Dongfeng Mengshi 917

Model Overview

The Dongfeng Mengshi 917 is the debut production model from Dongfeng Motor Corporation's dedicated Mengshi Technology marque, positioned as a full-size hardcore luxury electric off-road SUV. The flagship 4x4 made its global debut at the Auto Shanghai in April 2023 and went on official sale at the Chengdu Motor Show in August that year, marking a key milestone in Dongfeng Mengshi’s transition from military vehicles to the civilian market. Built upon Dongfeng’s proprietary Mengshi Intelligent Off-Road Architecture (M TECH), the new model fills a crucial technical void for Chinese marques in the ultra-luxury new energy off-road segment. The Mengshi 917 has since expanded into international markets across Europe and the Middle East, launching in countries including Switzerland, Spain, and the UAE under the export moniker MHERO I, having secured full vehicle type-approval certifications in regions such as the European Union.

In terms of dimensions, the standard variant measures 4,987 mm in length, 2,080 mm in width, and 1,935 mm in height, riding on a 2,950 mm wheelbase; the Dragon Armor Max version extends further to 5,252 × 2,150 × 1,999 mm, with an elongated 3,150 mm wheelbase. The entire range adopts a 5-door, 5-seater layout built around a heavy-duty ladder-frame chassis. On the pricing front, the 2026 Range-Extended (REEV) variant is priced at RM637,700, the pure electric (BEV) version at RM697,700, the factory-customised Highland Lion edition at RM699,000, and the bespoke Dragon Armor series ranges from RM768,000 to RM1,098,000. Key market rivals include million-Ringgit class luxury 4x4 heavyweights such as the Yangwang U8 and the all-electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

Design Language

The Mengshi 917 is styled around an aggressive "Mecha Aesthetics" design philosophy, blending oriental motifs with rugged military DNA. Up front, the "Oriental Awoken Lion" inspired fascia incorporates a trapezoidal roaring-lion grille pattern framed by a full-width LED light bar and matrix LED headlights, delivering immense road presence. The angular bodywork features pronounced wide-body fender flares and high-clearance wheel arches, accentuated by exposed rivets and massive all-terrain wheels that evoke a purpose-built military machine. Around the back, an angular tailgate-mounted spare tyre carrier completes the robust mecha-inspired styling.

The cabin follows a design ethos of "hardcore ruggedness meets refined luxury." The dashboard is dominated by upright rectangular forms and clean horizontal lines, housing a fully digital instrument cluster, a central infotainment touchscreen, and a front passenger entertainment display that integrate seamlessly into the dash architecture. An aircraft thruster-style gear selector serves as the visual centerpiece, integrating core controls such as air suspension height adjustment and off-road driving modes, complemented by beacon tower-inspired air vents and pistol-shaped interior door handles detailed with exposed rivets. Premium upholstery includes Nappa leather, eco-friendly suede headlining, and genuine carbon-fibre trim inserts, with power soft-close doors fitted as standard across the range. Interior colourways include Sunlight Orange, Midnight Black, and the "Morning Sun Orange" introduced for the 2025 model year.

Powertrain and Performance

Underpinned by the M TECH platform, the Mengshi 917’s MEGA POWER propulsion suite is available in two configurations: pure electric (BEV) and range-extended electric (REEV).

The pure electric variant features China's first 142.7 kWh double-layer off-road battery pack mated to a quad-motor all-wheel-drive system. Total output is rated at an immense 800 kW (1,088 PS) and 1,400 Nm of peak torque, generating up to 16,200 Nm of wheel-end torque; the century sprint from 0 to 100 km/h is dispatched in just 4.2 seconds, with a rated CLTC pure electric range of 505 km. Delivering sub-5-second acceleration for a vehicle tipping the scales at over three tonnes puts its straight-line performance on par with dedicated performance supercars.

The range-extended version adopts a tri-motor AWD setup producing a combined 600 kW (816 PS), 1,050 Nm of torque, and 11,592 Nm at the wheel ends, achieving the 0-100 km/h sprint in 6.0 seconds flat. The range extender is a Dongfeng Mach Power 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine outputting 145 kW with a peak thermal efficiency of 41.07%, an engine that previously clinched the prestigious "China Heart" Top Ten Engines award. Coupled with a 65.8 kWh CATL ternary lithium battery pack (upgraded to 63 kWh on the 2026 model), it provides a CLTC pure electric range of 200 km and an overall combined cruising range of 1,026 km on a full tank and full charge. The entire range features a world-first two-speed off-road transmission with integrated differential locks, engineered to optimise cruising efficiency on tarmac while multiplying torque for maximum extraction capability in extreme terrain. On the charging front, a 30% to 80% DC fast charge takes approximately 0.61 hours (around 37 minutes) for the REEV model and 0.78 hours (around 47 minutes) for the BEV variant.

Chassis and Handling

Chassis engineering represents the core technical highlight of the Mengshi 917. The vehicle employs a heavy-duty ladder-frame architecture with four-wheel independent suspension, featuring front and rear double wishbones. Standard adaptive air suspension offers 100 mm of ride height travel (-45 mm to +105 mm), allowing ground clearance to vary dynamically between 221 mm and 257 mm. It boasts an approach angle of 31 to 33 degrees, a departure angle of 31 to 34 degrees, and a maximum wading depth of 900 mm, matching the benchmark figures of top-tier hardcore off-roaders.

