Sometimes they come back. Blitz test of the frame Dongfeng Paladin New in the conditions of the Belarusian forest

While some buyers are delighted with the dynamics and intelligence of electric cars that are gaining popularity day by day, others, nostalgic for the old days, continue to use their well-worn frame SUVs, arguing that these days you can’t buy them new for the same money.

And then a holiday came to their street. The Belarusian importer Dongfeng has introduced the Paladin model to the local market, which, without a doubt, is designed precisely for that part of the audience who, for the frame and terrible all-wheel drive, are ready to forgive their cars for the lack of an autopilot, and a regular cruise instead of a fashionable adaptive one, and rolliness in corners , and other features of frame SUVs.

It’s not surprising, because by equipping such a car with a winch and changing it to MT tires, you can drive such a car wherever your heart desires.

Genetics from Nissan

Not to mention the Japanese brand, which is going through hard times, in the story about Dongfeng Paladin would be at least unfair. After all, the brutal SUV is based on none other than Nissan’s D23 platform, on which the Nissan Navarra pickup truck and Nissan Terra SUV have been produced since 2018 at the same Zhengzhou Nissan plant in Zhengzhou, where Paladin is currently produced. By the way, the last Dongfeng Paladin is exactly like two peas in a pod.

If we talk about the dimensions of the Dongfeng Paladin New, then they are the following for the SUV: length — 4903 mm, width — 1850 mm, height — 1875 mm, wheelbase length — 2850 mm. But the geometric parameters of the Paladin New’s cross-country ability are much more interesting. According to the Belarusian importer, the frame SUV with a continuous rear axle has impressive ground clearance. The distance from the ground to the front of the frame is an impressive 243 mm, from the road surface to the banjo rear axle of an empty car — 225 mm. The minimum ground clearance under load at the lowest point is 215 mm. The approach and departure angles are 32 and 27 degrees, respectively. The ramp angle is 26 degrees.

The depth of the ford overcome by Dongfeng Paladin New is 700 mm. The maximum steepness of the climb to be overcome is 30 degrees.

At the same time, like the Nissan Terra, the Paladin New has Part-Time all-wheel drive with a rigidly connected front axle and, in the maximum configuration, front and rear cross-axle differential locks.

Technical stuffing with names

The integration of Dongfeng Paladin New into the global automotive industry is not limited to the modern Nissan platform. The 228-horsepower turbocharged gasoline engine with direct injection and a displacement of 2.0 liters is none other than the Mitsibishi 4K31, capable of delivering up to 360 Nm of torque in the range from 1400 to 4000 rpm. The SUV has an 8-speed automatic transmission from ZF Friedrichshafen AG, an all-wheel drive system from BorgWarner, and cross-axle differential locks from Eaton.

This set already looks quite decent, and if you dig deeper, you will probably find electronics from Bosch and something else no less significant.

What about adaptation?

This question is not idle. Prices for the car start from 144,900 BYN (4.3 million RUB) for the Intelligent package. Dongfeng Paladin New Premium will cost the buyer 149,900 BYN (4.4 million RUB). For the most fully equipped SUV in the Premium+ version, the client will have to pay 152,900 rubles (4.5 million RUB). Judging by the stock of new cars, the importer of the brand is making the main bet on the most expensive option, arguing that the difference in the option more than pays for the delta in money. However, it is possible to purchase both Intelligent and Premium on order, but you will have to wait for their arrival.

So, with the adaptation of the new product, everything is not just good, but very good. The multimedia language is Russian, the system is open Android, and the navigation is Google Maps. The voice assistant understands commands in Russian and does not shy away from English.

A separate topic is “warm” options. Among them are electrically heated: windshield, windshield washer nozzles, external rear-view mirrors, rear seat cushions and backrests. The latter have multi-level heating.

All official Dongfeng Paladin New for the Belarusian market are already subjected to additional anti-corrosion treatment at the factory with the factory code ABP (Additional Body Protection).

The rear glass hemisphere of the SUV is high-quality tinted, and for comfortable seating, the car is equipped with standard side steps.

The trunk of the car is simply huge. With internal dimensions of 1160 (1928) x 1250 x 900 mm, it is able to accommodate a significant amount of cargo. The maximum capacity of the luggage compartment with the second row seats folded is 2520 liters. Again, its rather large and heavy door, for ease of use of the luggage compartment, opens and closes electrically.

Honest factory warranty for the car — 3 years or 100,000 km, service interval 10,000 km. There is also a zero maintenance; it needs to be done at 3,000 km.

What can the Part-Time transmission of the Dongfeng Paladin New do?

It is no secret that a rigidly connected front axle, combined with the absence of a center differential, has both advantages and disadvantages in everyday use. So, in the restyled Paladin, Dongfeng engineers decided to minimize the latter.

