Dongfeng-Yulon, a joint venture between China's Dongfeng Motor and Taiwan’s Yulon Motor, started selling its Luxgen 7 SUV in China in June, priced between 188000 yuan (25.13 lac PKR) to 268000 yuan (35.82 lac PKR).
The Dongfeng Yulon partnership, ratified by the Chinese government last year, comprises both a passenger and a commercial vehicle venture, It is equally owned by both sides, and has a registered capital of 1.55 billion yuan. The Dongfeng-Yulon factory in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province has a designed capacity of producing 240,000 units a year..
The Luxgen7 luxury sport utility vehicle features a 2.2L turbocharged engine with a maximum power of 131 kW at 5,200 rpm and peak torque of 275 Nm at 2,500-4,000 rpm. It measures 4,800 mm in length, 1,930 mm in width and 1,760 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,910 mm. Outfitted with the newly developed aluminum alloy cylinder block, the engine weighs only 135 kg, 13 percent lighter than those with the same displacement, and has the added advantages of high strength and efficient heat dissipation.
The Luxgen 7 SUV will compete head on with the hot-selling Toyota Highlander and RAV4, as well as Honda CR-V in the Chinese market, which saw its SUV sales grow 54 percent in the first two months of this year.
The Luxgen 7 SUV is armed with the Think+ vehicle information center in combination with the BOS (brake override system). Equipped with 23 ECUs (electronic control units), the Think+ system processes information from various sources of the vehicle in an instant in order to respond to every situation detected inside and outside the vehicle. Moreover, the multimedia center of this SUV ensures all passengers an access to various forms of entertainment.
Luxgen 7 SUV is fitted with the 3-mode 4WD system, which can actively divide torque between the front and rear axles based on the road condition and driver input using JTEKT’s electronic smart torque coupler. Meanwhile, it adopts ABS (anti-lock braking system), EBD (electronic brake-force distribution), TCS (traction control system), ESP/ESC (electronic stability program or control) and EPB (electric park brake).
Other equipment highlights include the intelligent powered tailgate and four visual assistance systems: Eagle View+ (a 360-degree surveillance system), Side View+ (blind spot monitoring system), LDWS+ (lane departure warning system) and Night vision+ (high sensitivity night vision enhancement system) offering unparalleled functionality.
The interior of the Luxgen 7 SUV is characterized by leather seats – with surrounding head restraints, heating, ventilation, electronic massage and lumbar support adjustment functions and a Clarion audio system with JBL speakers, sources said.
Monthly sales of the Luxgen 7 SUV will initially be around 3,000 units, with the possibility to increase to approximately 4,000 by the end of this year. There will also be an all-electric version of the Luxgen 7 SUV in the future.
