2021 DFSK Glory 580 i-Auto Test Drive

Dongfeng Sokon (DFSK) is a joint venture between Dongfeng Group and the Chongqing Sokon Industry Group Ltd. Formed in 2003, this venture produces vehicles under the DFSK brand name, which have reached Sri Lankan shores too; brought down by the local agent Unimo Enterprises, a subsidiary of United Motors Lanka PLC.

The DFSK Glory 330 is arguably the most famous DFSK passenger vehicle in Sri Lanka, as it offered a 1.3L turbodiesel engine and manual transmission in a 7-seat body. The 1.3L engine was proudly stated to be the venerable Fiat Multijet unit! DFSK later brought the Glory 580, and what we have here is the top-flight i-Auto variant of that, which packs some intelligent features hence the name.

An interesting piece of trivia for you – although this is a Chinese brand vehicle, it comes partially built from Indonesia, and is finished off in Sri Lanka. The leather seats (electric at the front, with in-seat airbags) are locally produced, as are the tyres, battery and bumpers. How’s that for a twist in the tale?

Under the current import restricted climate, Unimo are optimistic about the ability of the DFSK Glory i-Auto to sell strongly, given that they can continue selling it brand-new (due to the local value addition), and this 1.5L turbocharged vehicle comes in at a competitive Rs. 8.395 million all-in (as we tested in April 2021). So let’s dive right in and see how the car fares.

Exterior

DFSK have come a long way in exterior design. Yes there are inspirational elements from popular global manufacturers, but DFSK has integrated them into something that looks decent and distinctive. The side profile cleverly disguises the fact that this is indeed a seven-seater! Head to the rear and you have the now popular ‘hammer-design’ rear lights. 18-inch gunmetal alloys round off the look of our test vehicle which is finished in Champagne Silver – Glorious Metallic Red, Phantom Black and Elegant White are the other options. The brake calipers are finished in red – been a while since we figured a vehicle with anything other than silver or black calipers - and they contrast well with the silver and black body hues.

Mech & Tech

The DFSK Glory i-Auto has an automatic transmission, hence the name. It’s a CVT with virtual ratios that can be shifted via the gear-shifter. Powering the front wheels via this transmission is a 1,498cc turbocharged four-cylinder that puts out 148bhp at 5,600rpm and 220Nm in a spread between 1,800 and 4,000rpm. Steering is via an electric rack, braking is by all-round discs with those red calipers and the suspension is the MacPherson arrangement up front, with torsion beam at the rear. The kerb weight is a significant 1,570kg.

Driving Experience

The locally-assembled seats offer good adjustment (electric) and you can easily get comfortable. They offer the right level of firmness and bolstering too. You face an analog gauge cluster with a monochrome digital screen that shows vehicle and trip information, as well as the tyre pressures from each tyre. Once you are settled, fire up the engine, select D and off you go. This CVT doesn’t have much creep built in, so you have to give a bit of gentle throttle input to set off. It keeps revs low in D but will rev up to 4,500rpm and beyond if you floor it, holding the RPMs there as is characteristic of CVTs. Moving into Sport yields yet more RPMs – a tad over 5,000 at full throttle. Using the manual shifting forces the gearbox to act like a traditional, stepped auto, and gives the driver better control when desired.

The engine needs revs; and once they reach 2,000 and beyond, the 220Nm of torque takes over and you move along rather well – as well as 150bhp moving 1,500kg plus passengers can be expected. We reached 100km/h and beyond, and the engine has enough power and flexibility for the average driver. The engine becomes a bit vocal as you explore the higher rev ranges but it’s never loud or intrusive –it just makes you aware that it’s doing some work.

Handling is a comfort-oriented set-up with bumps, manhole covers and other imperfections mostly smoothened out. It is an ideal suspension set-up for local conditions and the average local driver, who appreciates a supple ride compared to a sporty stiff ride.

Braking is strong, I tried a full emergency stop from over 100km/h and it tracked straight and true, with no wiggles or wayward movements – and I’ve tested brand-new European metal that jerked sideways under the same test, so this is a fine feather in DFSK’s cap.

I was able to briefly try out the cruise control which worked as expected. Ditto the hill hold control which goes some way towards alleviating the CVT’s lack of creep when trying to join a main road from an upward-inclined side road.

Living with the Glory i-Auto

It’s a proper seven-seat affair inside, with leather-clad seating, adjustable headrests for each occupant and reasonable third-row legroom. I’m 5’ 8” and was able to fit in the third row without needing to chop my legs off which is more than can be said for many similarly-sized vehicles that claim to be seven-seaters, but in reality would only suit Lego people where the feet never leave the edge of the seat. Legroom is also aided by the ability to slide the second row fore and aft, and headroom in the third row isn’t bad either. Kids would be happiest in the third row, left in their own world with cup holders for their beverages, and a 12v charging port present to keep their digital distractions fed. The second row does not have charging ports, but enjoys an armrest with cup holders, and AC vents. In the first row, driver and passenger get electrically adjustable seats. Bottom line – everyone sits comfortably. With all three rows up, boot space is understandably restricted but drop the third row down and you get a spacious boot. The brochure shows a myriad of ways to fold the third and second row seats, to accommodate a variety of passenger and cargo needs.

