Does anyone in Russia remember the Dongfeng brand? Until recently, the Chinese brand did not really try to expand its presence in our market: only the middle-aged Dongfeng 580 crossover, the Captain-T light-duty truck and the DF6 pickup truck, which is now not even on the official website, were on sale. But times have changed, market niches have become vacant and competitors have left, opening up opportunities for others to make money. And now the Dongfeng Aeolus Shine Max business class sedan has reached Russia. We tested the new four-door from China on the roads of the Krasnodar region.
Dongfeng Aeolus Shine Max sounds like the name of a mobile phone from Aliexpress – long and incomprehensible. The entire car is covered with various logos: on the trunk lid (and on the steering wheel) it is not the name of the manufacturer that dominates, but the model line that the sedan belongs to – Aeolus.
At the rear, according to the Chinese tradition, in addition to all other nameplates, the maximum torque that the transmission can handle (320 Nm) is indicated, on the front fenders there is the inscription “Mach” (this is the name of the engine family), and on the front on the radiator grille there is “Max” in red letters.
So far there are four colors to choose from, and in this photo the only one missing is dark blue
Dongfeng
A little overkill with various inscriptions, but overall the sedan looks good: a strict silhouette, a large radiator grille, embossed fenders, muscular bumpers and a fair amount of chrome. There is no pretentiousness in appearance, but there are not enough interesting details either – the car does not stand out in the traffic.
Dongfeng
Dongfeng
In terms of its dimensions, the Aeolus Shine Max is close to the Volkswagen Passat: the length of the Chinese sedan is 4797 mm, width – 1870 mm, height – 1475 mm, and the wheelbase is 2770 mm.
Dongfeng
The model is based on the modular platform DSMA (Dongfeng Superior Modular Architecture) – this is a modernized version of the CMP truck of the Stellantis concern, on which the Citroen C3/C4, Jeep Avenger, Opel Corsa/Mokka and Peugeot 208/2008 are built. The design is simple and familiar: McPherson struts are used at the front, and a multi-link at the rear.
Dongfeng
The interior is made well – the panels fit perfectly, nothing rattles or makes noise on rough roads. The finishing materials cannot be called premium, but everything is done tactilely and visually: the front panel and door cards are covered with soft leatherette, the plastic is not expensive, but has a high-quality feel. Even the plastic imitation of wood is not very noticeable.
Dongfeng
An unusual element of the interior is a narrow unit of single-zone climate control with touch buttons, which is located on the upper part of the front panel, and not installed at the bottom of the center console, as on many other cars. At the same time, air flows cannot be adjusted in the old-fashioned way, manually – the deflectors of the ventilation system are controlled through the multimedia system.
And the multimedia complex with a 10.25-inch screen is the most unfortunate element of the interior. Small icons, tiny fonts, confusing menus, bad word abbreviations, sluggish interface and lack of modern smartphone connection services.
There are two interior design options – beige and black.
Dongfeng
The electronic dashboard has several design themes.
Dongfeng
The most unusual element of the interior is the climate sensor unit at the top of the front panel.
Dongfeng
A sensor for monitoring driver fatigue is located on the A-pillar.
Dongfeng
The gear selector is electronic. All important functions are controlled on the multimedia screen.
Dongfeng
The surround view system is activated by a button on the steering wheel.
Dongfeng
The sedan is equipped with a Jamo audio system with 9 speakers.
Dongfeng
A USB port and a 12-volt outlet are hidden on the second floor of the central tunnel.
Dongfeng
The center console houses a wireless smartphone charger.
Dongfeng
There is no separate climate control unit and seat heating on the second row.
Dongfeng
There is a special pocket for a smartphone on the back of the front seat.
Dongfeng
The panoramic roof has a sliding sunroof.
Dongfeng
The driver’s seat has heating, ventilation and massage.
Dongfeng
But the main failure is Russification, performed as if with the help of a bad online translator. “Podium massage”, “blow to avoid people”, “sweeping” (whatever that means) and other pearls – this has not been seen on Chinese cars for a long time.
The Motorinvest company, which recently received the status of a Dongfeng distributor, promises that within a month or two, new firmware will appear and problems with Russification will be corrected. And then the Apple CarPlay interface is expected to appear. So all these shortcomings are temporary, and they can only be attributed to the first batch of cars that were tested.
