Can you remember the last time a brand new sedan launched in New Zealand?

It was actually the Kia 4 in March 2025, almost a year ago. No wonder it feels rare nowadays for a sedan update, let alone an all-new product. In this age of SUVs it’s become a novelty to lower yourself into a driver's seat instead of sliding sideways into a mall crawler.

However, for Dongfeng, this isn’t just a sedan. The 007 is the brand's hero product, a showcase of what they're capable of and an electric vehicle (EV) designed from the outset to gain attention, get people in the dealerships and ultimately, lowered into the driver's seat.

First off, the name. No, there are zero James Bond references here. I looked and I asked. The 007 nameplate fits into a wider naming structure for the Dongfeng group. There’s a smaller sedan called the E70 Pro and a 008 SUV available in their home market, and 007 is what they’ve landed on for their range-topper.

To my eye there are hints of BMW 7-series, Tesla Model 3 and even Mazda 6e scattered in the 007’s design though that’s not a complaint. As a whole, the 007 looks sleek in person and does have its own look on the move.

Unlike some other new Chinese brands that have launched in New Zealand recently, Dongfeng are no newcomers to producing vehicles. The company has operated since the 1960s and have sold over 60 million units including everything from trucks to city cars. They build a variety of powertrains, but only plan on offering EVs in New Zealand, at least for now.

Dongfeng’s explicit aim in New Zealand is to achieve “true ICE/EV parity”, offering vehicles that can go toe-to-toe with electric or petrol vehicles at the same price point. So let’s see what they’ve got to play with.

How much does the Dongfeng 007 cost?

The Dongfeng 007 arrives in two variants - the entry-level Long Range RWD and Performance AWD.

Model	Price before on-road costs
007 Long Range RWD	$54,990
007 Performance AWD	$59,990

The Long Range is available in four colours - Morning White, Stone Grey, Sun Gold and Night Shadow Black - and all but white are a $499 option. All those shades are available with the Performance model, too, and there’s an exclusive Orchid Purple option if you want people to know you have the fast one.

Pricing of both the Long Range and Performance models will undercut its two main rivals in the EV sedan space, the BYD Seal ($58,990 - $76,990) and Tesla Model 3 ($63,990 - $84,990).

What’s the Dongfeng 007 like on the inside?

Dongfeng are serious about making luxury accessible with the 007 and that shows most with the interior.

The 6-way adjustable front seats are wrapped in a leatherette material that does a good job of convincing you it’s cowhide. Long Range models feature black and grey interiors and Performance models sport white and grey exclusively. Both are soft to touch and feel premium beyond the 007’s price point.

Much of the interior is wrapped in the leatherette material including extensive use on the door cards, dashboard and full coverage on the centre console. The only reason it doesn’t extend to the headliner is because there isn’t one. Instead, both models feature a 1.8m2 double coated panoramic glass roof that stretches from the top of the A pillar to behind the headrests in the second row. The glass roof is standard on early models but will become an option later.

Like the Vigo, there is a total lack of buttons on the dashboard. Controls for the HVAC and hazard lights have all been placed into the 15.6-inch infotainment screen. The only physical buttons you’ll find are on the steering wheel, and traditional window, door lock and mirror adjustments on the doors.

The touchscreen is responsive and after a quick play seems logically laid out and easy to get the hang of after some time. Below the unit is a space for two phones and a single 50W wireless charger on the drivers side. Below that is a storage cubby with USB-C outlets, and the storage bin under the centre armrest is large with plenty of space to stow things away.

The 8.8-inch driver instrument cluster is a full LCD unit and equally sharp. It works in tandem with buttons on the flat-bottom steering wheel to cycle through drive modes, menus and audio controls.

Wireless Apple CarPlay is standard, however Android Auto is a $390 optional extra. According to Dongfeng, this requires extra software and a physical adapter. A shame for Android users as the 19-speaker soundsystem sounded great playing some Kiwi hip hop during my on-road drive. There are two integrated headrest speakers in the driver seat and even a driver-centric preset audio mode for when you’re in the car by yourself.

In the back row there is plenty of space for two adults and you could go three-wide comfortably over short journeys. The frameless doors add an extra touch of sophistication when hoping in or out the 007.

The liftback boot opens to reveal 452 litres of space, growing to 1026 litres with the rear row dropped.

What’s under the bonnet?

A handy frunk and underneath that there could be an electric motor depending on the model.

Both models share the same 70.26kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery, body styling and wheels. Where they differ is electric motor count. The Long Range is rear-wheel drive (RWD) only with a single electric motor at the rear axle, while the Performance adds an additional electric motor to the front axle making it all-wheel drive (AWD) and doubling the torque and power outputs.

