China-based Dongfeng Motor Co. has introduced a new minivan dubbed the Forthing Youting, which stands for “yacht”. The car combines common features of affordable transports with select gimmicks from the luxury market.
The Youting is a mid-size MPV at 4.85 meters
long with 2.9 meters between the axles. It sports a giant Lexus radiator grille
and only minimal amounts of body chrome, which is quite unusual for a modern
Chinese car. The headlights and taillights share the same design features and
help tie the entire exterior together.
For the cabin, customers can choose
between six and seven seats. Rear doors swing open instead of sliding to the
side, which could be troublesome in tight parking spots. The center console
sports granite-grey inserts, while the rest of the cabin comes wrapped in
dual-tone leather. The two front-most rows support heating, ventilation and
power adjustments.
Power comes from a 1.5-liter turbo engine
mated to a seven-speed DCT with pre-selection. Dongfeng does not mention any
other powertrain options, so there are most likely none. Paid features include
4G, ACC and a sunroof with a hatch.
