CARS OF THE WORLD

Dongfeng Paladin 2024.

Dongfeng Paladin 2024: new body-on-frame SUV coming soon (twin of Nissan Terra). Prices and all details.

In the first quarter of 2024, the Chinese frame SUV Dongfeng Paladin, built on the basis of the Nissan Terra, will officially begin sales.

In terms of size (length 4882 mm) and format, it is a competitor to the Toyota Fortuner or Toyota Prado, and in the Russian market the competitor will be the Tank 300 and BAIC BJ40 Plus.

In fact, the new Dongfeng Paladin 2024 is a redesigned Japanese SUV Nissan Terra (or X-Terra depending on the market), which in turn is built on the basis of the Nissan Navara pickup truck.

The fact is that in China, Dongfeng has a joint venture with the Japanese: Zhengzhou-Nissan.

On which Terra SUVs have been produced since 2018, but in the summer of 2023, Dongfeng released a car under its own brand, making changes at its discretion.

So, the main differences between the Dongfeng Paladin 2024 and the Japanese donor Nissan Terra are a different engine and a completely new front panel, but the appearance (with the exception of nameplates and the radiator grille) remains the same.

Under the hood of Dongfeng there is a Mitsubishi 4K31 — 2.0 petrol turbo engine (228 hp and 360 Hm), purchased under license. The gearbox is an 8-speed automatic from the German company ZF.

All-wheel drive is “old-school” part-time with a rigidly connected front axle. Suspension: continuous rear axle at the rear, double wishbone at the front.

Ground clearance (clearance) – 215 mm. Maximum speed – 160 km/h. Claimed fuel consumption is 9.4 l/100 km (combined cycle). The engine is adapted for “92 gasoline”.

There are five driving modes to choose from: sport, ECO, off-road, snow and comfort.

For comparison, the Japanese Nissan Terra SUV is equipped with a 2.5 naturally aspirated gasoline engine (under the symbol Nissan QR25) (193 hp and 245 Hm).

Paired with the unit, either a manual transmission or a seven-speed Jatco automatic transmission is available.

The interior has a new front panel: a vertical 12-inch media system display is located in the center (but the basic version will have a 10-inch standard rectangular screen), and the automatic transmission joystick is installed below.

In front of the driver is a dashboard with virtual scales. The SUV has only a 5-seater interior, although Nissan has a third row of seats.

In China, the car is already equipped as standard with: a rear view camera, cruise control, an engine start button, wireless charging for gadgets, 18-inch wheels and other equipment.

Prices and start of sales in Russia

Prices and configurations for the Dongfeng Paladin for the Russian market will become known closer to the start of sales (in the first quarter of 2024).

It is interesting that since last year, under the parallel import scheme, the original Nissan X-Terra SUV has been imported to Russia (mainly from the Middle East).

Estimated prices in Russia are from 4,300,000 rubles for a new car (with a symbolic mileage of 50-100 km). By the way, the frame Tank 300 costs about the same.

Technical characteristics and dimensions.

Length: 4882 mm (for comparison, Toyota Prado 4840 mm)
Width: 1850 mm
Height: 1875 mm
Wheelbase: 2850 mm
Ground clearance (clearance): 215 mm
Curb weight: 1890 kg
Drive: full part-time (4×4)
Engine: 2.0 petrol (228 hp and 360 Hm)
Transmission: automatic, 8-speed
Fuel tank capacity: 73 l

Interestingly, an SUV was already sold in China under the name Paladin from 2003 to 2013 (but under the Nissan brand).

Sales turned out to be quite successful, so using a familiar name is also a kind of marketing ploy.

In addition to the frame Paladin, as many as 7 new Dongfeng cars will appear in Russia, all of which will be released in the first half of 2024.