Shanghai (ZXZC)- The first pre-production NIO EC6 has rolled off the production line at the Hefei-based JAC-NIO Advanced Manufacturing Center, where also the ES8 and the ES6 are produced, a local media reported on June 28.

According to NIO's earlier statement, the company will announce the price and more technical details of the new model in July, and formally kicked off the delivery in September. 

The EC6, deemed as the coupe version of the ES6, is the third production model of NIO, which comes with a panoramic-view sunroof and is expected to compete against such vehicles as the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe and Tesla's Model Y.

Retaining the iconic “X-Bar” design language, the EC6 displays a striking resemblance to the ES6 in the frontal styling, but has a more sharply raked coupe roofline at the rear.

The “coupe” essence of the side profile is accentuated by the sleek rooflines stretching downward from the B pillar to the ducktail-shaped spoiler. By virtue of the flowing silhouette, the EC6 features a drag coefficient of 0.27Cd.

The smoked taillight cluster is also shaped like that of the ES6.

By remaining faithful to the ES6's interior, the EC6 still keeps such facilities as the flat bottomed steering wheel, the liquid crystal dashboard and the large-sized screen at the center console. Some physical buttons are offered to control the console-mounted display and gears.

The EC6 line-up will feature a range-topping Performance version that uses two electric motors: a 160kW permanent magnet motor at the front axle and a 240kW induction unit at the rear. These will combine to offer a 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds, while its 100kWh battery pack will offer a NEDC-rated range of up to 615km. Besides, the Sports version will be driven by two 160kW electric motors (EC6, photo source: NIO).