The dashboard is an interesting melding of design cues from the Germans. You have Audi-esque AC vents and a strip of nice, matte faux-wood that looks miles better than the glossy tat that some renowned Japanese manufacturers have been passing off (and still do) as faux wood, locally known as ‘teak interior’. A BMW-esque 9-inch HD touchscreen sits up centre, and some Mercedes-inspired toggles for the climate control system beneath. Below these sit some Audi-inspired toggles that control features such as activating the 360-degree camera view, the hazard lights, traction control deactivation and some infotainment functions. It’s all well integrated and has a calm and restrained air to it.

The climate control is a single-zone affair and controlled via physical aluminium-look toggles as well as the touchscreen. It chilled the cabin well throughout our hot mid-morning test drive. Other functions controlled via the touchscreen are the radio, AUX, USB, Bluetooth, phone integration (Apple and Android are supported) and optional navigation. Our test vehicle had Indonesian maps installed, but the nice gent from Unimo who accompanied the vehicle on our test drive tells me that customer models can be supplied with the Sri Lanka map pre-installed for an additional charge, or you can tether your smartphone via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay and use the mapping functionality through that.

The DFSK Glory i-Auto has a nice party trick - and that’s the voice recognition. Awakened with the phrase ‘Hi Glory’, it is said to support a hundred functions, covering vehicle features, climate control, infotainment and more. It recognised my voice very well and I didn’t need to adopt any accent for it to understand – kudos DFSK and Unimo! It doesn’t talk back to you, or at least it didn’t to me – maybe that’s switchable. It simply displays the status on the centre screen, and confirms the command via the same. Saying ‘Hi Glory’, followed by ‘Open Sunroof’ for example, does just that. Another useful feature for when you are returning to the car after parking it for some hours in the hot sun is to say ‘Open All Windows’ and you can get that hot air out, pronto! The system seems primed to listen to input from the driver’s position, as we tried using it from the passenger position and it didn’t work – useful if you have naughty kids or a particularly mischievous significant other waiting to pull tricks on you…

Other functions include automatic headlamps and wipers, a ‘kick-to-open’ boot (no you don’t really kick the vehicle, but wave your foot under the bumper instead) and two 12v charging ports up front – one of which includes a cigarette lighter, and there is an ashtray placed in one of the cup holders!

Safety

Being a car that is not sold in Europe, you can’t expect a EuroNCAP rating. However, it was put through China’s C-NCAP and scored a solid five stars in it – China’s C-NCAP was actually modelled after EuroNCAP. It’s got four airbags. It’s also got ABS, EBD, ESP, reverse sensors, ISOFIX mountings, alarm system with immobiliser, keyless entry and tyre pressure monitoring system.

A safety feature that I absolutely endorse but rarely see on new vehicles these days is the automatic central locking that locks the doors once the vehicle starts moving. It’s a necessary function in our country, especially for ladies driving alone where an opportunistic thief can quickly open a door whilst in traffic and snatch their handbag which is on the passenger seat, or grab a laptop bag kept on the rear seat. 

Fuel Econ & Price

The DFSK Glory i-Auto is rated for around 7-8km/l in city and 12km/l rural/expressway. You have to remember that this is not a fuel-sipper hybrid with a teeny engine and battery pack, but a 1.5L turbocharged engine moving a 1,500kg 7-seat passenger vehicle. The 58L tank should easily give a 500km range under mixed driving (urban and rural) conditions.

Price is the kicker, at Rs. 8.395 million the DFSK Glory i-Auto was the cheapest brand-new 1.5L engine passenger vehicle available at the time of testing in April 2021, and may very well still be. Due to its local assembly component it has skirted the import ban and thus stocks are available. Having Unimo backing it brings some peace of mind as well, as the company has been around for ages, represents DFSK as well as Perodua in Sri Lanka, and the main company United Motors Lanka PLC are the Mitsubishi agents in Sri Lanka.

Final Words

In brand-new-car-starved-Lanka, the DFSK Glory i-Auto represents a rare brand-new option that offers this feature set at the sub-10mil price. With the import ban still in place and forecast to continue at least for this year, if you are in the market for a brand-new seven seater and don’t want to pay the inflated prices on the used market, give this a test drive.

Unimo are optimistic about it and have dedicated three vehicles for testing – which is positively a luxury for automotive agents, and a sign of their confidence in the product.