The 2026 DongFeng M-Hero 1 — badged Mengshi 917 (M-Hero 917) in its home market — is the flagship off-roader from Dongfeng's premium Mengshi/M-Hero sub-brand, built to go toe-to-toe with the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and BYD's own Yangwang U8. For the 2026 model year, Dongfeng offers three trims on a body-on-frame M-TECH platform: a range-extended EV (EREV) from ¥637,700 (about $95,020), a quad-motor pure-electric (BEV) flagship from ¥697,700 (about $103,960), and a raised-suspension EREV variant called Highland Lion from ¥699,000 (about $104,150). Outside China, the SUV is exported as the MHERO I through Dongfeng's MHERO brand, already on sale in the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait — and it has also reached Israel, where a single BEV-spec import at ₪699,000 makes it one of the priciest Chinese-brand vehicles on sale in the country. Every version rides on adjustable air suspension, offers a factory crab-walk mode via four-wheel steering, and is rated to wade through 900 mm of water. This is a car for buyers who want serious off-road hardware and six-figure presence, not a crossover with rugged styling bolted on.
Performance & Specs
The range-topping trim is the quad-motor BEV, with one 197 kW motor at each wheel for a combined 800 kW peak output. Dongfeng's own marketing rounds that to "1,088 hp," but that figure is actually the metric PS number (800 kW ÷ 0.7355 kW per PS ≈ 1,088 PS); converted to standard SAE horsepower (800 kW × 1.341), the correct value is 1,073 hp — the figure CarNewsChina's own spec database independently lists, and the one used throughout this article. Torque is 1,400 Nm, and Dongfeng quotes 0-100 km/h in 4.2 seconds despite a 3,293 kg curb weight, with a 195 km/h top speed. The two EREV trims (the standard version and the raised-suspension Highland Lion) share a 1.5-litre turbo four acting purely as a generator (145 kW / 194 hp, with no mechanical drive to the wheels) plus three drive motors for a combined 600 kW (816 PS / 805 hp) and 1,050 Nm, good for 0-100 km/h in 6.0 seconds and a 191 km/h top speed. All three trims use four- or three-motor all-wheel drive with locking front and centre differentials for genuine low-range-style off-road capability, not just an AWD badge.
| Powertrain | Quad-motor AWD BEV |
|---|---|
| Power | 800 kW (1,088 PS / 1,073 hp) |
| Torque | 1,400 Nm |
| 0–100 km/h | 4.2 s |
| Battery | 142.7 kWh |
| Range | 505 km (CLTC) |
| POWERTRAIN TYPE | Quad-motor BEV (three-motor EREV also available) |
|---|---|
| HORSEPOWER | 1,073 hp (800 kW) |
| ACCELERATION | 4.2 s (0-100 km/h) |
| TOP SPEED | 195 km/h |
| DRIVETRAIN | AWD, four motors (one per wheel), locking front/centre diffs |
| BATTERY | 142.7 kWh NMC (CATL) |
| ELECTRIC RANGE | 505 km (CLTC) |
| COMBINED RANGE | — (pure BEV; EREV trims offer 1,026 km combined) |
Dimensions & Practicality
| Length | 4,987 mm |
|---|---|
| Width | 2,080 mm |
| Height | 1,935 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,950 mm |
| Ground clearance | 221–268 mm (up to 335 mm off-road) |
At 4,987 mm long, 2,080 mm wide and 1,935 mm tall on a 2,950 mm wheelbase, the M-Hero 1 is closer in footprint to a full-size American SUV than to a compact off-roader, and its non-load-bearing body-on-frame construction is unusual among Chinese EVs, most of which use unibody "skateboard" platforms. Ground clearance on the adjustable air suspension ranges from 221–268 mm in road mode up to 335 mm (BEV) or 326 mm (EREV) in the tallest off-road setting, with approach/departure/breakover angles of 31–33°/30–34°/19.7–23° that Dongfeng says stretch to a claimed 36.8°/37.5°/27.9° once the suspension is fully raised. The cabin seats five across two rows; Dongfeng has not published a cargo-volume figure in litres for either powertrain, so none is quoted here rather than guessed. Interior trim on higher grades includes an Alcantara-wrapped dashboard and machined metal accents on the console and steering wheel.
