DFSK Glory 580 now in Malaysia – Dongfeng Sokon SUV with 7 seats, 1.5T engine, CBU Indonesia, RM88k

When we covered the DFSK Glory 580 in Indonesia two years ago, we wouldn’t have guessed that the seven-seat SUV trading on value will eventually reach our shores, but it’s here now. It’s a lot of car for the money, but before we dive in, here’s an introduction.

DFSK stands for Dongfeng Sokon, and in Indonesia, the Chinese brand is simply known as Sokon. Here, it’s Dongfeng or DFSK, and it’s retailed by Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Malaysia alongside Dongfeng’s Supercab light commercial truck. Basically, it’s a Chinese commercial vehicle brand probing the passenger car market for the first time with the Glory 580. The first customer units will be registered next week.

Value is the Glory 580’s calling card, and it’s quite eye-catching on paper. The 580 is a Honda CR-V type of SUV with seven seats, priced at Honda BR-V levels. Powered by a 1.5 litre turbocharged engine mated to a CVT, the Indonesia-assembled 580 is priced at just RM88,000 without insurance. Yup, RM88k for a seven-seat turbocharged SUV.

The Glory 580’s styling is inoffensive, but it does look like other SUVs in a few areas. There are hints of the Honda HR-V in front and shades of the previous-gen Hyundai Santa Fe in the profile, while the wraparound tailgate is obviously “inspired” by the first-gen Audi Q5. The 580’s sober interior gives off a Volkswagen vibe.

The unibody SUV rides on MacPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam rear setup, with disc brakes and 17-inch wheels all round. It measures 4,680 mm long and 1,845 mm wide, with a 2,780 mm wheelbase. That’s a fair bit bigger than a Proton X70 – 161 mm longer and 14 mm wider, with a 110 mm longer wheelbase. Like the Nissan X-Trail and the CR-V in some markets, two small seats make for a third row.

Under the hood is a 1.5 litre turbo engine pushing out 150 PS and 220 Nm of torque from 1,800 to 4,000 rpm. Power from the four-pot goes to the front wheels via a CVT with manual mode. In Indonesia, there’s a six-speed manual option for this engine, besides a 139 PS/187 Nm 1.8 litre naturally aspirated motor.

In Indonesia, the Glory 580 is available in Comfort and Luxury trim levels, but we’re getting only the Luxury here. It’s well equipped, with leather seats, a black-brown two-tone interior, six-way electric driver’s seat, keyless entry with push start and all auto up/down windows.

Also included are a multi-function steering wheel, rear blower with control panel, electronic parking brake, reverse camera, tyre pressure monitoring system and a 10-inch touchscreen head unit, among other things. There are four airbags. Available in four colours – Glorious Metallic Red, Elegant White, Phantom Black and Champagne Silver – the DFSK Glory 580 is covered by a five-year or 150,000 km warranty.

Following the Indonesian path cleared by Chinese counterpart Wuling, Dongfeng launched its US$150 million plant in Serang with a 50,000 units per annum capacity in November 2017. Today, the factory produces the Glory 580, the smaller Glory 560 SUV and the Glory i-Auto, a higher-end version of the 580.

So, what do you think of the DFSK Glory 580 as a value proposition? Owners will have plenty of explanation to do, but the Dongfeng undercuts even 1.5L NA budget MPVs like the Honda BR-V and Mitsubishi Xpander.

GALLERY: DFSK Glory 580 1.5L Turbo CVT Luxury

GALLERY: Dongfeng Fengguang 580

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