Product type | Automobile marque |
---|---|
Owner | Dongfeng Motor Group |
Country | China |
Introduced | July 2009 |
Markets | China, Venezuela |
Website | dfpv.com.cn |
Aeolus (Dongfeng Fengshen) is an automobile marque owned by the Chinese automaker Dongfeng Passenger Vehicle Company, a division of Dongfeng Motor Group. The brand was launched in July 2009 using the Fengshen name,[1] and was later renamed to Aeolus as the English name, while the Chinese name remained the same (Chinese: 风神; pinyin: Fēngshén).
Some of its products are based on those of PSA Peugeot Citroën, such as Fengshen L60, launched by Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën in 2015.[2]
The Fengshen name was first used as a vehicle model name by Yunbao Automobile, a joint-venture set up by the Taiwanese Yulon Motor. During the late 1990s, Nissan of Japan was formally added as a partner in the Yunbao joint-venture which resulted in the first Fengshen, the Yunbao Fengshen 7200, a rebadged model line based on the Nissan Bluebird U13 that was launched in the Chinese market in 1998. Later in 2003 Nissan bought Yulon’s share in the joint-venture which became Dongfeng-Nissan, and later the Fengshen name was chosen to become the name of the new sub-brand.[3]
The first Fengshen production model, an A-class four-door sedan called the Fengshen S30, was unveiled at the Auto Shanghai motor show in April 2009[4] and went on sale in China in July 2009.[1]
In June 2010 Dongfeng began construction of an engine plant in Hebei province for the manufacture of self-developed engines for Fengshen vehicles.[5]
The Fengshen H30, a mid-sized five-door hatchback, was officially launched in January 2011.[6] The Fengshen H30 Cross, a compact five-door SUV, made its debut at the Auto Shanghai motor show in April 2011[7] and went on sale in China in the same month.[8] The Fengshen A60, a compact sedan based on the Nissan Sylphy, made its debut at the Auto Guangzhou motor show in November 2011[9] and went on sale in China in March 2012.[10]
In April 2012 Dongfeng announced that it would establish a multi-brand dealership network across China selling Fengshen, Dongfeng Fengxing and Zhengzhou Nissan vehicles.[11]
Fengshen vehicles went on sale outside China for the first time in August 2012, when the marque was launched in Venezuela.[12]
The current Fengshen range comprises the following models:[13]
Fengshen products currently in development include a large MPV[18] and an electric powered city car.[19]
Fengshen products are currently sold in China and Venezuela.
Calendar year | Total sales |
---|---|
2009 | 22,000[1] |
2012 | 60,200[20] |
2013 | 80,077[21][note 1] |