After Geely, BYD, and Great Wall, another significant Chinese electric car manufacturer is landing in the country. Metro Motor has received the franchise for Dongfeng's popular models, which will be launched in the country this year at competitive prices.
Dongfeng, founded in 1969, is the third-largest car manufacturer in China, employing more than 130,000 workers, with annual revenues of about 30 billion dollars in 2022. The company has partnerships with European manufacturers, and, among others, it produces Nissan and Honda models in China and manufactures the electric Renault and Dacia Spring. Dongfeng owns a 50% stake in Seres, which is imported by Telcar, which will also soon launch electric trucks made by the company.
Last year, Metro launched Voyah in the country, Dongfeng's luxury brand, with the Free crossover. After delivering 140 units of it in 2023 and another 106 in the first two months of this year, Metro received the franchise for the company's more popular electric models, which will be sold in Europe and Israel under its own name and not under separate brands, and on the other hand, from its new premium brand, MHero.
Showrooms will open later this year in Rishon LeZion, Haifa, and Ashdod, alongside the opening of a larger showroom by Wey. And this is what will be possible to find in them:
Box: The Super Mini sold in China under the name Nammi 01. With a length of 4.03 meters, a width of 1.81 meters, a height of 1.57 meters, and a wheelbase of 2.66 meters, it is supposed to be more spacious than the gasoline models in its category. Around the driver, there is a 12.8-inch multimedia screen and a 5-inch screen for the driver, there are five seats, and in China at least, there is a choice between 32 and 42 kWh batteries, with the latter supposed to achieve a range of about 350 km under European regulations and equipped with fast charging. With a 95 hp engine, the maximum speed is limited to 140 km/h. There are also a variety of active safety systems, including autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. The price is expected to be cheaper than the gasoline Hyundai i20, which starts at over 120,000 shekels.
007: Dongfeng too has a competitor to the Tesla Model 3. Its dimensions are a length of 4.88 meters, a width of 1.9 meters, a height of 1.46 meters, and a wheelbase of 2.91 meters. With 56 and 76 kWh batteries, the range according to Chinese regulations is 530 to 640 km, European standards are expected to reduce these numbers by about 25%. The acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes between 6.8 seconds in the basic rear-wheel-drive version to 3.9 seconds in the dual-motor and all-wheel-drive version. The price estimate stands at starting from around 180,000 shekels, slightly above the Hyundai Elantra hybrid family car, and significantly less than the basic Model 3.
Sure, here is the translation of the Hebrew text to English:
MHero: Just like BYD, which is developing its premium brand Yangwang, Dongfeng also has one that is already producing an enormous electric off-road vehicle, parallel to General Motors' new Hummer. The dimensions: 4.99 meters in length, 2.08 meters in width, 1.94 meters in height, and a wheelbase of 2.95 meters. Four motors, one for each wheel, produce 1,090 horsepower, and despite a weight of 3.3 tons, they enable acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds. A battery with a capacity of 142.7 kWh is supposed to be sufficient for a range of more than 400 km. With such specifications, it's not a cheap vehicle or really environmentally friendly, but a wave of parallel imports of electric Hummers implies that it will also find customers in Israel.
Voyah Dreamer: After adding the giant electric mini-van called Dreamer to its fleet, Voyah will launch another smaller crossover later this year. With dimensions of an Audi Q5 instead of a Q8, similar equipment, and a price tag of less than 280,000 NIS.
Tomer Komorov, CEO of Metro Motor, stated that "the creativity and determination of Metro, the close relationship with the manufacturer, and the success of VOYAH in Israel, led Dongfeng to choose Metro as the right partner and importer for it in Israel and allowed us to significantly expand the successful cooperation with Dongfeng, one of the world's largest automotive groups. Throughout the year, several new models aimed at the market's center in various segments will arrive. Dongfeng's announcement of its intention to become one of the leading car manufacturers in Europe will have a direct and significant impact on the Israeli car market."
"This is the right time for Dongfeng to expand to become a leading car manufacturer in Europe as well," announced Ma Lei, CEO of Dongfeng's global export and import, "Dongfeng has a long-term strategy for the Israeli market. For this purpose, Dongfeng needs a creative and significant partner like Metro in order to succeed, and we are happy about the expansion of the collaboration. Metro has already proven to be a reliable partner, and the close relationship that has been built between the companies will create success for both parties, which we are aiming for."