Chinese operatives have stolen the 007 codename of fictional secret service agent James Bond and stuck it on the back of a … CAR THAT RUNS ON BATTERIES!
British secret service suits are outraged. Electric cars are one thing, they say, but the 007 numbers are as sacrosanct in MI6 circles as bottles of good claret.
Distressed MI6 chief M left the service’s building on the bank of the Thames with a file marked ‘For Your Eyes Only’. He was heading for the Foreign Office.
Miss Moneypenny was seen on London’s New Bond Street projecting from a wristwatch a multi-dimensional hologram that penetrated brick walls. It was designed by MI6’s lab rat Q – aka Inspector Gadget. The hologram contained the words ‘007 – No Time to Die’.
Donald Trump, whose favourite Bond film is Octopussy, has urged tailors on London’s Saville Row to impose 50% tariffs on Chinese silk pyjamas. Talk to Anglo-Chinese businessman Mr Mountbatten-Windsor, said Trump.
Shares in petrol-powered British carmaker Aston Martin skyrocketed after ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi flooded London with billboards picturing a DB5 being driven on a winding AI-generated road by a Sean Connery lookalike. The road spells out the words ‘Diamonds are Forever’ …
This fanciful storyline aside, the 007 handle is another curious anomaly in the way China’s carmakers assign names to vehicles. For example, the state-owned Changan automotive group’s latest lineup of premium models includes the Avatr 12, Avatr 11, Avatr 07, Avatr 06.
For New Zealand newcomer Dongfeng, the 007 nameplate is on a battery-electric (BEV) 4.8-metre-long sedan. A would-be Chinese James Bond would pronounce the codename as ‘ling ling qi’ (ling ling chee) in Mandarin.
How such a fictional character would pronounce Vigo, the all-electric SUV launched alongside the 007 at the Hampton Downs track, needs more attention.
While the numbers 007 feature in modern Chinese history as representing a gruelling 24/7 work schedule, Vigo has nothing historically to do with China.
Vigo originates from the latin meaning ‘settlement’. Drop the ‘o’ and ‘vig’ alone is an ancient Norse term for ‘combat’ or ‘battle’.
Perhaps Dongfeng borrowed it to equip the 007 sedan’s operating system with optional go-faster modes ‘combat’ and ‘fight’. You can find them on the touchscreen.
Whatever, Dongfeng (pronounced ‘Dongfong’) will need to punch well above its weight if it is to gain a foothold in New Zealand with BEVs alone.
The sector is down in numbers year-on-year by around 65%, or since government axed Clean Car Discount (CCD) subsidies from the beginning of 2024. Back then, sales went through the roof; these days they’re going through the floor.
On the other hand, sales of plug-in hybrids, those PHEVs with a backup petrol engine, continue to grow.
Simon Rutherford, CEO of Dongfeng importers Auto Distribution Holdings (ADH), recognises that Dongfeng willl need PHEVs sooner rather than later. “There will be plug-ins,” he said.
Meantime, Rutherford – the former boss of Ford NZ – sets out to build the Dongfeng brand. “We might be a new starter in New Zealand but we’re not a new starter globally,” he said.
“What can we bring that benefits New Zealanders? We can bring scale, we can bring experience. It’s not a brand that’s going to be here just for today. We want to build a strong and enduring relationship.”
Vigo and 007 join the similarly powered BEV Box, a sub-$30,000 small hatchback that introduced the Dongfeng nameplate to New Zealand last year. The Box immediately came in for criticism for only having two airbags. Rutherford said ADH was working with Dongfeng on the shortfall.
Vigo and 007 come with six airbags, abundant interior room, and loads of electronic this and that. “In terms of strategy with these two new vehicles, we are trying to deliver value in a different way,” said Rutherford.
“We believe we can break through in both of these two segments. With Vigo we are sitting in the heart of the (SUV) segment. We haven’t been in the segment before.
“We have great versatility with Vigo, we have performance in 007 and accessibility and capability at a price we haven’t seen in the market before.”
The Box, Vigo, and 007 are among what state-owned Dongfeng calls its new energy vehicles (NEVs). It built one million in 2025. Among them were petrol-electric plug-ins.
Like all of Dongfeng’s NEVs, the three New Zealand offerings run smart operating systems developed by technology giant Huawei. Another Chinese giant, CATL, supplies the cars’ batteries.
Vigo is a mid-size SUV priced at $39,990 ($37,990 launch special) and running a single 52kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery producing 120kW/230Nm through the front wheels. Range is said to be 340km; fast charging between 30%-80% per cent takes a claimed 18 minutes.
It is a largely seamless looking vehicle inside and out, typical of most BEVs. There are six exterior colour options and two interior choices – beige and black. The boot offers clever storage configurations.
The 007 is a large fastback sedan with a glass roof and class-leading aerodynamic drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.209. It’s available with rear-drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). The RWD is priced at $54,990, the AWD at $59,990.
Both cars use a 70kWh LFP battery that powers a single motor delivering 200kW/320Nm in the RWD and 400kW/640Nm via dual motors in the AWD. The RWD has a claimed range of 540km; the AWD 395km. The 30%-80% fast charge for both takes 26 minutes.
The extra ‘combat/fight’ modes on the touchscreen sprinted the AWD car to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds on the Hampton Downs track. A touchscreen function does the timing. The go-fast functions come with ‘track-only’ recommendations.
Vehicle warranty on both Vigo and 007 is six-years/200,000km; battery warranty is eight-years/200,000km. There are five exterior 007 colours and two choices for the inside.