Have you ever heard about the Dongfeng Mengshi Mhero 917 full-electric vehicle? I guess not...

This is the Dongfeng Mhero. Fully electric, with four motors, one for each wheel. Each motor produces 200 kW or 272 HP, in total 1088 HP. Add a huge 140 kWh battery produced by CATL and you get up to 450 km of range.

The Mhero is slightly bigger than a Land Rover Defender 110 or a Mercedes G-wagon - both of which clearly inspired the designers. The Mhero is 499 cm long or 509 cm with the rear-door box which adds 10 cm. It is 208 cm wide plus mirrors but it looks much bigger than it is, with its very unique design and massive height of 193 cm. The only thing that looks small are the 20" rims, but for off road driving the wheels are fit for purpose.

Does anyone need a car like this? Of course not, but then I do not need a Mercedes G-Wagon either. The Mhero can be yours for 148,900 CHF. The drive is comfortable and the car is very spacious.

The times, where the Chinese manufacturers simply copied others, is definitely over. New Chinese 4-wheel drive titans like the GWM Tank 800, the YangWang U8 from BYD, and this Mhero from Dongfeng want a part of the premium SUV cake.

This Mhero is a good example of the Chinese agile approach in design, testing and production. The design concept, the M-Terrain, was shown in 2022, and less than 18 months later you can buy it!

But who is Dongfeng Motor Corporation Ltd.?

Dongfeng is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Wuhan, Hubei. Founded in 1969, it is one of the "Big Four" state-owned car manufacturers of China. Dongfeng produces a wide range of vehicles including big trucks and buses and quite attractive volume passenger cars like the Dongfeng 007 and 008, Dongfeng Huge and Dongfeng Shine.

Then they have the more premium Voyah brand with the models Dream, Passion and Free, and then the M-Hero brand which was established in 2022.

And last but not least, they also produce military vehicles for the Chinese military like the Dongfeng EQ2050 or the Dongfeng CSK-131 Mengshi, so they know a thing or two about robust off-road vehicles.

Dongfeng may not be widely known in Europe, but in China it is a force to be reckoned with.

You want an electric car that stands out? This is it. Does it make sense, not at all, but it is a breeze of fresh air. Toyota, Land Rover, Mercedes G-wagon and co.: Take notice!

Thank you to Imholz Autohaus in Cham, Canton Zug in Switzerland, for lending the car to me.

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