Tag Archives: Dongfeng

News

Dongfeng to Exit Engine JV with Honda as China’s EV Shift Accelerates

Since the late 1990s, Honda and Dongfeng have been building engines side by side in China, churning out hundreds of thousands of internal-combustion powerplants through a long-running 50-50 joint venture. But that decades-old arrangement may be headed for a dramatic reset.

Earlier this week, Dongfeng officially put its 50 percent stake in the partnership up for sale on the Guangdong United Assets and Equity Exchange. No minimum price has been set, but the deadline for bids is September 12.

According to the filing, the joint venture isn’t small potatoes: last year it reported assets of 5.4 billion yuan ($752 million) and liabilities of 3.3 billion yuan ($459 million). The operation includes a factory staffed by 827 workers, all of whom are now facing an uncertain future.

A Partnership Under Pressure

The move underscores the mounting pressure on traditional engine makers in China. Once a growth engine for foreign automakers, the world’s largest car market has shifted aggressively toward electric vehicles. Local champions like BYD, Nio, and XPeng have surged ahead with competitive EVs, while legacy partnerships like Dongfeng Honda are struggling to adapt.

Dongfeng itself has been losing steam for years. Its annual vehicle sales have tumbled from 3.8 million in 2016 to just 1.5 million in 2023 across its own brand and joint ventures with Honda and Nissan. Selling its stake in the engine plant looks like a bid to pivot resources toward electrification before it falls even further behind.

What Happens Next?

The big question is what Honda will do. The Japanese automaker could step in and buy out Dongfeng’s half, taking full control of the engine operation. Alternatively, it might look for another local partner to keep the venture alive. For now, Honda’s automobile joint venture with Dongfeng remains unaffected.

Still, Honda appears to be hedging its bets. Earlier this year, it launched a new EV designed specifically for Chinese buyers in collaboration with Dongfeng, and at the same time rolled out the GAC Honda GT through its other Chinese partner, GAC Group.

The Bigger Picture

The likely exit of Dongfeng from the engine JV is more than a financial transaction—it’s a signpost for how quickly the old order in China is fading. For two decades, foreign automakers leaned on joint ventures to gain access to the Chinese market, most of them built on the back of internal-combustion technology. Now, as EVs take over, those alliances are being tested, reshaped, or abandoned.

Honda isn’t immune. The question isn’t whether the EV era will change its China strategy, but how quickly—and how decisively—it’s willing to move.

Source: Honda

NEW CARS

Dongfeng M-Hero M817: The 912-HP Off-Roader You Can’t Buy in the U.S.

You’ve probably never heard of the Dongfeng M-Hero M817 — and that’s no surprise. Built by Chinese automaker Dongfeng in collaboration with tech giant Huawei, the M817 is a muscular, electrified off-roader that looks like it drove straight out of a sci-fi action film. While its chances of reaching American soil are slim, it’s already stirring up serious interest at home in China — and for good reason.

The M817 debuted just a few months ago as a smaller sibling to the more premium M-Hero 917. Despite its relatively recent reveal, Dongfeng has wasted no time gauging buyer interest. The company opened pre-orders with refundable deposits, and within just 24 hours, a staggering 9,713 deposits had been placed. Whether all of those will convert to sales remains to be seen, but it’s a clear signal that rugged, high-tech SUVs have a strong foothold in the Chinese market.

At the heart of the M817 is a range-extender powertrain that blends internal combustion with electrification — a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine teams up with dual electric motors to unleash a jaw-dropping 912 horsepower and 1,280 Nm of torque. That kind of output is supercar territory, and it helps launch the M817 from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.2 seconds. Add a 200 km (124-mile) all-electric range to the mix, and this is one plug-in SUV that doesn’t compromise performance for efficiency.

Pricing is equally compelling. With a base tag of 329,900 yuan (around $46,000 USD) and topping out at roughly $50,000, the M817 undercuts Western rivals in both price and performance. That makes it not only powerful but practical for buyers seeking a bold, capable EV that doesn’t break the bank.

A major part of its appeal lies in design. In a world where SUVs often blur together in a sea of bland styling, the M817’s aggressive, futuristic design language stands out — a welcome departure from cookie-cutter crossovers. Its angular lines, commanding stance, and distinctive lighting signature look every bit the part of a next-gen adventure vehicle.

While a U.S. launch is highly unlikely due to regulatory hurdles and brand recognition challenges, rumors suggest that Dongfeng may offer the M817 in both left- and right-hand drive variants, hinting at potential exports to other international markets.

If the early hype and spec sheet are anything to go by, the Dongfeng M-Hero M817 isn’t just another Chinese EV — it’s a statement of intent. And while American consumers might never get a chance to drive one, the M817 could be a glimpse of what the global future of rugged electric mobility looks like.

Source: Car News China