EV adoption may be accelerating in the Philippines but there are still many buyers that are uneasy with making the shift. Thankfully, there are brands like Dongfeng that still offer both kinds of vehicles for buyers to choose from.
No doubt, many are still wondering if modern electric vehicles (EVs) can match the range of internal combustion engines (ICE). To put that question to rest, Dongfeng organized a drive to a popular summer destination, Anvaya Cove.
Dongfeng is a brand that's been around for quite a while here in the Philippines, distributed by Legado Motors Inc. For this trip, they’ve prepared their entire lineup for us to choose from. Initially, their offerings were EV’s and a hybrid, but last year, they expanded their offerings to include ICE vehicles too.
On the day of the drive, the vehicles we got to choose from were the Aeolus Huge (Hybrid), Aeolus Mage 1.5 Turbo (ICE), Forthing Friday (EV), Forthing U-Tour 7-seat MPV (ICE), Nammi (EV), and the Rich 7 (ICE Diesel). The destination was well within the range of the EV’s and would give us a chance to see how they fare on the expressways.
Dongfeng Nammi (EV)
The first of two vehicles we drove on this trip was their subcompact EV hatchback, the Dongfeng Nammi. Bigger than the little hatchback they introduced in 2023 the Nanobox, the Nammi’s motor has a peak power output of 70-hp and 160-Nm of torque, and boasts of a 430-km range (CLTC) on a full charge. With three occupants, the Nammi was quite roomy despite its small stature.
Getting in and starting this EV is easy. When you approach the car, the doors unlock and the concealed door handles reveal themselves. Once inside, the car detects the smart key inside and shows “Ready” on the small LCD screen right behind the steering wheel. The stalk on the right side of the steering wheels is the drive selector. This might be a bit confusing as we’re all used to this being where the wiper controls are. So step on the brake and put it in D, the park brake will disengage and you can drive away.
We left the Dongfeng dealership along Ortigas avenue made a right on EDSA to Balintawak and headed to our first stop at Petron Lakeshore along the NLEX. This would be about a 74-km drive. It was a bout the tail end of rush hour and knowing you weren’t burning fuel in stop and go traffic, and with the AC on, you weren’t consuming much of the battery’s charge in traffic.
The Nammi has three drive modes, Eco/Comfort and Sport. We put it on Eco so that the car’s systems will keep battery consumption down. Even at this setting, acceleration was still pretty satisfying on the expressways.
We always have to keep in mind, that even with a range of 430-km, and a destination well within the range of our EV, we still have to watch our speed. Going at 80-km/h will have a marked difference on battery consumption over going at 100-km/h. Also using the Adaptive Cruise Control let the car take care of the throttle control, allowing the car to apply the exact amount of accelerator needed to save on our precious battery charge.
It also helps to know where the EV chargers area at your destination. It’s equipped with both Type 2 and CCS2 (DC fast charge) ports and can charge from 30% to 80% in just 30 minutes using a DC fast charger. When we got to Petron Lakeshore, a press on the button on the right stalk put it in park. It automatically engages the parking brake. Step out and walk away. The car turns itself off and locks the doors. Easy.
Dongfeng Aeolus Mage
After our pitstop, we switched vehicles to the Dongfeng Aeolus Mage, their compact SUV offering powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter gasoline engine which puts out 204-hp with 320-Nm of torque.
Inside is a premium cabin appointed for both comfort and functionality. The comfortable leather seats provide ample support. Interior surfaces are a mix of leather with soft touch materials along with light blue stitching accents. The instrument cluster is a 10.25-inch full LCD. The centerpiece of the interior is the 13.2-inch HD LCD touchscreen. It doubles as the screen for the 360 cam, vehicle settings along with the infotainment system which has six-speaker Arkamys audio system, AM/FM and Carbit link (Android and IOS compatible, with the Carbit app).
It's equipped with two drive modes, Normal and Sport. We didn't feel the need to use the sport mode as there was enough grunt in Normal mode for a leisurely drive the rest of the way to Anvaya, which was about 103-km more. With an ICE under the hood, we took advantage of the longer range this offered us which was not overly compromised by higher speeds.
This drive allowed me to experience an EV and ICE vehicle back to back. The Nammi EV did pretty good on the first part of our drive. It was comfortable, and had lots of power on tap, but we had to keep in mind, the more we enjoyed its speed and torque, the more charge we’d be consuming.
As expected, the Aeolus Mage performed well, with the 1.5 turbo barely breaking a sweat on the twisties. The Aeolus Mage is priced at P1.248M which is puts it just under its mainstream competitors and the Nammi is priced at P1.238M, which is about where you expect a 400+km range EV would be priced, just a little under its competitors. It also has a full suite of Advanced Driver Assist Syatems (ADAS) which is great to have these days. So, the choice is up to you, EV or ICE?
Depending on your priorities, ICE is still an ideal all-around use vehicle, and the EV is perfect for daily use around the city. Although both did pretty good on this road trip.
If you haven’t considered the Dongfeng brand, we think you should give the brand a look and even a test drive, with EV, hybrid and ICE vehicles that might just be within your budget and may suit your daily needs.