- The N7 has a starting price range of RMB 119,900 ($16,450) to RMB 149,900, similar to Xpeng's hot-selling Mona M03.
- Orders for the N7 reached 10,138 units about an hour and 40 minutes after its launch.
Nissan's joint venture in China, Dongfeng Nissan, has launched the N7 all-electric sedan with surprisingly low prices in one of the major comebacks by joint venture carmakers in China over the past few years.
Dongfeng Nissan officially launched the N7 at an event last night, with a starting price range of RMB 119,900 ($16,450) to RMB 149,900.
The 4,930 mm-long mid to large-size sedan's price range is similar to the RMB 119,800 to RMB 155,800 price range of Xpeng's (NYSE: XPEV) hot-selling Mona M03, and lower than the RMB 219,800 to RMB 279,800 price range of BYD's (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY) flagship sedan, the Han L EV.
The Mona M03 is 4,780 mm long and the Han L EV is 5,050 mm long.
The N7 is the first model to be designed and developed by Dongfeng Nissan Chinese team and is a globally oriented model, the joint venture automaker said.
About an hour and 40 minutes after yesterday's launch, Dongfeng Nissan announced on Weibo that orders for the N7 had reached 10,138 units.
Dongfeng Nissan management said in a media interview last night that the company will have at least five new models including battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) by the end of 2026.
Based on Dongfeng Nissan's Tianyan architecture, the N7 is a sedan that emphasizes comfort and is aimed at families.
The sedan is offered in five variants -- 510 Air, 510 Pro, 625 Pro, 510 Max, 625 Max -- with starting prices of RMB 119,900, RMB 129,900, RMB 139,900, RMB 139,900, RMB 149,900, and RMB 149,900 respectively.
The N7's naming is similar to that of Xpeng models, where the numbers represent the CLTC range.
The sedan measures 4,930 mm in length, 1,895 mm in width and 1,484 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,915 mm.
Its exterior design appeals to the preferences of mainstream Chinese consumers, which is one of the most important factors in the success of a new model in China. The exterior design gives it a low wind resistance of Cd 0.208 for better energy efficiency.
Three variants of the N7 with a range of 510 km are powered by lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs with a capacity of 58 kWh, while the other two variants with a range of 625 km are powered by LFP battery packs with a capacity of 73 kWh.
All five variants support 3C fast charging, which can charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in 19 minutes. They all support external discharge of up to 6.6 kW.
All variants of the N7 are single-motor front-drive models, unlike the current mainstream single-motor EVs which are rear-drive models.
It has a peak motor power of 160 kW and peak torque of 305 Nm, with acceleration performance not mentioned.
The car's center screen measures 15.6 inches with 2.5K resolution, which is in line with mainstream EV's setup.
Its cabin supports virtual voice assistants and introduces large AI models including DeepSeek-R1 for a more natural chatting experience.
The N7's assisted driving system, jointly created by Dongfeng Nissan and local Chinese startup Momenta, has end-to-end assisted driving capabilities.
The launch of the N7 represents a major comeback for Japanese car brands as they are about to be marginalized in the Chinese EV market.
The model's pre-launch marketing, interactions with local influencers during the launch process, and aggressive pricing represent a serious hope to gain share.
Over the past few years, local brands have risen to prominence as China's rapid electrification process has left joint venture brands behind.
In March, China's new energy vehicle (NEV) retail sales stood at 991,000 units, with a penetration rate of 51.1percent, according to China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
NEV penetration at retail in March was 72 percent for local brands, 35 percent for luxury brands, and only 6 percent for mainstream joint venture brands, according to the CPCA.
($1 = RMB 7.2877)
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