Chine
Forthing
Forthing is a Chinese automaker founded in 2001 under the Chinese name Fengxing (风行, "the wind that circulates"), within Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co., Ltd., a manufacturer based in Liuzhou, in the Guangxi province of southern China. This subsidiary traces its roots to the former Liuzhou Agricultural Machinery Factory, founded in 1954, which produced its first vehicles in the late 1960s. Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor is itself a company controlled by Dongfeng Motor Group, one of China's largest state-owned automotive groups, which grew out of the Second Automobile Works created in 1969 and is headquartered in Wuhan. The brand first made its name with vans and crossovers (the Jingyi series, exported under the Joyear name), then with affordable sedans and minivans aimed at the domestic Chinese market. In November 2020, Dongfeng launched a repositioning of the brand: a new lion-shaped emblem and the adoption of the English name "Forthing" for international markets, made official at a conference in Shanghai in June 2021. The T5 EVO crossover served as the flagship for this new identity, more modern and oriented toward young urban buyers. Since then, the lineup has expanded with sport utility vehicles, minivans and electrified models (electric, plug-in hybrid and range-extender). Today Forthing exports to the Middle East, Europe and South America (Chile, Peru, often under the Dongfeng, DFM or DFLZ banners) and is preparing its arrival in Oceania, with Australia and New Zealand announced for 2026 with the Taikon 5 SUV. In North America, Forthing has no established commercial presence: the brand is not officially distributed in the United States or Canada, and no North American dealer network is in place to date. Its history therefore remains, above all, that of a mainstream Chinese manufacturer in the midst of international expansion.
ActiveÉlectrique / hybrideCamion / utilitaireChinoises
History
History of Forthing
Forthing is a Chinese automaker founded in 2001 under the Chinese name Fengxing (风行, "the wind that circulates"), within Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co., Ltd., a manufacturer based in Liuzhou, in the Guangxi province of southern China. This subsidiary traces its roots to the former Liuzhou Agricultural Machinery Factory, founded in 1954, which produced its first vehicles in the late 1960s. Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor is itself a company controlled by Dongfeng Motor Group, one of China's largest state-owned automotive groups, which grew out of the Second Automobile Works created in 1969 and is headquartered in Wuhan. The brand first made its name with vans and crossovers (the Jingyi series, exported under the Joyear name), then with affordable sedans and minivans aimed at the domestic Chinese market. In November 2020, Dongfeng launched a repositioning of the brand: a new lion-shaped emblem and the adoption of the English name "Forthing" for international markets, made official at a conference in Shanghai in June 2021. The T5 EVO crossover served as the flagship for this new identity, more modern and oriented toward young urban buyers. Since then, the lineup has expanded with sport utility vehicles, minivans and electrified models (electric, plug-in hybrid and range-extender). Today Forthing exports to the Middle East, Europe and South America (Chile, Peru, often under the Dongfeng, DFM or DFLZ banners) and is preparing its arrival in Oceania, with Australia and New Zealand announced for 2026 with the Taikon 5 SUV. In North America, Forthing has no established commercial presence: the brand is not officially distributed in the United States or Canada, and no North American dealer network is in place to date. Its history therefore remains, above all, that of a mainstream Chinese manufacturer in the midst of international expansion.
Public founding or origin of Forthing.
Technologies
Technologies, innovations and platforms
Forthing draws on the technical resources of the Dongfeng group. Its gasoline models mainly use turbocharged four-cylinder engines of 1.5 and 1.6 liters, with the 1.5 turbo producing about 145 kW (194 hp). The brand has invested heavily in electrification: fully electric versions (BEV), conventional hybrids (HEV), plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and range-extender systems (REEV), in which a small combustion engine recharges the battery. Some electric variants rely on components shared with or supplied by other Chinese players, including lithium-iron-phosphate and NMC motors and batteries. Recent platforms, such as the EMA-E architecture, underpin the electrified models. On the safety side, the vehicles adopt common driver-assistance features: automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control and parking cameras depending on the trim level.
Brand image
Identity, reputation, strengths and weaknesses
Positioning
A mainstream Chinese brand from Dongfeng offering SUVs, minivans and electrified models with strong equipment-to-price value, still absent from North America.
Reputation
Forthing remains a young brand on the international stage, still little known in North America, where it is not sold. In China, Dongfeng Liuzhou highlights several million owners served and various local awards, but independent data on long-term reliability and resale value remain limited outside Asia. Early foreign reviews of the T5 EVO and Taikon 5 praise the equipment-to-price value and the polished presentation, while noting that the fit and finish and the driving dynamics still have room for improvement compared with established benchmarks. As with many recent Chinese brands, resale value and network support outside their home markets remain unknowns to watch.
Strengths
Forthing offers well-equipped vehicles at competitive prices, with a broad range of powertrains covering turbocharged gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, range-extender and fully electric options. The backing of the Dongfeng group provides engineering resources, modern platforms and substantial industrial capacity. The recent design and tech-rich cabins appeal to value-seeking urban buyers.
Points to watch
The brand remains absent from North America, with no dealer network or local after-sales service, which complicates maintenance and parts supply for a Canadian buyer. Long-term reliability, resale value and parts availability in these markets are poorly documented. Brand awareness is low, and the fit and finish, although improving, does not yet match that of established manufacturers.
Models
Forthing models
Current or active models by market
Production and compatibility
Plants, tires and wheels
Production
Forthing's production is concentrated in China, mainly at Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor's facilities in Liuzhou, in Guangxi, where the brand's SUVs, minivans and electrified models are assembled. The Dongfeng group also operates numerous industrial sites across China. Forthing has no plant in North America and produces no vehicles there: the brand is not marketed in the region. Its international expansion relies on exports from China and on local distribution partners in the Middle East, South America and, soon, Oceania. No North American manufacturing project is publicly known to date.
Tires and wheels
Forthing's SUVs and crossovers, such as the T5 EVO and Taikon 5, use fitments typical of the compact-to-midsize segment: 18- and 19-inch wheels, with medium-section tires around 235 mm (for example 235/60 R18 and 235/55 R19). The most common bolt pattern on this type of Chinese SUV is 5x114.3 mm, but you should always confirm the exact bolt pattern and center bore of the specific model. In Quebec, 3PMSF-rated winter tires are essential and mandatory; a second set mounted on 17- to 18-inch steel or alloy wheels makes the seasonal changeover easier. Check the load and speed ratings, especially on the heavier electric versions.