Dongfeng
Dongfeng
The driver’s seat has massage, heating, ventilation and position memory. But the passenger only has electric adjustments and heating, and the second row doesn’t even have that. The only “entertainment” for rear passengers is one USB port, ventilation system deflectors and an armrest with cup holders.
Dongfeng
Dongfeng
The second row is very spacious: even a person taller than 177 centimeters can sit behind him with a decent amount of free legroom. But the full feeling of comfort is hampered by mediocre sound insulation: the tires begin to noisy already at city speeds, and if you drive a little faster, you have to raise your voice to talk to people in the front part of the cabin.
The driver also does not experience much pleasure on a long journey. On the one hand, the heavy steering wheel is pleasantly clamped to zero, but on the other hand, there is almost no feedback. In the city this is not a problem, there are no fast turns and ultra-clear control is not needed, especially considering that the car responds to all commands adequately and quickly. But if you drive faster on a road with a lot of turns, the sedan becomes not particularly pleasant to drive.
Dongfeng
On the track, its own peculiarities emerge: the sedan does not stand on a straight line, not allowing the driver to relax for a second, vertical accelerations are transmitted to the body, and the Shine Max begins to collect all the potholes from the road. At the same time, the suspension is not pinched, as it might seem, but at the same time it is not very relaxed. Dongfeng perfectly digests various urban small things, but responds with hard pokes on large sharp holes or transverse joints of the road surface.
Dongfeng
The power plant is a 1.5-liter petrol turbo-four with a capacity of 190 horsepower, which is paired with a seven-speed Getrag robotic gearbox with two wet clutches. This tandem from the Chinese turned out to be excellent: quick responses to the gas pedal, good transmission settings and vigorous pickup from 2000 rpm.
According to official specifications, the Shine Max reaches the first “hundred” in 8.7 seconds: the sedan has no problems with acceleration in any mode, be it overtaking in urban driving modes or on the highway.
Dongfeng
Dongfeng Aeolus Shine Max is offered in Russia in one single (and very rich) configuration at a price of 2,990,000 rubles. The sedan’s equipment includes front, side and curtain airbags, single-zone climate control, all-LED optics, adaptive cruise control, heating, ventilation and massage of the driver’s seat, panoramic roof, Jamo audio system with nine speakers, multimedia complex with Bluetooth, light sensors and rain, keyless entry, wireless charging for a smartphone, parking sensors, 360-degree video surveillance systems, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping, road sign recognition, driver fatigue monitoring.
Dongfeng
The new Chinese sedan turned out to be ambiguous: with a peppy engine, but with a chassis and steering settings that do not correspond to it, it is not too hard, but it also cannot be called very comfortable. At the same time, during the time that Shine Max reached us, it had many competitors. There is the Chery Arrizo 8, which is similar in size and power, there is the Changan Lamore and the FAW Bestune B70, which with approximately the same set of equipment will cost within the same three million rubles. The Dongfeng Aeolus is an interesting option that addresses the lack of choice in the executive sedan segment. And even if it doesn’t reach the level of “Europeans” and “Japanese”, the car is definitely worthy of taking a closer look at it. /m
https://quto.ru/dongfeng/shine_max/if/sedan4d
Car Dongfeng Aeolus Shine Max Likes Peppy engine, nice appearance and interior Dislikes Not the most refined driving characteristics Verdict A new interesting player has appeared in the business sedan segment Engine 1476 cm³, petrol L4, 190 hp, 320 Nm Transmission RKP-7 Figures 8.7 s; 210 km/h Weight 1486 kg
Detailed Specifications of Dongfeng Aeolus Shine Max
Dongfeng Aeolus Shine Max Engine type petrol L4 turbo Displacement, cm³ 1476 Max. power, hp 190 Max. torque, Nm/rpm 320/2000–4000 Drive type front Gearbox robotic 7-speed Front suspension spring McPherson Rear suspension spring multi-link Dimensions (LxWxH), mm 4797x1870x1475 Wheelbase, mm 2770 Ground clearance, mm 150 Curb weight, kg 1486 Trunk volume, l 428–839 Acceleration 0–100 km/h, s 8.7 Max. speed, km/h 210 Fuel consumption (combined), l/100 km 6.2 Fuel tank volume, l 52 Price, rub. 2,990,000