In Long Range RWD form, the electric motor produces 200kW and 320Nm of torque with a claimed, powering the 007 from 0-100km/h in 5.8 seconds. The Performance AWD ups that to 400kW and 640Nm, reducing the 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds. Range is rated at 520km and 389km respectively on the WLTP cycle.

However Dongfeng expects customers to meet and even exceed those WLTP figures in the real world. The 007 has a best-in-class aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.209 Cd, pipping the Tesla Model 3’s figure of 0.219. For reference, any road car between 0.25 and 0.30 is considered good, anything under 0.25 is excellent.

As they share the same battery, both models support DC Fast Charging up to 200kW meaning it’s possible to charge from 30%-80% in 26 minutes, as well as providing vehicle-to-load capabilities to power devices and accessories.

How does the Dongfeng 007 drive?

We spent the majority of our short experience with the 007 in the Performance model because, well, 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds.

But Dongfeng are actually being a bit modest here, if the 007s own software is to be believed. Both the Long Range and Performance 007 models have the usual Eco, Comfort and Sport modes, but Performance variants gain a “Combat Sport+” mode, too.

Combat is a high-performance setting that unlocks maximum power (up to 400 kW), activates the active rear spoiler at high speeds and enables a 0-100 km/h time of approximately 3.0 to 3.9 seconds.

In Combat mode, the central infotainment screen displays real-time telemetry to measure and display G-forces, power and torque output, and measures 0-100km/h times. Of course we tried it. My best time was 3.6 seconds including my reaction time, the best recorded that morning was 3.52 seconds. So yes, it’s fast in a straight line.

On track it also performed well in the emergency stop and slalom courses. As usual, there wasn’t any great sense of feedback in the wheel, but the direction change was sharp and I could place the car accurately.

Leaving the track and heading out on a short country road drive was also promising. The view out the front window is great for a low sedan and the shape of the bonnet from the drivers seat gives you a good sense of where both front wheels are.

The Performance model felt just as fast as on track, delivering all the punch you’d need coming out of a corner or intersection. The Long Range RWD was also no slouch and felt much faster than its claimed 5.8 second 0-100km/h time would suggest.

I spent most of the drive on chip seal roads and there was a fair amount of noise coming in from the tyres and wheel wells, not uncommon for similar EVs in these conditions. What was promising was there were very little vibrations to note and over some pretty rough roads, there were no rattles or squeaks to report.

On the motorway, much of the noise disappeared however there was some wind noise cruising at 100km/h.

First impressions of the suspension were very similar in both models. If you ignored acceleration, Long Range and Performance models were almost indistinguishable. The tune was on the softer side so it didn’t soak up uneven surfaces at higher speeds, however both models never felt floaty and grip from the front axle always felt sharp. There’s much more testing to be done here and we look forward to doing it down the line.

Both models are fitted with a range of active safety features including Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning with Land Keep, Blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert. Yet for some reason, Fatigue monitoring warning and distraction monitoring warning are only fitted to the Performance model. That could be a good thing to avoid a few bings and bongs. Someone had turned all those systems off on-track, but on-road the 007’s safety systems were fully active and I found lane keep to be a bit over-eager at times on country roads.

What do you get?

Both 007 models are generously equipped for the money, and bar the additional electric motor in the Performance, there isn’t much kit separating the two.

Dongfeng 007 Long Range RWD equipment highlights:

70.2kWh battery rear-wheel drive
Active rear spoiler
Active air intake grille
LED front headlights
Matrix LED tail lights
1.8m2 double-coated panoramic roof
Frameless doors
Hidden door handles
Liftback tailgate with electronic opening and closing
15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment screen
8.8-inch LCD driver instrument display
19-speaker sound system
Voice control
50W wireless mobile phone charger
Apple CarPlay (Android Auto $390 extra)
Black leather seats
Front row 6-way electronically adjustable seats
Front ventilated seats
Rear parking sensors
540-degree panoramic camera

Performance AWD adds:

All-wheel drive
White & grey leather interior

CarExpert’s take on the Dongfeng 007

Some Kiwis might find the brand and model nameplate funny but after our first experience, the Dongfeng 007 is no joke.

Be it Long Range or Performance models, the 007 represents serious bang for buck when you consider its standard equipment compared to its main rivals from Tesla and BYD.

The cabin is a great place to be, the performance from both models is more than enough for real-world driving conditions and the technology on offer is state of the art.

It’s too early to say just how capable the 007 is on New Zealand roads, we will be testing this in the future, but for now it seems a viable alternative to the BYD Seal or Tesla Model 3.

Perhaps its biggest challenge is that it's a low-slung sedan. It’s brave for anyone's halo product to be a sedan in this age of SUVs, maybe one will follow? However with models on dealership floors right now, it won’t take long to see if Kiwis are taken with the 007.

Dongfeng 007 review: Quick Drive

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