Having launched the Box back in November 2024, Dongfeng has followed up with its second new model, the 007. Known as the eπ (pronounced “yipai”) 007 in China, this five-door electric sedan takes aim at the BYD Seal and undercuts it in price.
Being the first CBU fully-imported EV to be launched after the discontinuation of tax exemptions, the 007 is a bit on the pricey side, retailing at RM169,888 for the long range rear-wheel-drive Premium and RM195,888 for the top-spec dual-motor all-wheel-drive Prime (yes, those variant names are the opposite of Proton’s for its eMas sub-brand). Included is a six-year, unlimited-mileage warranty and an eight-year, unlimited-mileage warranty for the battery and drive motor.
On top of this is an RM8,888 launch rebate, dropping those prices to RM161,000 for the Premium and RM187,000 for the Prime. These figures are RM10,800 and RM4,800 less expensive than the equivalent BYD Seal variants, despite the latter having tax-free 2025 prices.
The listed prices are nett excluding road tax and on-the-road costs; add those back in and the final numbers are RM161,960 for the Premium and RM188,715 for the Prime. As part of the launch, buyers will also receive an ABB wallbox charger.
If the 007 looks a bit familiar, that’s because it has been rebadged by Nissan as the N7, which is also slated for export markets. Measuring 4,880 mm long, 1,895 mm wide and 1,476 mm tall, the Dongfeng is 80 mm longer, 20 mm wider and 16 mm taller than the Seal, while its 2,915 mm wheelbase is five millimetres shorter.
Powering the Premium is a single rear motor producing 272 PS (200 kW) and 310 Nm of torque, getting it from zero to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds. With a 73.48 kWh LFP battery, the car is capable of 650 km of range on China’s lenient CLTC cycle. On the more realistic WLTP testing standard, this is closer to 530 km.
The AWD Prime adds a second motor at the front, doubling outputs to 544 PS (400 kW) and 620 Nm; this completes the century sprint in just 3.9 seconds. The extra performance does impact efficiency somewhat, dropping the range to 565 km, or in the region of 463 km on the WLTP standard.
As for charging, the 007 supports up to an impressive 200 kW (with the 73.48 kWh battery at least) of DC fast charging, topping up the car from 30 to 80% in 16 minutes. However, it can only accept up to 6.6 kW of AC charging, although it does offer a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function.
The 007’s slightly anonymous styling has all the hallmarks of a Chinese electric sedan, with a low nose, a sweeping six-window glasshouse, frameless windows and flush pop-out door handles. The split headlights keep the upper daytime running lights and sequential indicators slim, mirroring the full-width taillights.
Wheel sizes are 18 inches for the base model and 19s for the AWD version, the latter in a ten-spoke dual-tone design and paired with red brake calliper caps (that cover conventional silver callipers). In China, the car can be had with an active rear spoiler, but other markets get a simple lip spoiler instead. We also don’t get China’s outlandish optional scissor doors.
Inside, the 007 again takes after the vast majority of Chinese cars on the road, sporting a minimalist dashboard, a tall centre console with twin smartphone holders (one of which is a Qi wireless charger, of course) and a distinct lack of physical controls. You instead get a pair of screens – an 8.8-inch instrument display and a sizeable 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with music piped in through a 19-speaker sound system with Wanos surround sound support.
Available interior colours are black and white for the rear-wheel-drive model and this grey and white for the AWD, both with faux leather upholstery. The powered and ventilated front seats come with six-way adjustment and memory for the driver and four-way adjustment for the passenger.
You also get a panoramic roof, but it’s rather strange to see features like single-zone auto air con (instead of dual-zone) and tilt-only steering wheel adjustment (no telescopic adjustment) in this segment, and the entire bench folds down in a single piece – just like in a RM37,990 Proton Saga. There is at least a powered tailgate that opens up to a 452 litre boot, and there’s also a modest front boot.
Safety-wise, the 007 comes with a full complement of driver assists, including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert with auto brake, rear collision warning and a door opening warning. The Prime adds a driver monitoring system.
In Malaysia, Dongfeng is now represented by Singaporean distributor Volt Auto, handling the brand together with current distributor Central Auto Distributors (CADB), which is owned by Pekema. The company is exploring CKD local assembly options as it looks to establish a more substantial presence in the country.
