Nio Inc. opened pre-orders on Sunday for a five-seat version of its ES8 flagship sport utility vehicle and set July 9 for the model’s market launch, the company said on Weibo.
The announcement landed on the eighth anniversary of the first ES8 deliveries, with display cars already arriving at stores nationwide.
Buyers who place an early order can lock in a limited-time benefit under which a 5,000 yuan deposit offsets 10,000 yuan off the purchase price, Nio said.
Pricing and powertrain figures for the variant were not disclosed, and the company said full details would come at the July 9 launch.
Sunday’s posts confirmed the timing and the deposit terms, which the company had flagged on June 22.
The Pre-Order Terms
The deposit converts into a larger discount on the final price, a structure the company framed as a limited-time reservation benefit.
Once order-locking opens, the model’s dedicated pre-order channel will close, Nio said.
First owners of the five-seat ES8 receive six years of free in-car connectivity, capped at 8GB a month, the company added.
Those same buyers get a six-year or 150,000-kilometre vehicle warranty, a 10-year warranty with no mileage limit on the battery, motor and electronics, and lifetime free roadside assistance.
A reservation secures those terms without committing a buyer to a configuration, which arrives with pricing at launch.
A Five-Seat Layout
The new variant adds a five-seat cabin to an ES8 line that has so far been sold as a six-seat, three-row SUV.
A six-seat ES8 remains on sale, leaving buyers to choose between the third row and the roomier two-row layout.
Nio describes the configuration as a theatre-style arrangement, with a cabin area of 6.2 square metres and 1.24 square metres of space per occupant.
Longitudinal cabin space measures 2,015 millimetres, and the company says the interior supports multiple seating modes.
Second-row passengers sit on a 4/2/4 split bench that folds in sections, while the front seats add zero-gravity reclining and the rear seats recline to 138 degrees.
Front passengers also gain a 400-millimetre leg rest and a one-touch zero-gravity position, with the second row adding full-area heating and a 16-point massage.
Listed comfort features include 20-way front-seat adjustment, heating across the cabin, and 14-point and 16-point massage for the driver and front passenger.
Size and Cargo
The five-seat ES8 measures 5,280 millimetres long, 2,010 millimetres wide and 1,800 millimetres tall, on a 3,130-millimetre wheelbase.
Maximum cargo volume reaches 3,084 litres with the second row folded, Nio said.
With the seats up, the front and rear compartments hold a combined 1,564 litres, split between a 230-litre front trunk and a 1,334-litre rear.
Rear-compartment depth reaches 1,220 millimetres and width 1,400 millimetres, and the cabin uses Haptex synthetic leather as standard with a privacy partition.
Seven exterior colours are offered, including a new Moonlight Silver finish, alongside five interior themes.
Anniversary and Generation
June 28 marked eight years since the first ES8 reached customers, a milestone Nio tied to the new variant’s debut.
The company describes the ES8 as the world’s first smart electric vehicle to complete three generations of iteration.
First deliveries of the original ES8 began on June 28, 2018, when the SUV became the brand’s first production model.
Across those three generations and eight years, more than 210,000 ES8s have been delivered, according to Nio.
A current, third-generation ES8 went on sale in late September 2025, and the five-seat variant extends that generation.
On Sunday, the original 2018 ES8 was also placed in the Beijing Auto Museum, a gesture shared alongside the launch.
Third-Generation Momentum
Nio delivered the 120,000th third-generation ES8 on June 22, reaching the figure 275 days after launch.
A steadier monthly delivery pace for the ES8 has anchored the company’s premium line as it leans on the SUV for volume.
Widening that base is the aim of the five-seat configuration, which targets buyers who want space without a third row.
The variant shares the underpinnings of the current ES8 rather than introducing a new platform.
Volume from the new variant would help Nio spread fixed costs across a larger base.
Executive Comment
VP of Product Ted Li, marking the 120,000-unit milestone on June 22, framed the five-seat model as a push beyond the large three-row segment into the premium five-seat market.
That milestone car went to a customer switching from a combustion SUV, the kind of buyer the five-seat layout aims to court.
Ted Li’s post tied the variant directly to the ES8’s role as the anchor of the company’s most established product line.
Business Backdrop
The launch arrives as Nio works to convert product momentum into a steadier financial footing.
Nio shares fell 29% over 60 days to a three-month low in mid-June, underscoring investor caution even as deliveries held up.
Cost pressure has surfaced across the group, with the company flagging tight margins on the Onvo L60 at its mass-market Onvo brand amid rising costs.
On the product side, Nio has continued to push updates, targeting a tenfold rise in assisted-driving distance between serious crashes.
Customer-facing strength has been one bright spot, with Nio topping JD Power’s inaugural China purchase-experience ranking this month.
