Images circulating on Chinese social media revealed what appears to be Nio upcoming ES9 SUV, the company’s new flagship model expected to debut in 2026.
Automotive bloggers on Weibo shared photos of a camouflaged vehicle parked next to the newly updated ES8, suggesting that the ES9 is larger in size. “This is Nio’s new flagship SUV, the ES9, one size larger than the ES8,” wrote blogger @二一加点电. Another blogger, @万万_ECC, said the ES9 carries the internal codename Draco and is larger than the third-generation ES8, codenamed Cetus.
Nio will officially launch the third-generation ES8 at its annual Nio Day event on September 20 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Pre-sales for the new ES8 began on August 21, with prices starting at RMB 416,800 ($58,500), including the battery pack.
The third-generation ES8 measures 5,280 mm in length, 2,010 mm in width, and 1,800 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,250 mm. Its predecessor was slightly smaller at 5,099 mm in length, 1,989 mm in width, and 1,750 mm in height. The ES9 is expected to be larger still, potentially exceeding 5.2 meters, according to earlier reports.
Nio’s co-founder and president Qin Lihong confirmed in May that the ES9 would launch in the first half of 2026, marking the first public acknowledgment of the model. CEO William Li said during a September 2 earnings call that Nio plans to introduce two large SUVs under its main brand next year – the ES9 and a new ES7 five-seat SUV – in addition to Onvo’s delayed L80 model.
