Dongfeng Nammi Box: Alternative to the Citroën e-C3 for £19,500

The Chinese state-owned company Dongfeng has only had a limited presence outside of China to date, but this is set to change in 2024. According to recent rumours, it could even build its own car plant in Italy. In neighbouring Switzerland, Dongfeng's premium brand Voyah is already on the market. Now a Dongfeng model called the Nammi Box is also being launched there, which we present to you below.

The car was presented in China in November. It was unveiled at the Guangzhou Auto Show under the name Nammi 01. Since then, the car has been available to order at prices ranging from 79,800 to 109,800 yuan (£8,600 to £11,800), as reported by CarNewsChina. The Nammi brand is said to be focussing on small electric cars.

The Nammi 01 is therefore only a little longer than four metres. The Chinese original is 4,030 mm long, 1,810 mm wide and 1,570 mm high and has a wheelbase of 2,660 mm. This makes the Chinese model 13 cm taller than the Opel-Vauxhall Corsa Electric. The proportions are more like those of a small car SUV à la Citroën e-C3. The boot has a capacity of 326 to 945 litres. For comparison: the electric Corsa has a capacity of 267 to 1,042 litres, while the e-C3 has 310 litres; the maximum volume is not yet known.

Gallery: Dongfeng Box 2024

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Overall, the body of the Dongfeng model appears somewhat chubby, which is helped by the rounded shapes. Chic details, however, are the extending door handles, the frameless windows, the unusual headlights and the two-tone look. All in all, the design is reminiscent of the Smart models.

Dongfeng Box (2024)

The interior has a black and white look with high-quality materials. The door panels and dashboard feature grid-stitched upholstery. There is a small instrument display behind the steering wheel and a touchscreen in landscape format in the centre. There are only a few physical buttons.

The model is based on a platform called Dongfeng S3. The drive is provided by a front-mounted motor with a power output of just 95 PS, which should enable it to reach speeds of up to 87 mph. The batteries have a lithium iron phosphate chemistry (LFP). You can choose between 31.5 kWh for 205 miles and 42.3 kWh for 267 miles. However, these ranges correspond to the Chinese CLTC standard. Fast charging is said to achieve a range of 124 miles in eight minutes - there is no information on charging power, charging time or the on-board charger.

According to the dedicated website, only the larger battery is available in Switzerland. The corresponding WLTP range is stated as 193 miles. The drive power is the same. Prices start at 21,990 Swiss francs (around £19,500). So far, however, it is only possible to make a reservation for the car; it is not yet possible to configure or order it.

Elbil.no reported in April that the car will also be launched on the Norwegian market. There, the car is called the Dongfeng Box and will be available from 189,000 kroner (around £13,600).

More small electric cars:

Small Volkswagen electric will arrive in 2027 and could look like this

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The bottom line

The state-owned Dongfeng Group has so far only been sparsely represented in Europe. Now, with the Dongfeng Nammi Box, it is launching an interesting electric car in the lower segment in Switzerland. With a price of around £19,500 and a range of 193 miles, it would be an interesting alternative to the Citroën e-C3.