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Every once in a while, a car claims to challenge expectations, defy its segment, and make you rethink what you’re paying for. The Dongfeng Nammi is making exactly those claims.
Billed as an overachieving electric hatchback, it promises features that would put pricier cars to shame, all while offering practicality and efficiency for the everyday driver. But can it really deliver on all of that? Is the Nammi as game-changing as it aspires to be, or are there hidden trade-offs beneath the glossy spec sheet? Let’s put those bold claims to the test.
The Nammi is a good looker. It looks young and hip. Up front, like most EVs, you get a smooth fascia with an all-LED DRL spanning the width of the car. This one, however, is more iconic as it continues further and encloses the all-LED headlights as well. You will never confuse this car with anything else if you see it at night. You get a smooth bonnet with minimal sculpting and an air dam at the bottom to complete the front.
The profile of the Nammi is so beautifully proportional. You get a classic hot hatch silhouette like… a Mini Cooper. We love those straight lines and short overhangs. The best part… is the tires. You get 17-inch alloy wheels which look great, but the tires are sized at 215/55. If you can’t gauge anything by that number, picture this: the Nammi has tires that are almost the same size as those you get on a BYD Atto 3. As a result, the wheel-well on the Nammi looks fuller, which makes the car look well weighted and surefooted.
Out on the rear, this is where you can see the cost-cutting. You get a shark fin antenna on the roof and piano black masking on the tailgate, which will be a nightmare to maintain. Taillights that are not as iconic as the front and a decently sculpted bumper complete the look.
The cabin of the Nammi punches above its weight. Open the doors that come with segment-first frameless windows, and you are greeted by an attractive, roomy cabin. We will start with the seats; these come with a welcome feature and electronic adjustment, which means it will be easy to find a great driving position. All-around visibility is great, which further aids in enhancing confidence behind the steering wheel. The side bolsters and cushioning on the seats, however, could have been improved.
You get a grey and a darker grey color scheme in the cabin, the grey highlights around the cabin, also runs through the dashboard sporting a faux leather material with diamond stitching and buckles and chrome inserts that really makes the dashboard area feel like a luxury handbag.
A unique element inside the cabin is the glove box, or should we say the glove drawer. It pulls out like a drawer and is lined with velvety material which feels premium, however, this drawer should have been twice as deep for added practicality. But you do get a storage area under the central console as a tradeoff.
Like most other Chinese EVs, you get two screens. You get a 5-inch driver instrument cluster, which should have been bigger, and a 12.8-inch infotainment screen, which is almost the standard size these days. It feels smooth and responsive, it doesn’t get Apple CarPlay or Android Auto but you can connect to it via Bluetooth for your calls and music.
Apart from that the cabin of the Nammi is dotted with features you’d never think you see on a car in this segment at this price. You get Ventilated and Heated Driver Seat with Welcome and Seat Memory Functions, Self-Parking Capabilities, Flush Door Handles, Frameless Windows, and many more.
The cabin of the Nammi feels like it belongs in a car two segments higher than it currently is. The fit and finishing are really great, and you get a plethora of features.
Depending on what variant you get, the Nammi comes with 31.4 kWh and 42.3 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate battery pack options. Regardless of the size of the battery, the car produces 70 kW of power and 160 Nm of torque.
Rated at a top speed of 140 km/h the Nammi does get a move on pretty quick. Don’t go expecting head-jerking acceleration, and you will find that the Nammi holds its own pretty well. The speed builds quickly, and the Nammi feels stable on the roads. Much of Nammi’s good road manners is thanks to its dimensions. At 4030 mm long, 1810 mm wide, and 1570 mm tall the Nammi squats on the tarmac giving it a more surface area resulting a stable drive. The compact dimensions also make it much more maneuverable in tight spaces. It even has an auto park if you don’t know how to do it yourself.
The ground clearance of 176mm works like a 190mm here thanks to a shorter length and overhanngs of the car increasing the breakover angle. The star of the show is the large tires that can drive through any bit of urban off-road, soaking every bump you encounter on the way to your workplace. It is a joy to chuck this car around corners, too; the squat stance with compact dimensions and a wider tire negates body roll and makes for a fun drive outside the cities as well.
As far as range goes, the Nammi claims a 237 km WLTP range, while the long-range variant claims a 317 km CLTC range on a single charge, which is very close to our testing. On our 86 km test drive inside the city, we drove around 3 kilometers for every percent of battery; highway figures may vary. Charging is fairly simple as well; the Nammi supports an 11 kW AC charger that allows a complete charge in 4 hours, while a 3.3 kW AC charger achieves the same in 14 hours. Alternatively, DC fast charging replenishes 30% to 80% in just 30 minutes.
With a price of Rs. 30.24 Lakh to a price of Rs. 35.99 Lakh, the Dongfeng Nammi is proof that you don’t need to break the bank to drive something modern, capable, and feature-rich. Yes, it has a few minor trade-offs—no car is perfect—but those are far outweighed by its impressive list of equipment, smart packaging, and electric efficiency.
It ticks all the right boxes for the average office-goer or suburban commuter, delivering more than you’d expect from its price tag. The Nammi isn’t just a car; it’s a statement that accessible electric mobility doesn’t have to mean compromise. For those seeking a value-packed EV without venturing into enthusiast territory, the Dongfeng Nammi makes a compelling case for itself.
