Dongfeng Motor, one of the top five largest Chinese vehicle producers, will introduce its own Aeolus brand in Beijing this March. The new brand will subsequently unveil a new mid-sized sedan called the Fengshen at the 2009 Auto Shanghai show in April.The new car, developed by Dongfeng's own technology center with input from ItalDesign, is a traditional three-box package to cater to Chinese tastes. It rides on a 2610mm-long wheelbase and measures 4502mm long, 1740mm wide and 1465mm tall; roughly the same size as a Peugeot 307. The Fengshen will be built on PSA's Citroën ZX platform and source power from the French automaker's 1.6-liter 16-valve petrol engine.
This is not the first self-developed model from Dongfeng. The company also created the Little Prince - a small sedan virtually identical to the Hyundai Accent on which it is based - and the Dongfeng Joyear mini-MPV. Dongfeng operates joint ventures with PSA, Nissan, Honda and Kia in China.