Electronically controlled front and rear differential locks along with a centre differential locking function come standard, with the quad-motor BEV capable of continuous 0-100% torque distribution across all four wheels with a response latency under 0.1 seconds. Active rear-wheel steering is also standard across the board, providing up to 10.6 degrees of rear steering angle and enabling a "Crab Walk Mode"; this drastically reduces the turning radius of the massive SUV, significantly improving manoeuvrability in tight urban spaces and agility across technical trails. The onboard M ATS Mengshi All-Terrain Intelligent Driving System automatically detects conditions such as Snow, Mud, Sand, and Rocks, calibrating throttle mapping and suspension parameters accordingly. Low-speed Crawl Control (0-12 km/h cruise), Hill Descent Control, and an active wading depth sensor are standard, substantially lowering the technical barrier for off-road driving.

Cabin and Features

On the digital tech front, the Mengshi 917 features a comprehensive five-display interactive ecosystem encompassing a fully digital instrument panel, a central touchscreen, a front passenger entertainment display, a rear passenger control screen, and a head-up display (HUD). Driven by the high-computing Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chipset, the system supports 5G connected telematics, Bluetooth digital key functionality, and live vehicle status monitoring. Select variants are upgraded with Huawei’s HarmonyOS 4.0 cockpit paired with a 15.6-inch OLED central screen. The 2025 model year lineup integrates the DeepSeek-R1 AI model across the board, making it the industry's first luxury off-road vehicle to feature a deeply customised onboard AI system.

Comfort amenities are top-notch, featuring Nappa leather-clad "Captain Seats" with 16-way power adjustment for the driver and 14-way power adjustment for the front passenger; both front and rear seats come standard with heating, ventilation, and massage functions. Acoustic refinement is handled by a 16-speaker Dynaudio Confidence premium audio system, Active Noise Cancellation (ENC), and acoustic-laminated double-glazed glass for superior cabin insulation. An intelligent fragrancing system tailors scents to the active drive mode, while the dedicated rear display allows passengers to independently adjust climate and entertainment settings.

Safety and Intelligent Driving

Safety is central to the Mengshi 917’s military lineage. The SUV is China's first civilian vehicle to pass rigorous National Military Standard (GJB) durability trials, including 21 harsh-surface jump tests and high-speed desert rollover impact evaluations. The chassis utilizes an internal high-pressure hydroformed frame; in public demonstrations, the structure resisted heavy sledgehammer impacts without any visible deformation, demonstrating remarkable structural integrity and torsional rigidity. The battery pack is securely tucked inside the side chassis rails, enclosed in an aluminium-alloy housing with a military-grade mine-resistant honeycomb energy-absorbing structure, shielded underneath by a 1,500 MPa hot-stamped high-strength skid plate and multi-layer composite armour to withstand severe underbody scraping and bottoming-out. The high-voltage electrical architecture is certified to an IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating.

For driver assistance, a 540-degree panoramic surround-view monitor with a transparent underbody view comes standard, using multi-camera fusion algorithms to display obstacles beneath the chassis in real time, virtually eliminating off-road blind spots. Upper-tier trims gain a far-infrared night vision system and a digital streaming rearview mirror. In a notable innovation, the Mengshi 917 also offers an Oriental Eagle Eye smart roof-mounted drone system and an integrated parked security mode, allowing drivers to deploy a drone at the touch of a button to scout the trail ahead and beam live terrain data straight to the central display.

Market Performance and Reception

Occupying the high-end luxury EV bracket priced between RM637,700 and RM1,098,000, the Mengshi 917's showroom performance has largely been characterised by high critical acclaim but modest commercial take-up. Sales data shows that from August to December 2023, the model recorded just 824 units; full-year 2024 retail deliveries stood at around 1,161 units, averaging under 100 units monthly. Across the first seven months of 2025, total sales tallied only 689 units, marking a near 50% year-on-year drop. Mengshi direct-sales dealerships operated at a loss, leading corporate management to shift their operational targets from profitability to loss reduction. Industry analysts note that the niche market for luxury 4x4s priced above RM700,000 has limited volume, with direct rivals from marques like Tank and Yangwang in this price segment also seeing three-figure monthly volumes. However, following the introduction of the lower-positioned Mengshi M817, which brought the brand's tech down into the RM300,000 segment, overall brand deliveries saw a noticeable rebound—hitting 3,002 units in December 2025 with an annual year-on-year growth of 387%—even as the standalone volume contribution from the Mengshi 917 remained niche.

Among owners and motoring critics, the Mengshi 917 has earned widespread praise for its immense off-road capability (900 mm wading depth, triple mechanical differential locks, Crab Walk Mode), 1,000-PS-class supercar-rivalling acceleration, and military-grade crash protection. The bold Oriental Awoken Lion styling commands immediate attention, and the lavish cabin trimmed in Nappa leather with Dynaudio audio has drawn consistent acclaim. Nonetheless, limited brand equity compared to established legacy marques, a steep price tag exceeding RM600,000 that sits beyond mainstream luxury 4x4 budgets, a nascent aftersales network, and premium ongoing maintenance costs remain the key factors hampering broader market adoption. Overall, as the flagship product marking Dongfeng Mengshi’s transition into the civilian market, the Mengshi 917 stands as an impressive showcase of Chinese engineering—combining the M TECH architecture, four-digit horsepower outputs, an advanced triple-locking chassis, and military-grade safety to take the fight directly to the Yangwang U8 and Mercedes-Benz G-Class. However, building wider brand resonance and overcoming its high pricing threshold remain the crucial hurdles if the Mengshi marque is to sustain long-term volume growth.