Dongfeng Nissan NX8 on display in Beijing – available with EV or REEV powertrain; priced from RM92k

Following its launch in China last month, the Dongfeng Nissan NX8 was put on display at the recent Auto China (also known as Auto Beijing). A product of the Dongfeng Motor Group and Nissan Motors joint venture, the NX8 is the first SUV in the brand’s N Series and joins the N6 and N7 launched earlier.

Previously previewed by the Epic Concept, the NX8 is a five-seat model that measures 4,870 mm long, 1,920 mm wide, 1,680 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,917 mm. In China, the SUV is offered in both battery electric vehicle (BEV) or range-extended electric vehicle (REEV) guises, with pricing between 159,900 and 209,900 yuan (about RM92k and RM121k).

Four variants of the BEV version are available, with the first two – the 580 Pro and 580 Max – built on a 400-volt electrical architecture and fitted with a 73-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery for up to 580 km of range following the CLTC standard.

Both support 3C charging, with a 10-80% state of charge (SoC) achieved in just 17 minutes. For propulsion, the ‘580’ variants have a rear electric motor rated at 292 PS (288 hp or 215 kW) and 310 Nm of torque for a 0-100 km/h time of 7.1 seconds.

Higher up the range are the 650 Max and Master Edition that get an 800-volt system as well as a larger 81-kWh LFP battery, the latter capable of 5C charging to get from a 10-80% SoC in just 12 minutes.

Both are also rear-wheel drive with an electric motor that serves up 340 PS (335 hp or 250 kW) but the same amount of torque as the ‘580’ variants – the century sprint time is 6.7 seconds. In terms of range, the 650 Max offers the most range of the bunch at 650 km, while the range-topping Master Edition offers up to 630 km. The top-spec variant does come with 20-inch wheels and electronically controlled dampers as standard.

As for the REEV variants, they go for between 159,900 and 179,900 yuan (RM92k and RM104k) and are specified with a rear electric motor rated at 265 PS (261 hp or 195 kW) and 310 Nm, accompanied by a 1.5 litre turbocharged inline-four range extender making 148 PS (146 hp or 109 kW) and 225 Nm.

The 150 Pro and 150 Max variants of the REEV version of NX8 provide up to 150 km of electric-only driving range and up to 1,320 km of combined hybrid driving range, although their battery capacities are not identical. The 150 Pro gets a 21.1-kWh LFP battery that can fast charge from 10-80% SoC in 23.7 minutes, while the 150 Max comes with a 20.3-kWh LFP unit capable of getting from a 10-80% SoC ever so slightly quicker at 23.6 minutes.

There’s also the 310 Max that gets a more substantial 43.2-kWh LFP battery for an EV-only range of up to 310 km and hybrid range to 1,450 km. It’s also the quickest in getting from 10-80% SoC at 21 minutes. All versions of the NX8 come with an active grille shutter as well as a vehicle-to-load (V2L) system capable of outputting 6.6 kW.

In terms of available equipment, the NX8 can be had with OLED taillights capable of displaying 25 messages, a panoramic glass roof, 256-colour ambient lighting, zero-gravity front seats (with heating, ventilation and massage functions), up to 25 speakers, a refrigerator, dual 15.6-inch touchscreens (central and front passenger), a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 63-inch augmented reality-enabled head-up display, a karaoke system and LiDAR-powered ADAS.

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