The mid-size urban crossover Dongfeng AX7 was officially demonstrated in April 2014 at the Beijing Motor Show, and a little later it was presented to the Russian public as part of the Moscow Motor Show.
The SUV received a successful design, solid dimensions and a high-quality interior ... and, contrary to expectations, it "perched" not on the platform from the "first Nissan Qashqai", but on the "own" DFMS architecture (but in fact, it was bought legally and thoroughly redrawn "Honda cart").
In the Celestial Empire, the sale of five-door cars began back in 2014, but it only reached Russia almost three years later - at the end of July 2017.
Outwardly, Dongfeng DFM AX7 looks attractive, neat, balanced and up-to-date ... and does not “eat out the eyes” akin to a large number of Chinese models. However, in general, his image can be called "collective" - it traces the mass of "painfully familiar" design solutions.
A pompous front end with complex optics, a chrome-plated "shield" of the radiator grille and a powerful bumper, a dynamic silhouette with a sloping roof that rises closer to the stern with a window sill line and regular strokes of wheel arches, a pretty stern with LED lights and trapezoidal exhaust tips - the car looks good from the outside and harmonious.
This is an SUV, as already noted, of the mid-size class with the corresponding dimensions: 4690 mm in length, 1727 mm in height and 1850 mm in width. The wheelbase of the "Chinese" is 2630 mm, and the ground clearance is 190 mm.
The interior of Dongfeng AX7 looks stylish, strict and completely ergonomic - all controls are in the right places and within reach. The massive front dash in the center section is topped by a 7-inch infotainment screen, under which are the intuitive multimedia and climate control units. Neither the four-spoke multi-steering wheel with embossed tides, nor the modern instrument cluster with a pair of dials and a color display of the on-board computer, cause no complaints.
One of the advantages of a mid-size SUV is its spaciousness: even in the back, three adult passengers can sit without any problems.
However, the seats themselves are definitely not a "standard to follow": the front seats have a weak side profile and insufficient padding, and the rear sofa shows a flat outline and excessive softness.
Dongfeng AX7 has no problems with practicality - with a five-seater layout, 565 liters of luggage can be stowed in its cargo compartment (by the way, almost of the correct shape). The rear sofa is folded in a pair of unequal sections, as a result of which the useful volume of the "hold" increases to 1572 liters. The underground niche contains tools and a full-size spare wheel.
In the Russian market for Dong Feng AX7, only one gasoline engine is declared - this is an inline four-cylinder "aspirated" of the PSA concern with a displacement of 2.0 liters with multipoint fuel injection, 16 valves and variable valve timing. It generates 140 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 200 N • m of available output at 4,000 rpm, and works jointly with a 5-speed manual or 6-band automatic and a front-wheel drive transmission exclusively.
Depending on the modification, the crossover is able to accelerate to a maximum of 180-185 km / h, and its gasoline consumption in combined conditions is 8-8.7 liters for every “hundred” of run.
At the heart of the Dongfeng AX7 is the DFMS front-wheel drive architecture with a transversely mounted powertrain. The SUV has a fully independent suspension with MacPherson struts in front and a multi-link structure in the rear (in both cases - with transverse stabilizers and hydraulic shock absorbers).
All wheels of the "Chinese" are equipped with disc brakes (ventilated on the front axle), working with ABS and EBD, and its rack and pinion steering gear is supplemented with an electric power steering.
On the Russian market, Dongfeng DFM AX7 is offered in four trim levels - Comfort, Prestige, Premium and Luxury.
For a car of 2017 in the basic version, dealers ask at least 990,000 rubles, and its equipment includes: two airbags, an ERA-GLONASS system, ABS, EBD, ESC, HSA, TCS, air conditioning, a multimedia system, "music" with six speakers, power windows for all doors, a multifunction steering wheel, alloy wheels and some other equipment.
For a crossover with automatic transmission (“Prestige” version) you will have to pay at least 1,149,000 rubles, and the “top” version of “Luxury” costs from 1,249,000 rubles.
"Full stuffing" boasts: side airbags and curtain airbags, "cruise", rear view camera, climate control, parking sensors, heated front seats, keyless entry into the salon and starting the engine, leather seats and other "chips".
