A heavily camouflaged Nio station wagon has been spotted testing in China twice this month, with the latest sighting further strengthening the case that the automaker is preparing a next-generation version of the ET5 Touring.
The most recent images were shared on Weibo this Wednesday by user ‘万万_ECC’, who photographed the prototype driving on a public road.
The wagon was covered almost entirely in camouflage, with only faint outlines of the taillights visible.
The user described the prototype as a “third-generation Nio ET5T camouflaged test car” encountered on a drive home, adding that “it’s not as big as you all made it out to be.”
Known automotive blogger ‘SugarDesign’ posted a follow-up comment on the same day, offering more granular observations through the camouflage, including that the ride height appeared lower than on the current ET5T.
Stating that the overall design language did not diverge significantly from the existing model, ‘SugarDesign’ wrote that the prototype had “no flush door handles” and “no frameless side mirrors,” and carried a “vertical side-mounted radar.”
The blogger noted that “the ride height is probably what netizens care about most” and joked that Nio could simply “rename it ET6T” if the current name no longer fits.
The same prototype had actually been spotted earlier in the month by ‘SugarDesign,’ who shared an image of the station wagon on August 1.
The spy shot showed a heavily wrapped vehicle parked near what appeared to be a testing facility.
‘SugarDesign’ described the vehicle as a suspected new ET5(6)T test mule, writing that “the side profile really does have the same radar design as the ES8.”
The blogger added: “the wagon king is really coming.”
While the evidence increasingly points toward a next-generation ET5T, Nio has yet to confirm the model’s official name, specifications or launch timeline.
What Nio Has Said
Co-founder and President Qin Lihong first acknowledged the wagon project publicly on May 28, during a media briefing held after the launch of Nio‘s flagship ES9 SUV.
In a brief exchange, Lihong said that “regarding the new wagon product,” a team member should arrange it, to which they answered it had already been arranged.
The session marked the first time Nio‘s leadership had publicly acknowledged a wagon was in the pipeline, though management did not clarify whether the vehicle would be a redesigned successor to the current ET5 Touring or an entirely separate model positioned differently within the lineup.
The spy shots suggest the former.
Both the body proportions and the sensor layout visible through the camouflage align closely with a next-generation version of the ET5 Touring rather than an entirely new nameplate.
Some observers have suggested that the model could be unveiled during the upcoming Nio Day event, scheduled for December in Wuhan.
The event will return to its traditional year-end schedule after last year’s edition was held in September in Hangzhou.
Every Nio Day since the event’s inception in 2017 has featured a major product or technology reveal.
Last year’s event served as the launch stage for the third-generation ES8, the high-margin SUV that has since become the brand’s dominant seller.
The original ET5 sedan was also unveiled at a Nio Day — the December 2021 event in Suzhou — before the ET5 Touring variant followed in June 2023.
ET5 Touring Sales History
The current ET5 Touring carved out a niche rare for station wagons in China. When the model launched in June 2023, the battery-electric wagon segment in the country was minimal.
The body style has long been associated with European buyers, not Chinese consumers.
The model found an audience nonetheless.
By mid-2025, the ET5 Touring overtook the ES6 SUV to become Nio‘s best-selling model — delivering 5,103 units in June 2025, ahead of the ES6’s 4,415, according to CPCA data.
The third-generation ES8 launched later that year and took the crown in October.
The wagon held the top spot through September, posting 4,418 units in July, 4,315 in August and 5,048 in September.
Volumes dropped sharply from October onward, after the third-generation ES8 launched and absorbed demand across the Nio brand’s lineup.
The ET5 Touring contributed 50,869 units in 2024 and 44,877 in 2025.
This year, monthly registrations have remained well below prior-year levels.
Nio unveiled the 2026 model-year versions of its four entry-level models — the ET5, ET5 Touring, ES6 and EC6 — in April, keeping prices unchanged.
The ET5 and ET5 Touring share an entry point of 298,000 yuan ($44,200), or 190,000 yuan ($28,200) under Nio‘s Battery as a Service scheme.
The brand also launched Champion Editions for the four models, with deliveries beginning in June.
Growing Wagon Segment
Nio‘s wagon push comes as station wagons experience a broader resurgence in China’s new-energy vehicle market.
The segment recorded approximately 176,000 sales in 2025, accounting for less than 1% of total vehicle volume, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
Buyers of new-energy vehicles have shown renewed interest in the body style due to its lower aerodynamic drag compared to SUVs, which translates into better energy efficiency and longer range.
Nio is not the only Chinese automaker investing in the segment.
XPeng has been road-testing its first-ever station wagon under the Mona series, while Geely‘s Zeekr 001 shooting brake remains one of the segment’s most prominent models.
The current ET5 Touring was designed in Munich by the team led by Kris Tomasson, near BMW‘s headquarters.
Nio described the model at its 2025 relaunch as ranking among the top three best-selling premium tourers globally and holding the top position in the premium electric tourer segment.
