Wearing a certain German badge, the car in these images could easily pass off as a premium offering from Deutschland – something that closely represents the bridge between a Passat CC and the mighty Phaeton. This, however, wears a Dongfeng badge, and it represents the Chinese state-owned manufacturer’s idea of a premium sedan. The handwritten-styled characters in Mandarin at the back, 东风1号, reveal its name – Number 1.
Connections to Europe are more than skin deep – the Number 1 is based on the same four-wheel driven platform as the Citroen C6, and will compete with a few locally made luxury sedans. We’ve seen all of them and we assure you that the Number 1 is really what the name suggests, at least in the styling department. However, unlike the Citroen, the Dongfeng will do away with the former’s hydropneumatic suspension, and continue with a conventional setup.
Why the French connection? Because the short-wheelbase variant of this platform underpins cars like the Peugeot 508 and Citroen C5, both of which are manufactured in China by the Dongfeng-PSA joint venture. Dimensions almost mirror that of the Citroen C6, right down to the wheelbase,apart from the length, with the Number 1 featuring a longer rear overhang. As for the styling – you be the judge. Ignore the Tuetonic connotations in the looks, and we think it looks smart; handsome even.
The interiors are, again, very German-like, which isn’t exactly a bad thing. They’re posh, layered in leather and wood, with a rear space that is a nod to the Audi A8 L – except, instead of champagne glasses, the Donfeng Number 1 comes with two Chinese tea bottles as standard. On launch, which happens by the end of this year, power for the Number 1 will only come from one engine: a 204 hp, 1.8-liter turbo petrol unit. Later on a PSA-sourced 3.0-litre V6 is expected to join the line-up. The final production version of the Number 1 will debut on the Chengdu Auto Show later this week
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