DongFeng AX7 and A30 test drive
The Chinese giant DongFeng Motors is in no hurry to speed things up: last year it began selling two passenger models in Russia, and the AX7 crossover and the A30 sedan are next. We tested them in Shanghai ...
The size and status of a Chinese manufacturer are not important for promotion in Russia. Suffice it to recall the success of the tiny automobile brand Lifan, while the state concern FAW has repeatedly tried to enter the Russian market and invariably stalled every time. Another Chinese giant, DongFeng Motors, is in no hurry to speed things up: last year it began selling two passenger models in Russia, and the AX7 crossover and the A30 sedan are next. We tested them in Shanghai.
DongFeng began his journey to Russia with heavy trucks, but did not achieve much success. In 2011, the company took the first major step within the framework of a new long-term strategy - it created an importing company that was supposed to deal with the cargo and passenger segments. DongFeng Motor has been thinking about the next step - the selection of an optimal passenger model range for Russia - for three years. And in the spring of 2014 I started with two models, far from new, but proven. The S30 sedan and the "raised" H30 Cross hatchback with a protective plastic body kit are built on a middle-aged Citroen platform with a rear torsion bar suspension. These cars did not make a furore: according to the statistics of Avtostat-Info, a little more than 300 new DongFeng passenger cars were registered last year. Two-thirds of this number are H30 Cross hatchbacks. In the first three months of 2015, the company sold 30 H70s and 30 SXNUMX sedans. Despite the more than modest result, representatives of DongFeng Motor are optimistic.
“Even in a crisis, you can find ways to develop,” says CEO Ju Fu Shou. — Russia is a strategic market for us. This is a very large country and any crisis there is a temporary phenomenon.” Currently, the automaker is looking for partners to take the third step - to organize production in Russia. At the moment, various sites are being considered, in particular, the PSA plant in Kaluga.
The Russian model range of the company should soon be replenished with two more models: the budget A30 sedan and the AX7 crossover, which could be seen at last year's Moscow Motor Show. In China, they are marketed under the Fengshen brand.
The calculation for the joint venture was justified: in its own cars, DongFeng actively uses licensed platforms, power units, transmissions. Moreover, future models will receive turbocharging and robotic boxes with two clutches (the result of cooperation with Getrag). Moreover, DongFeng is also a shareholder of the PSA Peugeot Citroen concern (share of 14%) and, therefore, can use the engineering potential of the French in joint development. This will allow to tighten up the passenger division of the concern, which has not yet gained much popularity, because DongFeng Motor is better known for its trucks. After the merger with the Volvo concern, the Chinese concern became the world leader in the cargo segment, as well as the "Chinese Hummers" - military all-terrain vehicles in the style of the American Hummer H1.
The exterior of the AX7 has something of the Hyundai Santa Fe. Its length is the same as that of the Korean crossover, but the "Chinese" is taller and narrower, and the wheelbase of the model, albeit not much, is larger. The crossover looks modern and bright. The most successful element is the triangular air intake on the front fender, from which the stamping extends along the doors.
The calculation for the joint venture was justified: in its own cars, DongFeng actively uses licensed platforms, power units, transmissions. Moreover, future models will receive turbocharging and robotic boxes with two clutches (the result of cooperation with Getrag). Moreover, DongFeng is also a shareholder of the PSA Peugeot Citroen concern (share of 14%) and, therefore, can use the engineering potential of the French in joint development. This will allow to tighten up the passenger division of the concern, which has not yet gained much popularity, because DongFeng Motor is better known for its trucks. After the merger with the Volvo concern, the Chinese concern became the world leader in the cargo segment, as well as the "Chinese Hummers" - military all-terrain vehicles in the style of the American Hummer H1.
