mReview: Nio Firefly – a cute little City EV with great control that makes you forget their price

The Nio Firefly – a compact EV that will light up your daily drive with solid performance.

What’s Great?

• Unique design that looks unusual but very impressive.
• Excellent for daily city driving.
• Fast, fun to drive while in total control.

What’s Good?

• Large 92-litre front boot.
• User-friendly operating system (OS) and great user-experience inside the cabin.
• The Pilot Assist system makes driving in heavy traffic much easier.

What’s Not Great?

• The 799,000 THB price tag is a bit high in the current EV price war.
• The glass roof does not have a built-in sunblind.
• The glass roof does not have a built-in sunblind.

The Nio Firefly shines brightest when driving around town, but it can also give the driver a fun, "go-kart" feel whenever you want to speed up.

Driving in heavy traffic becomes much more comfortable than you would ever think with this Firefly. Thanks to its compact dimensions of 4,003 mm (length) x 1,781 mm (width) x 1,557 mm (height), weaving through traffic or darting into tight gaps feels incredibly satisfying.

When driving on open roads or highways, it remains impressive. Even though the car looks boxy and cute, its aerodynamics are excellent. With a perfect 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution, you get fantastic steering control. Combined with a very quiet cabin, the overall handling feels sharp and agile—almost like driving a premium toy car.

Under the bonnet, you will find a large front boot (Frunk) with a 92-litre capacity instead of an electric motor. It can easily fit a large travel suitcase.

The rear-wheel-drive (RWD) electric motor is perfectly matched for daily use. It produces 105 kW (143 hp) and 200 Nm of torque. Since the car weighs just 1,492 kg, it delivers a punchy acceleration right from the start, hitting 0-100 km/h in around 8.1 seconds.

The battery and charging specs are decent too. It uses a 42.1 kWh LFP battery, giving a driving range of 400 km (NEDC standard). This is more than enough for a whole week of commuting before needing a weekend charge. It also supports 100 kW DC fast charging, which takes the battery from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes.

The standard boot space can hold a lot of luggage, but you should avoid folding the seats flat. Because of its compact size, the total space with the seats down might not match other B-SUVs at a similar price.

The standard boot capacity is 404 litres, which is a good figure for this class. The only difference is that because it is rear-wheel drive, there is no extra storage space hidden under the boot floor. Instead, they cleverly put storage boxes under the rear seats. 

Sadly, the Thai version does not come with an electric power tailgate. However, when you fold the 60:40 rear seats down, the space grows to 1,253 litres, which is perfectly usable.

We must say that the interior design is "incredibly cute," and women are going to love it. The attention to detail is impressive, offering many small, pleasant surprises during daily use.

Most of the cabin materials are eco-friendly, giving a premium feel that feels like Alcantara leather. However, it is actually a "microfibre cloth" that feels very premium to touch. (We wonder why no other brands have used this before!)

The cabin layout focuses on making the front passengers feel as comfortable as possible. The front seats are wide, soft yet firm, and come with a built-in massage system, seat cooling, and memory functions. There is even a "Relaxation Mode" that automatically reclines the seat so you can stretch out and rest.

Other impressive features hidden inside include a 14-speaker sound system supporting 7.1 Surround and Dolby Atmos, ambient lighting that flashes to the beat of your music, an automatic parking assistant, Pilot Assist for heavy traffic, and a top 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

Controlling the dashboard is smooth and easy, powered by Nio's Aster OS. Features like Gesture Control let you swipe left or right in the air to change settings, making the car simple to use even though there are no physical buttons on the center console.

The Nio Firefly stands out most with its suspension and handling. Even though it is a small city EV, it gives you a genuine, fun go-kart handling feel the moment you take the wheel.

It is different from the stiff, aggressive sports handling found in European hatchbacks that also use the word "go-kart". The Firefly’s version feels firm, solid, and completely under control. It puts a smile on your face and gets your heart racing every time you steer into a sharp corner. The 5-link independent rear suspension works perfectly to keep the ride smooth and responsive.

The Nio Firefly features a cohesive design language integrated throughout the vehicle, with its signature 'trio light' motif visible across both the exterior and interior.

The Verdict

The Nio Firefly is a car that will put a smile on any driver's face once they experience its actual handling. However, it is a shame that the Thai B-segment EV market is so crowded right now, with many competitors dropping their starting prices below 500,000 THB. Meanwhile, this little "Firefly" is doing its best to stay at 799,000 THB.

While Nio did an amazing job with the driving dynamics, they sadly cut some features for the Thai model. For example, the panoramic glass roof does not have a built-in sunblind (they give you a clip-on mesh shade instead), the car has no front camera (though it has detailed cameras on other sides), and the wireless phone charger on the center console has been removed.

Short Update: Thonburi Bluesky has shared the following after-sales details for the Nio Firefly:

• The first official showroom and service centre will be ready by the end of 2026.
• Until then, customers will receive a Door-to-Door mobile service right to their homes.
• Around August to September 2026, an OTA software update will bring Android Auto and a Thai-language system.
• Cars are ready for immediate delivery for those who want to buy now!

Author's Note – the Nio Firefly is perfect for drivers who love a great handling car hidden underneath a modern, minimalist, and cute design. It basically says, "I'm cute, but I can go fast!" Trust us, if you get to try driving it like we did, you will fall in love with this little firefly very easily. We are cheering for Thonburi Bluesky to win over Thai EV buyers in this tough market soon.

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