| LENGTH | 4,987 mm |
|---|---|
| WIDTH | 2,080 mm |
| HEIGHT | 1,935 mm (1,978 mm on Highland Lion) |
| WHEELBASE | 2,950 mm |
| SEATING | 5 seats, 2 rows |
| CARGO VOLUME | Not officially published |
Charging & Battery
The BEV's 142.7 kWh CATL ternary (NMC) pack is rated for 505 km on China's CLTC cycle and takes roughly 47 minutes to charge from 30-80% on a DC fast charger; Dongfeng has not published a peak charging-power figure, so none is invented here. The same battery, tested under the stricter WLTP cycle used for the car's Israeli import listing, is quoted at 407 km — about 19% lower than the CLTC number, which is a normal CLTC-to-WLTP gap rather than evidence of a smaller pack. Both figures describe the identical 142.7 kWh battery, simply measured on different test cycles. The two EREV trims instead carry a smaller 65.8 kWh battery good for 200 km of CLTC pure-electric range, topped up by the 1.5-litre range extender for 1,026 km of combined driving range — useful when there's no charger for hundreds of kilometres in either direction, a realistic scenario for this car's off-road target use.
| BATTERY (BEV) | 142.7 kWh CATL NMC |
|---|---|
| BATTERY (EREV) | 65.8 kWh CATL NMC |
| AC CHARGING | Not officially published |
| DC FAST CHARGING (BEV) | 30–80% in about 47 minutes |
Design & Interior
The M-Hero 1's styling leans hard into its military-vehicle inspiration: a flat, upright nose with a slatted grille and a hexagonal "M" badge, squared-off wheel arches, a full-width LED light bar, and an optional roof rack rated to carry a rooftop tent. Show cars have been displayed in matte black or matte grey paint with contrast bronze or blue graphics, riding on all-terrain tyres wrapped around dark off-road wheels. Inside, the dashboard is dominated by a floating central touchscreen flanked by physical climate controls and a substantial drive-mode selector. Higher grades add Alcantara-wrapped surfaces, machined metal trim on the steering wheel and console, and a three-screen digital cockpit layout spanning the driver's cluster, the central display and a co-pilot screen. Dongfeng positions the cabin as a luxury counterpoint to the exterior's military styling, closer to a premium SUV than a work truck.
Technology & Features
Every M-Hero 1 comes standard with L2+ driver assistance built around three millimetre-wave radars, twelve ultrasonic sensors and eight external cameras for 360-degree monitoring, supporting full-speed adaptive cruise, lane centering, automatic lane-change assist, remote/automatic parking and a door-open warning system. The Highland Lion and the range-topping "Dragon Armor" special edition add a 540-degree surround camera with a transparent-chassis view that stitches together underbody cameras to show terrain hidden beneath the vehicle — a genuinely useful feature when rock-crawling rather than a gimmick. Software updates are delivered over the air, and wireless phone charging is standard across the lineup.
Safety & ADAS
The M-Hero 1's L2+ suite is built on a 3-radar, 12-ultrasonic-sensor, 8-camera hardware set rather than LiDAR, which is unusual for a 2026 Chinese launch but consistent with the car's off-road focus over highway autonomy. Electronic stability control, hill-descent control and a full airbag set are standard, and the body-on-frame chassis with front and centre locking differentials is engineered to survive genuine off-road abuse rather than just look the part.
