Chinese brand DFSK is set to start selling a seven-seat budget SUV in the UK this year, "targeted at the business and municipal sectors".
Named the Glory 580, it was revealed in its homeland back in 2016 under the Fengguang banner. It's built in China and Indonesia and will be imported by Dorset-based company Sokon Automotive, which claims to be in the process of "building a small professional network of respected dealers across Britain".
The SUV features a 145bhp turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that drives the front wheels through a CVT automatic gearbox. Official economy is 38.0mpg, with NEDC-correlated CO2 emissions of 222g/km.
At 4680mm long, 1715mm high and 1845mm wide, the Glory 580 is a similar size to the Volvo XC60. However, it's set to be priced from £23,369 on-the-road, making it one of the cheapest seven-seaters on the UK market.
DFSK is operated jointly by Dongfeng – one of China's 'big three' car makers – and Chongqing Sokon Industry Group. It primarily focuses on small vans and trucks, some of which have previously been sold in the UK.
Three DFSK light commerical vehicle models, one electric, are planned to be sold here by Sokon Automotive.
Chongqing Sokon Industry Group also presides over Seres, a US-based electric car start-up that recently revealed to Autocar that it's searching for a UK manufacturing partner.
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