Firefly arrives in Portugal with prices from €30,900

China’s push into Europe continues to gather pace, with Portugal now welcoming Firefly, NIO’s new subsidiary.

This is not the first time we have covered the brand, whose main aim is to “attack” the more affordable segments, targeting the successful Renault 5 E-Tech and Citroën ë-C3.

To achieve this, the brand has introduced its first - and so far only - model, which shares its name: Firefly. We have already had the opportunity to drive it. However, its price could prove to be one of the biggest barriers to purchase, as this Chinese supermini starts at €30,900.

In China, the supermini costs around 119,800 renminbi, equivalent to roughly €14,600 at the current exchange rate.

Youthful design

The new Firefly aims to stand out through its youthful, playful and city-focused appearance. Its dimensions, at around four metres long, play a major part in this, as does its light signature, which features three circles on each side at both the front and rear.

Together with the 18-inch wheels, soft lines and a broad, sharply raked rear C-pillar, these details give the Firefly a degree of dynamism and, above all, a robust look.

Designed for everyday use, the cabin provides several storage spaces, notably those concealed beneath the front passenger seat and the rear bench. It also has a boot offering between 404 litres and 1253 litres of capacity, plus a 92-litre front boot.

On the technology front, the Firefly has two displays, measuring 6 inches and 13.2 inches, for the instruments and infotainment system respectively. It also comes as standard with ambient lighting offering a choice of 256 colours, creating a more immersive experience.

Up to 330 km of range

Beneath the bodywork, the Firefly uses a 41.2 kWh battery to power a rear-mounted electric motor producing 105 kW (143 hp) and 200 Nm of torque. With a claimed average consumption of 14.5 kWh/100 km, the Chinese supermini promises up to 330 km of combined WLTP range.

Thanks to compatibility with direct-current (DC) charging at up to 100 kW, the electric model takes just 29 minutes to charge from 10% to 80%. With alternating-current (AC) charging, it supports up to 7 kW.

The Chinese supermini can also supply power to other devices through its V2L (vehicle-to-load) function.

Firefly prices

The new Firefly is offered in two trim levels - Select and Comfot - and can already be ordered from €30,900. Whichever version is chosen, the battery is covered by an eight-year or 160,000-kilometre warranty. Discover all prices:

During the launch period, the model will be available at slightly lower prices, starting from €29,900 and €31,490 for the Select and Comfort versions respectively.