The Chinese Nio EL7 competes against the Mercedes EQS SUV, a comparison between two luxury SUVs.
All-electric luxury SUVs
The Chinese Nio focuses on the demanding motorist who usually has German premium brands on his wish list. Does the EL7, its large electric SUV, have enough to match the Mercedes EQS SUV?
What powertrains are there for the Nio EL7?
In addition to low sedans, Nio also has a large SUV in its range, the EL7, with which the brand aims for the top of the market, where the target group weighs the differences – often nuances – on a gold scale. In terms of dimensions, the EL7 fits neatly between the electric SUVs from Mercedes-Benz, the EQE SUV and EQS SUV. But which version should you take? Regardless of the size of the battery pack, Nio always supplies the EL7 with 653 hp and four-wheel drive. The EQS SUV, on the other hand, is available in four drive variants, ranging from a 360 hp rear-wheel drive to a 544 hp 4×4. It is therefore logical to go for the latter here, which is best suited to the Nio.
Are you paying a Mercedes price for a Nio EL7?
If we look at the price, the cards are slightly different. With a 100 kWh battery pack, the EL7 is priced at €97,900, while the cheapest EQS SUV costs €120,827. You then have the 450+ with 360 hp and a 108.4 kWh battery pack. However, the version with 544 hp – the 580 4Matic – costs significantly more, you only have it from €167,291. But we are curious about its performance, so despite the large price difference, it is the latter that we compare with the Nio. For matters such as ease of use, interior dimensions and handling, we know that the basic version of the EQS SUV is not inferior to the thickest variant and, according to the statement, the consumption figures of the different versions are not shockingly far apart. Mercedes does offer a choice of different drive variants, but in all cases they are supplied with the 108.4 kWh battery pack.