Another Chinese auto brand is readying an assault on Australia’s cluttered new-car market, with a new electric SUV from Dongfeng approved for sale in our market.
The state-owned automaker – which also has joint ventures with Honda and Nissan – already exports vehicles from China to markets such as Europe, South America and the Middle East.
It now plans to bring its Forthing brand Down Under, though Australian Government approval documents also list a pair of unusual alternative marque names: Genially and Joyear.
However, Dongfeng registered a trademark earlier this year for the Forthing name in Australia, while those other names haven’t been registered here. Expect, then, for the Forthing name to be used in this market.
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Thus far only two vehicles have been approved for sale: the Friday EV, also listed in the documents as the T5 EV, SX5GEV, T5EVO EV, Taikon 5 and, least catchy of all, the LZ6460XPE1EV; and the Friday REEV (aka T5 REEV).
The electric SUV features a single electric motor producing 150kW of power. While battery specifications and range figures aren’t included in these documents, a look at Forthing’s Austrian (not Australian) website reveals the Friday EV has 371km of WLTP range from an 85.9kWh ternary lithium battery.
It has 340Nm of torque, and claimed WLTP energy consumption of 18.2kWh/100km.
In other markets, the Friday EV is also offered with a 64.4kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery offering 440km of WLTP range, energy consumption of 15.5kWh/100km, and an 80kW DC fast-charging rate.
The Friday REEV, an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), combines a 72kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a 55kW electric motor.
A look at Forthing’s UAE website reveals the REEV has a 31.94kWh LFP battery and up to 200km of NEDC electric range.
The Friday EV measures 4600mm long, 1860mm wide and 1680mm tall on a 2715mm wheelbase. It’s roughly the size of a Toyota RAV4, or 15mm shorter than the Geely EX5 on a 35mm shorter wheelbase.
Tare mass is 1920kg in electric guise or 1810kg as an EREV, with the Friday also offering 180mm of running clearance and a braked towing capacity of 1500kg as an EV (the EREV is unrated). It rides on 19-inch wheels.
Dongfeng executives previously confirmed to Australian media in September that the Forthing brand would launch here either late this year or early in 2026, with a local reveal expected at the Sydney International EV Motor Show show this week and an initial retail network of only five to 10 dealers.
It’s still unclear who will be responsible for distributing the brand in Australia.
Some Chinese brands have opted for a factory distribution model (BYD, MG, GWM, Chery), while others have tapped third-party distributors (Foton).
It’s likely Forthing will price the Friday EV up against similarly sized electric SUVs from China, including the Geely EX5 (from $40,990 before on-roads) and Leapmotor C10 (from $44,990 drive-away).
In Austria, Forthing also offers a petrol-powered version of the T5 with a Mitsubishi-sourced 130kW/285Nm turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. There’s also a hybrid version available in markets like Poland, which mates a 125kW/260Nm tune of this engine with a 75kW/105Nm electric motor.
None of the Friday derivatives have received a safety rating from Euro NCAP, and it’s understood the Friday family wasn’t developed for a five-star Euro NCAP or ANCAP rating.
Forthing also offers the U Tour people mover with the same engine or a hybrid powertrain in some markets, plus the 9 which is a larger people mover that’s also longer than the Kia Carnival and offers either hybrid or plug-in hybrid power depending on the market.
Dongfeng sells vehicles under its namesake brand, as well as Voyah – which offers premium EVs and PHEVs in markets such as China and Europe – and off-roader brands M-Hero and Mengshi.
It also has the Nammi sub-brand, which offers the 06 crossover – examples of which were spied in Australia earlier this year. An application to trademark the Nammi name was filed in Australia earlier this year.
This is another electric SUV, but at 4.3m long it’s closer in size to the Kia EV3. Also sold under the Nammi sub-brand is the electric Box hatch, which received a three-star Euro NCAP rating.
The imminent launch of the Forthing brand leaves an evaporating pool of Chinese automakers that haven’t confirmed a local launch, though some major players that have yet to do so include BAIC Group and FAW Group.
However, BAIC’s Stelato nameplate was trademarked in Australia this year, while FAW Group also trademarked its own name during 2025.
Should Forthing launch in Australia in 2025, it won’t be the only new Chinese brand to hang up a shingle Down Under this year.
Foton and Geely just relaunched, while GAC and BYD’s premium Denza brand are due for launch before year’s end.
Next year will bring another brand from Chery (Lepas), while Nio has received approval to sell its electric Firefly hatch in Australia but has yet to announce when it’ll launch.