Five-seat ES8. Credit: Nio
- The 5-seat ES8 starts at 382,800 yuan ($56,340) with battery included, 5.9% below 3-row version.
- ES8 deliveries eased last month as some potential buyers waited for the 5-seat model.
Nio Inc (NYSE: NIO) has launched a 5-seat version of its ES8 SUV (sport utility vehicle), seeking to broaden the customer base for its best-selling model.
The Chinese electric-vehicle maker officially rolled out the 5-seat ES8 at an event on Thursday, offering two trims, with deliveries set to begin July 10.
The 5-seat Executive Luxury version starts at 382,800 yuan ($56,340) with a full vehicle purchase, or 274,800 yuan under the BaaS (battery as a service) battery rental scheme.
The 5-seat Executive Signature version starts at 422,800 yuan with a full vehicle purchase, or 314,800 yuan under the battery rental scheme.
The pricing comes in 24,000 yuan, or 5.9%, below the 406,800-yuan starting price of the third-generation 3-row ES8, in line with earlier market expectations for a lower-priced 5-seat model.
The 5-seat ES8 opened for pre-orders on June 28, with reservation holders able to apply a 5,000-yuan deposit toward a 10,000-yuan reduction in the purchase price.
The new model retains the lineup’s large body, measuring 5,280 millimeters in length, 2,010 millimeters in width and 1,800 millimeters in height. Its wheelbase is 3,130 millimeters, slightly shorter than the 3-row version’s 3,250 millimeters.
With the third row removed, the model’s cargo capacity is markedly higher. It features a 230-liter frunk and a 1,334-liter rear trunk, with maximum cargo space reaching 3,084 liters when the second-row seats are folded down.
Nio said the rear cargo volume is the largest in the industry, with loading capacity more than double that of conventional large SUVs.
The 5-seat ES8’s second row is fitted with dual reclining seats supporting 16-point massage, heating and ventilation. The driver and front-passenger seats feature aviation-style zero-gravity seating with 20-way adjustment.
The model is built on a 900-volt high-voltage architecture and uses a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system with combined output of 520 kilowatts (697 hp), enabling a zero-to-100 kilometer-per-hour sprint in 3.9 seconds.
It comes standard with a 102-kilowatt-hour battery pack and a CLTC range of 655 kilometers.
The 5-seat ES8 runs a new version of the “Cedar” system and uses Nio’s in-house Shenji NX9031 smart-driving chip. Paired with the Nio World Model (NWM), it supports point-to-point navigation assistance.
The launch of the 5-seat version comes as the third-generation ES8 maintains strong sales momentum. The model completed its 120,000th delivery on June 22, 275 days after first deliveries began at the end of September 2025.
Nio said the ES8 has topped sales in China’s large-SUV segment and the 400,000-yuan price bracket for six consecutive months.
Still, the impending launch of the 5-seat version curbed demand in the near term. The ES8 delivered 8,969 units in June, down 21.85% from the prior month, ending a run of seven straight months with monthly deliveries above 10,000.
Nio ES8 Monthly Deliveries 2024-2026
Month
2024
2025
2026
January
615
446
17,658
February
414
479
11,271
March
802
514
16,255
April
773
539
13,028
May
937
292
11,475
June
882
839
8,969
July
822
1,090
August
857
87
September
766
2,812
October
747
6,716
November
572
10,705
December
1,001
22,276
Nio ES8 monthly deliveries
2024
2025
2026
Deutsche Bank analysts had noted that weak ES8 deliveries were the main reason Nio’s overall June deliveries came in slightly below guidance, as some consumers chose to hold off and wait for the 5-seat version.
Based on Deutsche Bank’s dealer visits, the ES8 is positioned as a family vehicle, competing with models such as Li Auto’s (NASDAQ: LI) Li L8 and the Huawei-backed Aito M8.
The number of large 5-seat flagship SUVs on the market is growing, and the 5-seat ES8 is seen as a swift response to that trend.
The roll-out of the 5-seat ES8 also comes as Nio seeks to boost sales and profitability through a dense cadence of new product launches.
The flagship ES9 SUV, starting at 498,000 yuan, went on sale May 27 and surpassed 10,000 deliveries within about 30 days.
Driven by its flagship models, the core Nio brand reached an average transaction price of 443,000 yuan in June.
Deutsche Bank expects Nio to reach non-GAAP breakeven in the second quarter, given the strong contribution from high-margin models.
With the ES9, third-generation ES8 and 5-seat ES8 launched, Nio has built a product matrix spanning premium large 5-seat, large 3-row and executive flagship SUVs.
Nio founder, chairman and CEO William Li has said the 5-seat version will make the ES8 a more durable “king” of the large-SUV market.
The ES9 delivered 8,595 units in June, contributing 21.17% of Nio Inc’s deliveries for the month in its first full delivery month.
($1 = 6.7943 yuan)
