Dongfeng Box: The Chinese Electric Urbanite

2025 is set to be an intriguing year for electric mobility. Manufacturers have already launched their bets for the upper segments, and having conquered these, they have decided that the next step is to target volume, with models priced around 25,000 euros.

This is happening across the board: Kia, Volkswagen, Skoda, Renault, and Citroën, to name a few, plan to launch urban cars that hover around this figure, which they consider the psychological barrier for these propulsion systems to become a reality on European streets.

However, they are not alone, facing fierce competition from Chinese brands. BYD, the country's largest manufacturer, will arrive with the Dolphin, and Dongfeng, one of Wuhan's oldest constructors (founded in 1969), will introduce its Box.

The Box is a small car featuring a platform specifically designed to house its 42.3 kWh battery, granting it 340 kilometres of urban cycle range. Due to its nature, it will primarily be used in this domain, as its small wheels and 70 kW power (93 hp) make it less suitable for highways.

Nevertheless, in the city, it is a pleasant model to drive: agile and equipped with the necessary safety assistants to navigate smoothly. In fact, it boasts cameras with greater clarity than those offered by competing models that cost 5,000 euros more.

The Dongfeng Box is one of the Chinese brands distributed in Spain by the Portuguese group Salvador Caetano, which aims to close the year with 18 sales points for its brands, including Voyah and M-Hero.

The company receives a monthly shipment of these vehicles at the Catalan ports of Barcelona and Tarragona and distributes them across the country thanks to its own logistics network.

To ease customer concerns regarding the after-sales service of brands not yet established in Europe, Salvador Caetano has a parts warehouse in Mejorada del Campo that holds 95% of the references for its models and can deliver them to workshops in less than 24 hours.

The Box comes with some conveniences that are easy to get used to. The driver's seat is climate-controlled, and there is no need to use a key or start the vehicle to drive it; simply approach, and it will be ready to go.

On the other hand, there are some areas for improvement: the interior is very minimalist, and as a result, all options are controlled through the multimedia screen, which can make the menus somewhat cumbersome.

Additionally, the different driving modes are barely distinguishable from one another, and currently, it does not come with Apple Car Play or Android Auto as standard, but Salvador Caetano includes a device that allows their use on the screen.

The importers wanted the most equipped version (Plus) to arrive in Spain first, but in China, two versions with fewer features are sold at a lower price. According to the group's representatives, they intend for it to reach our market in 2026.

For now, only this version is available for 25,995 euros, plus transport costs, which are around an additional 600. There are three colours available: white, blue, and purple, with the latter two incurring an extra cost of another 600.