On August 27, the Chinese concern DongFeng Motor launched the Mengshi sub-brand, at the same time the company presented prototypes of the first two models under this brand - full-size M-Terrain electric SUVs with five and three doors.
In general, the name Mengshi is not new, it has been used since 2002 for a diesel all-terrain vehicle, which is a copy of the American Humvee / Hummer H1. Now the Chinese have decided to produce a whole line of brutal SUVs under this brand.
At the heart of the M-Terrain is Mengshi's new purely electric platform with a "flat" design. This chassis, in principle, does not involve the use of internal combustion engines and with minimal investment can be adapted to any type of body (station wagon, pickup truck, van, etc.).
Mengshi M-Terrain in the basic five-door configuration will compete with the American electric SUV GMC Hummer EV. The chassis of the M-Terrain, like the GMC, is fully steerable - at low speeds, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front ones, thus achieving a minimum turning radius of 5.1 m. At high speeds, the wheels turn in opposite directions - this helps prevent understeer . Like the Hammer, there is a "crab walk" mode - in it the wheels deviate to the maximum angle and the car can "creep" sideways.
Air suspension, with adjustable ground clearance (relative to the standard position, the body can be raised by 105 mm).
The package includes the MATS Mengshi intelligent off-road system, which includes presets for nine driving modes, incl. snow, sand, deep snow, rocks, swamps. In each case, individual steering, brakes, suspension and power system settings are applied.
The power system of the new DongFeng is called Mega Power, it includes four electric motors (one per wheel), their total power is 800 kW (1070 hp). From 0 to 100 km / h, the car accelerates in 4.2 seconds.
The design has three differential locks - front, rear and center.
The autopilot system is the third level according to the SAE classification. The car can drive offline on country roads and city streets, as well as park itself. The driver is required to be willing to intervene within a limited amount of time specified by the manufacturer.
Mengshi M-Terrain will go into production in 2023, the production model will be as close as possible to the presented prototype.
DongFeng introduced a competitor to the electric Hummer
