Only a couple of days have passed since we saw for the first time what appears to be a new version of the Nio ET5 and now we have confirmation thanks to more detailed photos that in fact it is a shooting brake version of the very popular electric car from Nio. There is no doubt this is going to be one good looking EV, especially attractive to those who are craving for an electric estate or a wagon, until now the choice was limited to MG5. The manufacturers focus all their efforts on SUVs and hatchback, sedans are popular in China but there is a new trend slowly emerging.
The trend was tarted by Zeekr 001 which is
neither a hatchback or a wagon, it’s kinda reminiscent of the old Lexus IS300
Sportcross. That half-way middle-road is what we refer to as Shooting Brake,
Mercedes explored that niche with resounding success thanks to its CLA model.
Basically, a shooting brake is a wagon but much sportier, designed more for
looking good than lugging cargo but still offering more space - it’s a win-win
solution for many people. Thanks to those detailed photos there are no more
doubts that Nio is expanding its ET5 range with a good looking wagon. It will
be perfect to showcase the company's upcoming 150 kWh battery pack with a
claimed 1,000 km of range (NEDC). Even with the smaller battery the car still
offers dual-motor 360 kW powertrain that launches it from 0 to 100 km/h in 4
seconds flat - BMW M3 Estate territory.
The next photos come courtesy of an
eagle-eyed car spotter who managed to pull out the phone quickly enough to
shoot a short video of what is dubbed “the one Suzuki should have made.” Wuling
was teasing its Baojun-based SUV, most likely called Baojun SUV, for a good
couple of months but then went quiet. Now we have the evidence the project is not
only alive but it appears to be in the final stages of testing.
Thanks to one grainy shot we actually have
a first chance to realize the size of this upcoming electric SUV, we knew it
was going to be tiny but this is another level of tiny. The original Suzuki
Jimny (or Samurai) would look like a giant if parked next to it. We don’t
expect this car to have serious off-road capabilities but when it comes to
looks - it gets thumbs up. Baojun SUV is based on its sibling Baojun EV which
is available as a tiny hatchback or a world’s smallest convertible. These cars
are designed for a city living, they are supposed to take as little space as
possible to be able to park in tightest spots and turn into the tightest
streets.
The test vehicle spotted in the video
appears to be production ready and few previous posts from the company as well
as from Chinese automotive bloggers suggest we will see this cutie on the road
really soon.