Nio will unveil its flagship ES9 SUV around April 10, reveal pricing in late May, and begin deliveries on June 1, succeeding the ES8 to strengthen its premium large SUV…
Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio is preparing to launch its latest flagship SUV, the ES9, to strengthen its position in China's premium large SUV segment following the strong performance of the refreshed ES8. At a recent user event, Nio co-founder and President Qin Lihong confirmed the vehicle's reveal timeline—originally announced the previous month—stating it will take place around April 10. He added that the official market launch, including pricing details, is scheduled for late May, with initial deliveries starting on June 1.
Regulatory filings from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), released last month, offered the first look at the ES9 and its specifications, establishing it as China's largest SUV at 5,365 mm long, 2,029 mm wide, 1,870 mm tall, and with a 3,250 mm wheelbase. Lihong noted that prototype vehicles from small-batch production are already appearing on roads, as shown in various videos. The model was first spotted during road tests in China in October, and Nio CEO William Li recently told media that it has completed the tooling trial phase and entered pre-production. According to the president, preparations for full-scale manufacturing are advancing steadily.
The company plans to build up inventory ahead of the debut, similar to its approach with the Onvo L90 and ES8 last year, to support a strong launch. Lihong described the ES9 as incorporating the full suite of technologies from the ET9 sedan into a spacious SUV body. Highlights include three LiDAR units, the AQUILA sensor system, and the adaptive SkyRide chassis that automatically adjusts ride height—a feature that debuted on the ET9 executive sedan.
Discussions are underway at Nio headquarters about including the SkyRide chassis on the ES9: whether to fit it on all variants or offer it only on select models to create more affordable options. Lihong stressed that both approaches have advantages, especially for pricing accessibility, but no final decision has been made, with details to be announced at the late-May event.
In other updates from the same event, Lihong revealed that full details on the Onvo L80—the five-seat version of the L90 SUV—will be shared in late April, with deliveries beginning in May. The ES9 is set to replace the ES8, which has been Nio's flagship SUV since entering mass production in May 2018.