Firstly, not without the involvement of electronics, the Paladin New transmission offers a choice of 7 driving modes — Manual, Normal, Sport, ECO, Snow, Mud and Sand. Secondly, it allows you to switch from rear-wheel drive to all-wheel drive at speeds of up to 60 km/h (from all-wheel drive to front-wheel drive — up to 80 km/h).

However, Part-Time, as elsewhere, is very critical of the use of all-wheel drive on roads with hard, dry surfaces.

But off-road, the Paladin New transmission offers not only reliable all-wheel drive with locks, but also the ability to use a downshift. True, it can only be activated by stopping the car and moving the automatic transmission lever to the neutral position.

Driver assistance systems

They exist, but, as mentioned above, you shouldn’t expect the abundance inherent in fashionable electric cars from the Dongfeng Paladin. In this regard, the set of frame SUVs is quite standard: ABS + EBD + ESC + TCS + VDC + HBA, hill start assist (HHC) and descent assist (HDC) systems, regular cruise control, tire pressure sensors, rollover prevention system (RMI) and emergency braking warning (HAZ).

Among the options that owners will surely like, there is also the possibility of a “tank” turn, in which the turning radius is reduced by about 1 meter, and, of course, all-round cameras with the “function” of a transparent chassis. Yes, even in the Dongfeng Paladin New you can customize the operating mode of the electric power steering, which offers 3 options: Light, Normal and Sport. Looking ahead, I will say that all three are surprisingly good. At some point, while driving a car, I had a question: “Is there really electric power steering here?”

How comfortable is the interior for passengers?

Everything here is quite prosaic. The interior of the Paladin looks very good in terms of design, but some of the finishing materials, given the price of the car, could be richer. The 12-inch vertical color touchscreen on the front is good, but that's about it. The same can be said about the 7-inch digital instrument cluster. There are no special complaints about the finishing of the door panels and seats. Personally, I’m quite okay with the fact that the rear passengers’ knees are a bit high. The car is frame. In addition, this inconvenience is partially compensated by the ability to adjust the angle of the rear seat backrest.

Up front, the landing position is much better. However, the steering column is only adjustable for tilt, the steering wheel itself is not heated, and the wireless phone charging area, in my opinion, is not very conveniently located.

I was frankly pleased with the simple but effective solution with WiFi in the car. You buy a modem, insert it into a USB port — and that’s it, on-board Wi-Fi is ready. The driver and passengers have the opportunity to download applications via Google Play, use Google Maps navigation, and watch YouTube.

Driving on asphalt is secondary

You realize this already in the first kilometers of driving in such conditions. And it doesn’t matter whether these are city streets or highways. Although the latter route is a little more pleasant. The high-set car body is prone to sway, albeit slightly, when maneuvering. This is especially noticeable to passengers sitting in the back.

To drive at the pace of city traffic, the 2-liter engine needs to be constantly revved. Intensive braking is also not complete without “peck”.

But as soon as you leave the asphalt, Paladin immediately finds itself in its element. Here it can only be reproached for the overly sharp reactions of the suspension to minor irregularities. Otherwise, there are no complaints about the car from the word “at all”. After 5 hours of driving along forest paths in the vicinity of Minsk, you involuntarily come to the conclusion that only a log lying across the road can stop this car on slightly frozen ground.

Despite the road winter tires, the Paladin dashes through the mud with its wheels. It easily walks at good speed over hilly terrain and storms water obstacles.

This frame SUV only needs to cling to the road with one of the wheels, and you won’t get stuck, unless, of course, you sit on the rear axle. Diagonal hanging for Paladin with a drop and two locks is not a problem at all. Moreover, it still takes some effort to make it on an SUV with similar suspension articulation.

In a word, Paladin goes, if not everywhere, then almost everywhere. But at the same time, it is worth remembering that for such adventures like an adult, the car could use additional protection for the underbody, transmission units and the bottom of the bumpers. The winch is a device from the “at the owner’s discretion” series. By the way, the list of factory extras includes both it and the tow bar.

A real SUV is not a car for everyone

Dongfeng Paladin New, which is now in its category of new cars with a guarantee without competition, is a clear confirmation of this. There have always been and will be buyers for such cars, both from individuals and from legal entities. Endlessly patching up former market leaders in this category is not a pleasant task. And here is a frame, and honest all-wheel drive, and a reduction gear, and a fairly economical turbocharged gasoline engine. Why not?

If you doubt the factory anticorrosion agent, the dealer is ready to add his own. Need additional protection or a towbar? You should go there too. The main thing is to weigh wisely before purchasing whether you really need a serious off-road arsenal and how often will you use it? If the answer is “Yes”, go to Dongfeng showrooms, otherwise look at simpler crossovers. But it’s better not to drive them in tandem without a tractor where the frame Paladin can go.

Yuri LIKHUTA (@chinamashina), Minsk, photo by the author and importer Dongfeng in the Republic of Belarus