| ADAS LEVEL | L2+ |
|---|---|
| ADAS FEATURES | Full-speed adaptive cruise, lane centering, auto lane-change assist, AEB, 360° camera, remote/auto parking, door-open warning (DOW) |
Available Versions
| VERSION | POWER | TORQUE | 0-100 | TOP SPEED | DRIVETRAIN | BATTERY | EV RANGE | COMBINED RANGE | PRICE | KEY DIFFERENCES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EREV | 805 hp | 1,050 Nm | 6.0s | 191 km/h | AWD | 65.8 kWh | 200 km | 1,026 km | $95,020 | Entry trim; 1.5T range extender + 3 motors, standard suspension height |
| BEV Quad-Motor | 1,073 hp | 1,400 Nm | 4.2s | 195 km/h | AWD | 142.7 kWh | 505 km | — | $103,960 | Flagship pure-electric; one motor per wheel, no range extender |
| Highland Lion (EREV) | 805 hp | 1,050 Nm | 6.0s | 191 km/h | AWD | 65.8 kWh | 200 km | 1,026 km | $104,150 | Raised suspension height, 540° surround view with transparent-chassis camera |
Pricing & Availability
The 2026 model year M-Hero 1 lineup launched in China at prices from ¥637,700 to ¥699,000 (about $95,020-$104,150 at current exchange rates), positioned by Chinese media as a direct rival to the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado on price and to the BYD Yangwang U8 on capability. Outside China, Dongfeng exports the car as the MHERO I through its MHERO sub-brand, already on sale in the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait via distributor Al Ghurair Mobility. It has also reached Israel, arriving among the most expensive Chinese-brand models on sale there, priced at ₪699,000 (plus registration tax) for the BEV-spec import — a market entry that says more about the car's ambitions than its volume, since off-roaders in this class sell in the low thousands of units annually even in China.
How It Compares
Against the BYD Leopard 8, another body-on-frame Chinese off-roader already on FreshMotors, the M-Hero 1's BEV flagship costs almost double the Leopard 8's $53,500 starting price but trades PHEV range security for a genuinely all-electric powertrain and 335 hp more peak output. The GWM Tank 700 Hi4-Z sits between the two on price at $63,500 and specifically markets itself as a budget G-Class alternative — the same pitch the M-Hero 1 makes at a higher price point, backed by more motors and a much bigger battery. The closest match on raw capability is BYD's own Yangwang U8L: at $179,690 it costs 73% more than the M-Hero 1 BEV, but its quad-motor EREV powertrain, 1,180 hp and ability to float on water put it in a different performance tier entirely. In that light, the M-Hero 1 reads as the more attainable way into this halo-off-roader class, not a like-for-like alternative to any single rival.
- Genuine body-on-frame off-road hardware — locking differentials, 900 mm wading depth, crab-walk four-wheel steering and adjustable air suspension that most electrified SUVs can't match
- Quad-motor BEV delivers 1,073 hp and a 4.2-second 0-100 km/h time backed by 1,400 Nm of torque
- EREV trims solve range anxiety for genuine off-grid, off-road use with 1,026 km of combined driving range
- No official cargo volume, AC charging rate, or peak DC charging power published — some practical specs simply aren't available yet
- At $95,020-$104,150 in China, and considerably more once imported into markets like Israel, it's priced well above mainstream Chinese EVs with comparable tech
The DongFeng M-Hero 1 is a genuinely credible answer to the question of what a Chinese, all-electric Mercedes G-Class rival would look like — body-on-frame construction, real locking differentials, four-wheel crab-walk steering and a wading depth most crossovers can't dream of, wrapped around a quad-motor powertrain that produces more torque than most trucks twice its price. It's not for every buyer: the EREV trims exist specifically because BEV off-road range anxiety is real, and several practical specs, like cargo volume and the exact DC charging curve, simply aren't published yet. But for a buyer who wants a genuine off-roader with six-figure presence and doesn't need a three-pointed star on the grille, the M-Hero 1 undercuts the G-Class by a wide margin while arguably out-speccing it on raw off-road hardware.
