For those looking for 7-seater cars, most minds will snap back to the 2020 Toyota Innova. It's a reasonably safe option in a safe space, but it seems that it suddenly has a rival in the 2021 DFSK Glory 580.
Who or what is the DFSK Glory 580?
DFSK is short for Dongfeng Sokon, and judging by the name you already know it's a Chinese carmaker. They're not new to Malaysia as their distributor - Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle (M) Sdn Bhd - has been selling the brand's commercial vehicles (lorries) here since 2002.
Spotted by our friends at Funtasticko, the Glory 580 is apparently the brand's first foray into passenger vehicles in our country.
This isn't awkwardly cropped by us. It's from their website.
Size wise, it's rather similar to the Innova but can it go up in its grille is another matter entirely.
DFSK Glory 580 - dimensions and powertrain
2021 DFSK Glory 580 vs Toyota Innova
Model
DFSK Glory 580
Toyota Innova
Length (mm)
4,680
4,735
Width (mm)
1,845
1,830
Height (mm)
1,715
1,795
Wheelbase (mm)
2,780
2,750
It's a bit lower than the Innova, but it's slighty wider and has a longer wheelbase than Toyota's offering. Bear in mind that the Glory 580 is also claimed to seat 7 passengers.
Pictured here is the range-topping Luxury 1.5L Turbo
Only one variant will be offered in Malaysia. Specs below:
2021 DFSK Glory 580 specifications
Variant
Engine
Transmission
Luxury 1.5L Turbo
SFG15T
Turbocharged four-cylinder
150 PS @ 5,600 rpm
220 Nm @ 1,800 - 4,000 rpm
CVT
It's front-wheel drive and rolls around on 17-inch (225/60R17) wheels.
DFSK Glory 580 Features
Meanwhile, the features list are quite, er, shallow. Who even advertises armrests anymore?
Besides that, the dual-tone black/brown interior has 60:40 split-folding rear seats (all seats are leather) and a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment screen, with a built-in navigation system.
And according to the official promotional video - nope, it looks like the irritating phone mirroring system returns here, possibly eschewing Android Auto and Apple CarPlay then.
DFSK Glory 580 safety features
Aside from the customary anti-lock braking system with electronic brakeforce distribution (ABS, EBD), there's electronic stability control (ESC), four airbags, parking sensors and a reverse camera.
Launch date and prices
Coming fully-imported (CBU) from Indonesia and slated to be officially launched here in January 2021, on-the-road prices (SST-inclusive) will be around RM 95,000. We checked these with the distributor.
The H6 seen at the recent 2020 Guangzhou Auto Show.
That's cheaper than the Innova but it sits precariously in the 2020 Proton X50 and Proton X70 territory. How it performs remains to be seen but one thing's for sure - it's not the Chinese car we expect to really shake up Malaysia's 7-seater market. That title belongs to the brutish 2021 Haval H6.
With humble beginnings collecting diecast models and spending hours virtually tuning dream cars on the computer, his love of ...
With humble beginnings collecting diecast models and spending hours virtually tuning dream cars on the computer, his love of cars has delightfully transformed into a career. Sanjay enjoys how the same passion for cars transcends boundaries and brings people together.
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