NIO's boutique small car is here. The first model of Firefly is launched with a starting price of 119,800 yuan | The Latest Frontline
Text | Li Anqi
Editor | Li Qin
On April 19th, Firefly, a new brand under NIO, launched its first model of the same name. The new car is available in two versions: the Comfort Edition and the Glow Edition, with starting prices of 119,800 yuan and 125,800 yuan respectively. The new car will start delivery on April 29th. Previously, the pre - sale price of Firefly was 148,800 yuan, targeting premium small car brands such as Smart under Mercedes - Benz and MINI under BMW.
This new car was launched during a critical transformation period for NIO. The pace of Firefly also changes with the development of the main brand.
For example, NIO's BaaS (Battery - as - a - Service) plan for Firefly will not be launched until August 1st. After the implementation of BaaS, the price of Firefly cars may drop below 100,000 yuan, enabling them to compete with cost - effective small cars in the market.
The delayed launch of BaaS is due to the fact that, on the one hand, Firefly's battery - swapping system is not compatible with NIO's first - to fourth - generation battery - swapping stations and will be connected to NIO's fifth - generation battery - swapping stations later. Previously, NIO stated that Firefly will not build stations in advance but will deploy them in a planned manner in areas with high user demand.
After the new car is delivered, it will most likely use the charging mode temporarily, sharing more than 26,000 NIO charging piles and 1.23 million third - party charging piles.
On the other hand, NIO also intends to integrate Firefly's brand, sales, etc. into the main NIO brand and sell through NIO's existing channels. Delaying the BaaS launch can also avoid an immediate and significant low - price impact on the main brand.
In terms of the overall vehicle positioning, Firefly is a high - end intelligent electric small car designed for the global market. Jin Ge, the person - in - charge of Firefly, summarized the features of the new car into three points: Trust, Agility, and Ingenuity, corresponding to safety, handling, and space design respectively.
In terms of safety, Firefly is developed in accordance with the latest five - star standards of both Chinese and European New Car Assessment Programs. The proportion of high - strength steel and aluminum materials in the car body reaches 83.4%, and all models are standard - equipped with 9 airbags and 13 active safety functions.
In the small car market, the configuration of 9 airbags is indeed rare. NIO Firefly aims to prove that "small cars can also be very safe".
In terms of driving handling, Firefly is equipped with a rear - mounted electric drive and a rear independent five - link suspension. The chassis is tuned by international supplier Moteur Matra, and it has a minimum turning radius of 4.7 meters in its class. In offline experiences, Firefly can easily complete U - turns at narrow intersections.
In terms of ingenuity, Firefly features distinctive elements such as a trio of exterior headlights, a dynamic rear ring, and fluorescent capsules, which run through the entire vehicle design. Inside the car, Firefly has a 92L front trunk and a 335L rear trunk. When the second - row seats are folded down, it can provide a flat space of over 1253L, and there are up to 27 storage designs in the whole car.
In terms of intelligence, Firefly is also equipped with a computing power of 128 Tops, paired with 24 sensors, and is equipped with NIO's intelligent navigation assistance NOP function, which can cover 99% of highways and urban expressways.
In terms of power, Firefly is equipped with a 42.1kWh battery, with a CLTC range of 420km and a power consumption of only 10.9kWh per 100 kilometers.
NIO's goal is for Firefly to appeal to young people planning their first car purchase and multi - car families looking to add a new vehicle, especially those who already own large cars from new - energy vehicle brands and are looking to make an additional purchase.
At the same time, NIO hopes that this premium small car will make waves in the global premium small car market. According to NIO's research, the average annual sales volume of global high - end small cars is around 15 million units, accounting for nearly 17% of the market share.
The Firefly team also spent two and a half years visiting more than 40 cities in multiple countries such as the Netherlands, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, and Thailand to understand the needs and lifestyles of global users.
The NIO Firefly project will have its global premiere in the Chinese market and will subsequently enter major global markets such as Europe and the Middle East.