Dongfeng Sokon Fengguang S560

The Dongfeng Sokon Fengguang S560 has an attractive exterior with the latest family design: three horizontal chrome strips on the front grille, sleek headlights, and a floating roof. The side profile features dual waistlines and Land Rover-style rear side windows, making it sportier and more rugged than the Haval H6 in my opinion. With dimensions of 4560*1815*1735mm, the interior space is generous. As a 1.76m driver, I have about one拳二指 (a fist and two fingers) of headroom in the front and one拳四指 (a fist and four fingers) of legroom in the back, even when fully loaded. The luggage compartment is spacious enough for daily storage. The隔音 (sound insulation) is decent: under 60km/h, the engine is quiet; some slight底盘抖动声 (chassis vibration) and胎噪 (tire noise) on rough roads are unnoticeable. Above 90km/h, engine noise becomes apparent but not annoying, and wind noise from the mirrors can be masked by music. At 120km/h, tire and wind noise are more obvious, along with engine noise from the cabin, but all are acceptable. Powered by a 1.5T turbo engine with CVT, the throttle is responsive in the city with a slight jerk. Turbo kicks in at 20km/h, delivering strong power and a noticeable push when accelerating. Even at 100km/h, there's ample power reserve for a second surge. The suspension is comfortable initially, handling small bumps well and quickly stabilizing over speed bumps. At higher speeds, it offers good support with minimal body roll in corners.

When I bought the Dongfeng Sokon Fengguang S560, I had 100,000 yuan and didn't want a loan. After looking at many cars that exceeded my budget or had no stock, I chose this newly launched manual transmission model as a display car. It was affordable, and I thought manual was fun as a new driver. I drove it off the same day without discounts, and it was manufactured in late October and picked up in early December. Now after nearly 4 years with low mileage, it uses the same engine and gearbox as the Fengguang 580, which is a mature but unremarkable setup. The chassis and infotainment system are now very outdated. The build quality is just so-so, with a stiff ride. A 6-speed manual would be better. Fuel economy is average; the port-injected engine feels underpowered for a car nearly 1.5 tons. The automatic transmission version has high fuel consumption, so I don't recommend it. It feels like "an old horse pulling a cart" – over 3000 rpm at 100 km/h, leading to loud noise and weak acceleration beyond that. In summary, either upgrade to a higher-level option or get a low-mileage used car; this mid-tier brand is only worth considering based on personal financial ability.

The Dongfeng Sokon Fengguang S560 has a spacious interior; even as a 100kg person, I don't feel cramped, and the third row is usable for me though tight for those over 1.86m. It has sufficient power for overtaking. However, there are several drawbacks: the side door anti-scratch plastic has an overly slanted arc, the front shock absorbers are too thin with only 14mm springs, front windows are too slanted, oil seals and shock absorbers leaked oil, and the dealer lied about it being a 2020 model (it's actually 2019 with 2019 tires). The automatic transmission feels fragile, fuel consumption is 8.5-9.3L/100km in the city and 7.3L/100km on the highway, and at 120km/h uphill, the tachometer reaches around 3500rpm. The driving and riding experiences are just decent, not excellent.