Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor (DFLZ) plans to jointly invest in and build a commercial vehicle KD (knock-down) assembly plant in Vietnam as part of its overseas expansion strategy.

The announcement was made during the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo, which opened in Nanning recently. At the event, DFLZ displayed new energy vehicles under its Chenglong and Forthing brands and signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Vietnamese partners.

In the passenger vehicle segment, Forthing displayed the Xinghai V9 Camping Edition and the Xinghai V6. The Xinghai V9 Camping Edition is equipped with a 1.5T Mach hybrid electric powertrain, offering a CLTC pure-electric range of 200 kilometres and a combined range of 1,300 kilometres. Its official starting price is CNY 258,800 (US$ 38,655).

The Xinghai V6 features Huawei's Qiankun ADS 5 SE intelligent driving system and has a pre-sale starting price of CNY 104,900. A right-hand-drive version of the model was also unveiled at the expo.

In the commercial vehicle segment, the Chenglong brand displayed three new energy models. The Chenglong H7 hydrogen fuel cell tractor is equipped with a 400kW fuel cell stack and a 70MPa high-pressure hydrogen storage system, providing a combined range of more than 1,500 kilometres. Deliveries of the model are projected to exceed 1,800 units in 2025.

The Chenglong Yiwei 5 Super Energy pure-electric tractor has a kerb weight of 8.8 tonnes and a combined energy consumption of 1.1kWh per kilometre. The Chenglong Yiwei 2 intelligent pure-electric light truck is equipped with five LiDAR sensors and an NVIDIA automotive-grade chip, providing total computing power of 508 TOPS.

The Chenglong Kunpeng flying car and Chenglong Chitu Red Rabbit RoboVAN autonomous logistics vehicle were also displayed at the event.

The Vietnam KD assembly plant is part of DFLZ's transition from an export-oriented business model towards greater localisation in overseas markets. Under its "Chengfeng Dual-Energy Plan", the company aims to expand its international business by 2030.

The Chenglong brand currently operates in eight ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. In 2025, the brand recorded sales of 11,057 units in the ASEAN market and held a 55 per cent share of Vietnam's medium-duty truck segment.

DFLZ currently operates 30 integrated direct-sales and service outlets in Vietnam as part of its ASEAN network. In Thailand, the company plans to establish at least 100 additional sales and service outlets with local partners over the next three years. It also plans to jointly establish a smart manufacturing facility in Thailand to support localised production and supply chain development.