Earlier it was reported that the AX7 is built on the previous generation Nissan Qashqai platform, but in fact we are talking about a different chassis - exactly like that of the Honda CR-V. Representatives of the company confirmed: the platform is licensed from Honda, a bit stretched, because the new DFM crossover belongs to the mid-size segment. The car is carefully assembled, the build quality is higher than that of many Chinese brands. The interior is dominated by hard plastic, only the front panel visor is made soft, but the workmanship is at a good level, the handles are devoid of backlash, and the buttons do not stick. The dashboard is too avant-garde, which affects the readability of the instruments. The massive multimedia display box looks a little strange. But on the 9-inch touchscreen you can display the picture from the all-round cameras. The landing is vertical and generally comfortable, except for the steering adjustment for reach, which is the norm for most crossovers.
The A30 sedan is somewhat lost against the background of the crossover. He has a neat appearance, harmonious proportions. But the car turned out to be too modest: he looked and immediately forgot - the eye has nothing to catch on. A30 is a budget car, it has nondescript plastic, simple fabric upholstery of the seats, there is no opening button on the outside and a handle on the inside of the trunk lid. The driver's seat is designed for a person of average build. Under an obese person, the seat begins to creak plaintively, and a tall driver complains that the steering wheel is too low and there is not enough tilt adjustment range. But in the second row, passengers feel quite at ease - nevertheless, the dimensions of the sedan are impressive for the B-class: it is longer than the Ford Focus (4530 mm), and the wheelbase (2620 mm) is larger than that of many classmates.
Traditionally, they had to get acquainted with the cars on a small asphalt area marked with cones - the Chinese are afraid to release foreigners into the chaos of Shanghai traffic. One site is not enough for a full-fledged test, but we managed to find out something about the nature of the cars.
For example, the AX7 crossover does not drive as impressively as it looks. Under the hood of the test car is a two-liter licensed French engine RFN. This "four" was once installed on the Peugeot 307 and 407. Its 147 hp. and 200 Newton meters of torque in theory should be enough to move a one and a half ton crossover. But in practice, a good half of the recoil is lost in the 6-speed "automatic" Aisin. Perhaps, with the top-end 3FY 2,3 engine (171 hp) (also licensed French), the DFM AX7 will go faster. In any case, such a car was tested by Russian dealers and, according to reviews, were satisfied.
The crossover's ride settings are absolutely not encouraging to go fast. Even at relatively low speeds, cornering rolls are great. The electric power steering wheel is empty and light, and at the limit the crossover slips in drift. The brakes made me nervous at all - the pedal, when pressed sharply, falls menacingly, and the deceleration is sluggish.
On the off-road site, it turned out that the energy intensity of the suspension is not bad, at the same time there is no specifics about the release time of the all-wheel drive version. For a crossover that is going to be sold in Russia, this is important.
The A30 sedan, on the contrary, rehabilitated itself during the test: on the steering wheel - the same three turns as in the crossover. The four-speed “automatic” works quickly and squeezes the maximum possible out of the 1,6 (116 hp) engine. I used the manual transmission mode, but in response to the swing of the automatic transmission lever, the gears are switched with tragic pauses. The brakes got a little tired after many passes, but still continued to decelerate the car efficiently and predictably. But the rolls are great here, and the understeer is more pronounced. Also, the standard Chinese tires start to slip too early in the corners.
The launch of AX7 and A30 in Russia has been postponed to May next year, later they will be joined by a larger sedan L60, created on the basis of the Peugeot 408. DongFeng is in no hurry: the cars still need to be equipped with ERA-GLONASS devices, which are now mandatory for all new models undergoing certification in Russia. The Russian adaptation implies a high-capacity battery, operating fluids for low temperatures and a Russified multimedia system.
When I asked whether the manufacturer plans to supply licensed X-Trail of the previous generation to Russia, the company's representatives answered with one voice: "We are betting on new models." But if X-Trail is remembered and loved by us, then the new little-known "Chinese" still have to deserve recognition. Therefore, the requirements for them are higher. For success in the Russian market, one affordable price is not enough. The crossover needs at least other brakes, and the sedan needs improved ergonomics in the driver's seat.
