There’s always a debate between form and function in cars. Something that’s functional cannot look good, while others compromise a lot in the name of aesthetics. Finding the middle ground is tough, especially when considering building a car in this economy. Yet, the Dongfeng Nammi seemed to have played their cards right.
The Dongfeng Nammi seemed to have found a sweet spot in all this. This little EV hatchback has a few touches that are not only different, but also makes sense. Unlock the car and once you open the door, it’s already ready to go. You won’t need to press another button again. The same goes for turning it off – just leave the car and press the lock button. The ringtone can get irritating in the long run though because of how loud it is.
The functionality adds a lot of charm to the design of the Nammi. It’s a very minimalist exterior with a front face that looks like it can’t hurt a fly but has the right amount of contours to not be bland. There are also nice details like the white vents on the front bumper, the alloy finish on the rims but the spokes all black, contrasting shark fin antenna, and the Dongfeng badge by the rear pillar.
The cabin is where things get a bit fashionable. The dashboard up to the door panels have a soft-touch leather cover with stitching reminiscent of high-end bags in the fashion world. There’s also straps in front of the front passenger, adding to that expensive bag aesthetic. It also houses the pull-out tray that replaced the glove box.
There are a lot of smart implementations too. It has a touch-based activation for the map light. Beside it is the hazard button which will raise an eyebrow, but I can understand why they placed that there. It’s to free up space below the center air vents so they can detach the center console. Doing so created this platform aesthetic that holds the 50w wireless charger. They didn’t waste the space under this floating console as the underside hosts the 12v socket, USB port, cup holders, and cubby holes. The controls for the aircon are already in the touchscreen so there’s no more buttons on the dash leading to a very neat aesthetic.
The layout for the driver will also take some getting used to. The shifter is a stalk on the right of the steering wheel while the wiper moved to a rotary button on the left, where the headlight controls used to be. That’s because the headlight operation was moved to the touchscreen too. This makes sense because the Nammi has a responsive automatic lighting system so you can set and forget it. The Drive Modes were also moved to the touchscreen and this one I’m 50-50 about. I’d prefer it on the steering wheel but it’s easy to find anyway so I’ll let it pass.
The Nammi is a full EV that has power figures similar to that of a car with a 1.5L engine. It has 90 horsepower and 160 Nm of torque, the difference being power delivery is more quick than a traditional car. What’s different is the throttle is a bit more tame than other EVs. Even in normal mode, it has enough lag to not push your head against the headrest at every blip of the pedal.
Out on the road, the Nammi drives like it looks. It’s not sporty, not engaging, but fun. The steering is numb and won’t give you any joy in the twisties. The light steering is a joy to use inside the city though. Combined with the small size of the car, it makes the Nammi very nimble even on congested roads. The ride comfort is also good that even the truck lane of C5 didn’t hurt my sensitive back or made a bobblehead out of me.
Overall, the Nammi is clearly for the young or open-minded. It has characteristics that some will qualify as quirks, while others will see as convenience. There are also other things like 430 km of range, Rest Mode for the seats, 360-camera system, and a full suite of ADAS. It’s not the fastest out there because it doesn’t want to. The Nammi symbolizes the young, carefree, and those who do not care about the rat race of society. For PHP 1,248,000 it’s a fair deal but more so with Dongfeng’s special price of PHP 998,000 until the end of July 30, 2025.
