The entry-level Dongfeng 007 has a smaller battery and half the power of the version above it.
The most important number on the Dongfeng 007 Prestige is not 007. It is 99.
That is how many kilowatts its electric motor produces, and in Singapore that keeps this sleek, nearly five-metre-long electric fastback within Category A COE.
And despite having less power, it has the same basic body, much of the same equipment and the same 310Nm of torque as the faster Premium variant, so you’re not missing out on much.
Leave a traffic light normally and there is an immediate, clean surge forwards. Gaps in traffic are easy to exploit and getting up to expressway speed requires no planning.
For most people, most of the time, that is enough. It is only when you ask for more that the 99kW figure makes itself known. With several people aboard, or when accelerating hard at higher speeds, the initial shove begins to fade, but I doubt you would want to make your occupants nauseous anyway.
There are MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear. The setup is relatively firm, but it avoids becoming harsh over the sort of broken surfaces that appear whenever the roadworks signs come out.
The steering is light enough for town use without becoming nervous at speed. There is little drama and not much in the way of genuine feedback, but there is consistency.
The brakes are less impressive. Under hard braking you will wish for stronger stopping hardware, and there is still a slightly underwhelming feeling when you ask for a lot of braking force at once.
The Prestige also swaps the Premium’s 73.48kWh lithium iron phosphate battery for a smaller 58.35kWh unit.
In testing you’ll get up to 550km of driving range, although (as ever with EV range figures) the number you actually achieve will depend heavily on speed, traffic, air-conditioning use and how enthusiastically you deploy your right foot.
Thankfully, when it comes time to top up, DC charging is supported at up to 200kW, which is unusually healthy for a relatively affordable Cat A electric car. AC charging, on the other hand, tops out at 6.6kW.
If there’s one thing to commend on this car, it would be looks. There is a low bonnet, a sweeping roofline, frameless doors and flush door handles.
Thin daytime-running lights sit above the main lamps, while the rear gets a full-width light arrangement with more intricate detailing than the usual illuminated red line. It looks tidy. Handsome, even.
The Chinese EV market has become so crowded that standing out increasingly requires manufacturers to shout louder than everyone else. The Dongfeng takes the opposite approach: it looks expensive without looking desperate to prove it.
The same restraint continues inside. You get an 8.8-inch driver’s display and a 15.6-inch central touchscreen. There are not many physical buttons, but the interface is logically arranged, with important functions such as the climate controls remaining easily accessible.
Apple CarPlay connects quickly, the graphics are clean, and there is relatively little hunting around menus required for everyday functions.
You still get ventilated front seats, ambient lighting, a wireless phone charger and the elaborate 19-speaker Wanos audio system, complete with speakers built into the driver’s headrest.
The long wheelbase translates into plenty of rear legroom, where adults can stretch out comfortably, and the relatively flat floor makes carrying three occupants across the back more realistic than in many combustion-engined cars.
The problem is above them. That elegant fastback roofline eventually has to come down somewhere, and it chooses to do so rather close to the heads of taller rear passengers.
Three full-size headrests also obstruct much of the view through the rear screen, and this feels like a car crying out for a camera-based rear-view mirror. You do, however, get a comprehensive 540-degree camera system to help with parking. Given the car’s dimensions, you will probably use it often.
The panoramic glass roof does at least make the cabin feel airier. It is heavily tinted and heat-reflective, which is useful because there is no retractable blind.
The payoff for that low roof arrives when you open the tailgate. Unlike a conventional saloon, the entire rear glass lifts with it, leaving a huge opening and a 452-litre luggage compartment, expanding to 1,026 litres with the back seats folded.
At the time of writing, the 007 Prestige is around S$200,888, making it the entry point to a range that extends through the 200kW Premium to the 400kW all-wheel-drive Performance.
For most folks, the Prestige may actually be the version that best exposes what the Dongfeng 007 is good at. It is quiet, comfortable, easy to drive, and roomy enough for a family.
It simply prioritises a different number. Not 0 to 100. Not even 007. In Singapore, 99 might be the cleverest number of all.
Technical Specifications
Dongfeng 007 Prestige
Powertrain: Single permanent-magnet synchronous motor, rear-wheel drive
Power: 99 kW (133 bhp)
Torque: 310 Nm
Battery: 58.35kWh LFP
0- 100 km/h: 8.2 seconds
Range: 550 km (claimed)
DC charging: 200 kW
AC charging: 6.6 kW
Boot capacity: 452 litres
Length/Wheelbase: 4,880mm / 2,915mm
Price: S$201,888 at the time of writing
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