Dongfeng Motor celebrated a half century of existence in 2019 but it wasn’t the best of years for the Wuhan-based firm, home market sales falling by a third.
This state-controlled company and its subsidiaries comprise one of China’s largest vehicle manufacturing groups. In addition to JVs with Honda, Nissan, Renault and Groupe PSA, Dongfeng has various divisions, the main one of which uses the company name as a brand for passenger cars.
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The big drop in CY2019 deliveries meant that Dongfeng’s own-badged models accounted for close to 350,000 sales in China of which fewer than 25,000 were hybrids, PHEVs and EVs.
Clearly, the group is hoping for a much better performance in 2020. But does it have the right new models coming through the pipeline and will they be available soon enough? We should know more in the second quarter, as the company is said to be intent on making a big splash at the bienniel Beijing motor show in April. Not only will there be a raft of fresh models and prototypes on display but according to insiders, a luxury division which could be called ‘H’ is set to be announced.
There are many old and/or badly performing vehicles in the Dongfeng line-up, with the list of those selling at the rate of under 1,000 a month long. That includes all six electric models: Jungfeng E11K, Fengxing Jingye 550EV, Xiaokang EC36, Fengxing M5EV, Xiaokang EC35 and Junjeng ER30 although the last of these is new to the market. As for petrol-powered vehicles, the roster of those which didn’t make four figures a month in November (December data by model not available at time of writing) was even longer. As the present range consists of more than 20 models, savage and necessary culling should take place soon.
In the ranks of the better performers, none topped the Fengguang 580. In the first eleven months, Dongfeng’s number one model found 66,570 buyers. Not only was that was a year-on-year drop of 33.4% but this C segment crossover was no higher than 87th in the retail sales chart.
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By GlobalDataThe 580 is built by Dongfeng Xiaokang, a commercial vehicle division of Dongfeng Motor. This, the company’s first SUV, had its world premiere at the Beijing motor show in April 2016 and entered production the following month. In some countries, this model is sold as the Glory 580, with the brand being DFSK. There should be a second facelift later this year to follow the one which happened in 2017. Dongfeng will likely replace the Fengguang 580 in mid-2023, giving the vehicle a seven-year life cycle.
Likely to have ended 2019 with around 55,000 deliveries and therefore the brand’s number two model, the Fengxing S560 is two years younger than the smaller 580, having become available in October 2018. This 4.5m long SUV offers buyers the choice of 1.8-litre and turbocharged 1.5 engines. The next news should be a facelift in 2021/2022, followed by a successor in the second or third quarters of 2025.
Another relatively successful model in 2019 was the Glory 330/Fengxing 330. Launched in 2014, this 4,645mm long minivan-crossover can seat up to seven. The next generation model will likely become available in 2021.
One recent launch is the Dongfeng-Fengon iX7. This SUV, which had its public premiere at the Chengdu motor show in September last year, is distinguished by a large grille covered in dots. The word ‘FENGON’ appears on the tailgate in large letters. There is a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine which is offered with outputs of 150PS and 180PS. There should be a facelift in early 2023 and a successor in 2026.
The iX7 slotted in above the iX5. Dongfeng-Fengxing revealed this model to the media in April 2018, just ahead of its public premiere at AutoChina, the Beijing motor show. This large SUV offers buyers the choice of a 139hp and 187Nm 1.8-litre engine or a 150hp and 200Nm 1.5-litre turbo. Retail sales of this model numbered 16,830 units for the year to end of November 2019, making this Dongfeng’s sixth best seller. It should be given a facelift in the second half of 2021 and then replaced in 2025.
One of the company’s surprise hits of 2019 was the Aeolus E70. This 4,680mm long fully electric sedan is sold in China in E70 500 and E70 600 forms. Both have the word AEOLUS in large letters across the boot lid. Their CATL battery packs have outputs of 50.8kWh and 61.3kWh with maximum ranges of 401km and 508km respectively. Production started in mid-2018, which means a facelift should happen in late 2021. The second generation model can be expected to be announced in 2025.
Future models
The MX3 should be a fresh SUV design which is due out later in 2020, positioned in the model range below the MX6. A prototype which was claimed to be 4,506mm long debuted at Auto Shanghai in April 2017. Production, long delayed, is due to be undertaken by the Zhengzhou Nissan joint venture.
Later this year we should see the launch of the Jingyi X7/Joyear X7, another SUV for Liuzhou Dongfeng’s Dongfeng-Fengxing division. Measuring 4,760mm in length, the Jingyi X7 will be positioned above the Jingyi X5. Expect production to last until 2027 with a facelift in 2023/2024.
As for electrics, the Fengshen EX1 is scheduled to go on sale in 2020 too. This 3,732mm long electric crossover, revealed to the public at the Chengdu motor show last September, is more or less the same vehicle as the Renault City K-ZE. Indeed, the interior looks nearly identical and the exterior changes are nothing more than minor ones. The same 33kW (44hp) motor powered the prototype. Dongfeng says the NEDC maximum range will be 271km. The life cycle will be short as the Renault original (powered by a combustion engine) dates to 2015 and so should be replaced in 2022 or 2023.
Reports for many other manufacturers’ future models are grouped in the OEM product strategy summaries section of just-auto.com.
Future product program intelligence
More detail on past, current and forthcoming models can be found in PLDB, the future vehicles database which is part of QUBE. That includes the many Dongfeng models which were not discussed in the above report.
The next OEM to have its future models strategy examined will be Volkswagen AG.
