General Motors‘ brand Buick has publicly challenged Nio founder and CEO William Li over the positioning of the newly unveiled ES9 SUV against multi-purpose vans (MPVs).
The six-seat ES9, now China’s largest SUV, was presented last week as capable of fitting “6 people, 13 suitcases, [with] no pressure.”
During the pre-launch event of the model, Nio played on the MPV acronym, telling users that in the ES9 “every seat is an MVP” — most valuable player — and urging buyers to “forget about MPV.”
A day later, Li reiterated the position when asked whether management was ignoring user feedback calling for a Nio multi-purpose van.
“Out of eight indicators, we’re first in seven and second in the remaining one — on par with the best-selling MPV models,” Li said about the ES9.
He was referring to practicality indicators — including headroom, legroom, cargo volume, and loading ease, among others — that put the model above top-selling MPVs in China.
Buick’s Reply
On Wednesday, Buick wrote on Weibo that while “recently, some people have been asking you to ‘forget about MPVs,'” the brand “suggest[s] one thing — give it a try.”
According to the brand, “MPVs aren’t a category that needs to be ‘replaced’; they’re a choice that needs to be understood. What we want isn’t just a car that can fit the whole family, but one that lets everyone sit comfortably.”
Buick — a premium brand under the Detroit automaker GM — has focused on multi-purpose vans in China, contrary to its luxury SUV and crossover positioning in the US market.
“Buick has been making MPVs for 27 years — from the GL8 to the Century,” the brand noted.
“We know that some experiences are impossible to go back from once you’ve tried them. Try it first — then decide whether to forget,” they hinted.
The post concluded with an invitation for Li to attend the Century launch event later this month, during the upcoming Beijing Auto Show.
“At the same time, we warmly invite William Li to attend the Buick Century launch event on April 28 and experience it in person,” they stated.
Nio ES9 x Buick Century
The Nio ES9 is the largest SUV in China to date.
It measures 5,365 mm in length, 2,029 mm in width, and 1,870 mm in height, with a wheelbase reaching 3,250 mm.
The Buick Century is slightly smaller. Its length, width, and height are 5,230 mm, 1,980 mm, and 1,867 mm, respectively, with a wheelbase of 3,130 mm.
Nio is offering the ES9 in three pre-sale variants, with the entry-level price being 528,000 yuan ($77,450), if the battery is included.
The price lowers to 420,000 yuan ($61,600) if the customer opts to lease the battery separately, using Nio‘s battery swap stations.
The Buick Century overlaps with that range, with starting prices for the MPV starting at 469,900 yuan ($68,900).
Li Comments on Buick
Last August, talking about the historical context of MPVs, Nio‘s CEO had already mentioned Buick in comparison to Toyota.
“How did the MPV come about? It was originally a niche product,” he noted.
Li added that “the [Toyota] Alphard was originally sold very cheaply in Japan, but in Hong Kong it became a must-have for wealthy people. Hong Kong people moved north, bringing this trend to mainland China, where it became a luxury car.”
According to him, the Buick GL8 “is a bit different,” as it’s “designed for official use.”
Unlike the Alphard’s accidental luxury path, the GL8 was purpose-built from the start as a business vehicle — the default choice for Chinese government officials, corporate executives, and formal transport.
It became the institution-focused MPV, rather than a consumer-luxury trend that evolved organically.
The reference to the GL8 can be interpreted as Li’s way of highlighting that China’s MPV market has largely evolved into two distinct and culturally specific segments: one shaped by imported luxury trends, and another associated with official or institutional use.
The Nio ES9, similarly to the flagship ET9 launched last year, aims at the executive segment.
Nio’s MPV Positioning
Nio‘s position towards multi-purpose vans has evolved over the years, as the market itself did.
In 2021, the company’s management said it did not see MPVs as a strategic model, but planned to “definitely” enter the segment.
“At the moment we are not looking at MPVs as a strategic model. Of course, we will definitely enter the market segment, the key is when and what the positioning is, we haven’t figured that out yet,” Li said at the time.
The last time Nio hinted at an MPV was in late 2023, when management said it had an MPV planned for its third-generation NT 3.0 platform.
By then, executives also said the launch wouldn’t be coming anytime soon. Since then, the plans have changed.
ES8 Launch
Late last year, after Nio launched its ES8 SUV — which became its best-selling model for the following months — Li had already dismissed plans to develop an MPV.
He said the three-row ES8 SUV could deliver many of the functions of an MPV while offering superior driving dynamics.
“I’m not so stubborn. If making an MPV was profitable, I’d do it, but I always like to ask why,” Li stated.
He added that he instructs Nio‘s product team not to confine themselves to conventional body types such as MPVs or SUVs.
“I believe product definition should truly meet user needs, not be confined to a specific body type. So, I don’t have MPVs or SUVs in mind, and I ask the product team to think outside the box.”
Instead, he pointed to the ES8 as fulfilling many of the functions expected of an MPV while offering better driving dynamics.
“We still want to create a product with space and ease of entry and exit comparable to an MPV, with excellent handling that won’t make people feel uneasy at highway speeds,” he said.
The CEO also stated that the ES8 offers “a space experience far surpassing that of luxury SUVs in its class, as well as the ride comfort and space experience of a high-end business MPV.”
Other Reactions
Tan Jian, a Great Wall Motor executive associated with the Wey brand — focused on MPVs and SUVs — wrote on Weibo on April 10 that Li’s statement about MPVs was “a bit too extreme.”
“Congratulations on the launch of ES9 pre-sales,” the executive said, before adding that “Mr. Li’s statement about ‘forgetting MPVs’ seems a bit too extreme, doesn’t it? #LiBinPleaseStopAttackingMPVs#”
According to him, “there isn’t a ‘perfect solution’ in this world — everyone has their own preferences. SUVs have their strengths, and MPVs have theirs.”
He also invited Li to experience the Wey Gaoshan, a plug-in hybrid MPV launched by the GWM brand.
“He might discover that premium MPVs can also be a kind of style,” Jian added. “Of course, if there were a car that could combine the strengths of both MPVs and SUVs, that would be even better!”
