Dongfeng Mage

Design & Quality

The cabin is put together with soft-touch materials that don’t creak over bumps, which gives confidence in quality when you’re dealing with Chinese brands. They have really improved a lot, which means you can trust them for durability. The cockpit has a 13.2-inch, well-laid out, and quite responsive and seamless to you. You get some new ambient lighting for your special night drives. Ventilated leather seats are now standard, it seems, but no complaint as they make summer driving a great relief. The panoramic sunroof appears a lot bigger and wider, opens up the space beautifully, and wireless charging plus a smart key add daily convenience. I can’t help but compare it with the MG RX5 or JAC JS4, and it feels more spacious and premium. Some minor issues, like the screen can lag now and then, but honestly, it’s minor compared to what you get overall.

Front Seat

The driver’s seat is comfortable and supportive, especially on long drives. Not much of an innovation, but it feels quite practical, though, as to where you would end up spending most of your time.  With power adjustment and ventilation in the Ultimate trim, setting up the most suitable driving position is easy. I won’t complain about the visibility, which is a huge plus in city traffic, and the steering wheel feels good in the hands with buttons that are easy to use without distraction. Here is my observation, after driving straight for a few hours, I didn't feel any backache or discomfort in my body, in fact, I felt a lot happier.

Electronic Parking Brake

The electronic parking brakes are now standard in this segment, and with auto-hold, it is useful during congestion or dealing with peak traffic in the city. Also, feel comfortable on an incline; you don’t have to keep pressing the brake pedal at signals. Simple, effective, and reduces a lot of manual efforts and stress too. 

Rear Seat

The rear bench is comfortable as well as spacious, officially for three, but feels better with two adults, especially for long drivers. The flat floor makes a difference when seating three, as there’s no awkward hump in the middle. Not just at the front, but the rear AC vents are quite strong, and you feel chilly instantly, something necessary when travelling with a group or family, especially during summer. The seat fabric is also family-friendly; a simple test of coffee spill revealed how quickly you can clean without leaving a mark. Young families love this, given they always have kids around. 

AC Vents

The AC is strong and quick to cool down; this is expected of it, and we take it for granted in today’s cars. It is a must-have feature, especially during peak summer heat. The dual-zone system ensures both front and rear passengers are comfortable, and the rear vents are particularly powerful for a purpose. And, through the vents, dust is well-filtered, and the voice commands are good enough for adjusting the temperature when driving alone. This saves you from the hassle and driving distraction. 

Storage Options

Practicality is where the Mage scores well, and rightfully so, when your buyer segment consists of families, too. The glovebox is big enough to store documents or other stuff, the door pockets are deep, you can carry a water bottle of a litre size, and the cooled armrest is a neat touch. There’s also a hidden boot compartment under the floor for smaller items..

Armrest

Both front and rear armrests serve well, ensuring comfort, especially with cupholders for the back passengers. When driving long road trips, passengers get the extra comfort of the armrest and also holding beverages in the cupholders

Charging Options

You will notice plenty of charging points, something necessary for all of us in our daily lives. Undoubtedly, the car becomes the second home, and so we need enough comfort to keep life organised. Between the USB-A, USB-C, and wireless charging pad, keeping devices powered isn’t an issue at all. On Ultimate trims, the 50W wireless pad is quick and reliable. We used it for maps and music running, and it kept the phone topped up with ease.

Boot Space

At 450 litres, the boot capacity is just fine for a SUV of this size, a practical aspect to help you use for most parts. It is also expandable as well, a standard. Most owners will find the boot space useful for family groceries and weekend luggage, and the tie-downs plus a cover keep things neat. For the class, it holds its own well and doesn’t leave you feeling short-changed.

• Driver/passenger airbags
• Side/curtain airbags (Ultimate)
• ABS with EBD
• ESC, traction control
• Hill hold/descent
• Blind-spot monitoring (Ultimate)
• Lane-keep assist (Ultimate)
• AEB pedestrian (Ultimate)
• TPMS
• Rear cross-traffic (Ultimate)
• ISOFIX
• Auto hold

Looking at the Mage, by its design language and body style, here is another compact SUV that spoils the buyers in KSA. The moment I looked at the SUV, it felt sharp and sporty for today’s young buyers who now want an SUV rather than a sedan. And Dongfeng, like its peers from China, is wooing these buyers in the SUV frenzy market.

There are subtle exterior elements like the front grille, all chrome and bold, the slim LED headlights for a modern, wide stance and height make it look properly tough on KSA roads. As one might expect, the right ground clearance to clear speed bumps and patches of sand without worry. From the side, those alloys really complete the look, and the body lines make it feel more premium than what you’d expect in this price bracket.

Front

Walking up to it, the front makes you take notice; you could easily mistake it for a Japanese or Korean SUV for a second. The grille comes in the hacker-style pattern, looks attractive, and is a refreshing change for starters, integrated well with the DRLs. It looks futuristic, appealing to buyers who prefer style. Looking from the front, you get to see the curved hood rise in front, something associated with SUV body styling, also this distinctiveness. With a consistent theme of exterior design from Chinese brands, the Mage feels a lot premium than it actually is, appealing enough design to get the buyer's attention.

Side

From the side profile too, you see the SUV's new body language with greater height, design cues starting from the front to all the way at the back from A, B and C pillars. The arches have just enough flare to give it presence, and the chrome around the windows breaks up the design nicely. The entry height is perfect for anyone to enter and exit without trouble. The roof rails come in handy if you are carrying gear, and stay empty and yet they enhance the overall look.

Alloy Wheels

The alloys look appropriate for the car's size and improve the overall look and feel. You get both the 19 and 20-inch alloys depending on the trims. Both appear to have good proportions and really fill up the arches. What matters is the grip, and it seems they do the job perfectly in a variety of road conditions that we encounter across our cities and towns. 

Rear

The rear look makes you believe that the design of the car is consistent, both front and rear complement the overall appearance and exterior. At the back is covered by LED taillights. When lit, it looks quite nice.  The spoiler adds a sporty touch, and there is a rugged skid plate that makes it feel ready for gravel runs. Like its rivals, the Chinese brand Mage also offered with 540-degree camera system, it is definitely a lot more convenient in tight or congested parking places. This is necessary, and a step up from the usual 360 degrees, and so rival brands from Japan and Korea should consider offering it too. 

Colors

The colour combination is rather interesting for you to choose from, the Hacker Green, Sci-Fi Silver and Ceramic White, Inkstone Black, and Deep Blue. For practical reasons, I found white does a good job in the heat, and silver hides dust well.

City Performance

Overall, a suitable SUV to drive around the city. I didn’t face any trouble navigating our road, even during heavy traffic; it was mostly fine. The 1.5L turbo engine picks up speed quite surprisingly, and not much effort is required. With 204 hp and 305 Nm, slipping into gaps is easy, and the 7DCT gearbox feels smooth once you’re off to a good start. During busy or peak traffic time, like most cars, it does feel hesitant at low speeds, but not a big deal really. The 540-degree camera really takes the stress out of tight spots. With an average of around 15 km/l, this should work for most daily drivers or commuters. When it comes to NVH, it is better than one would expect, mostly silent and quiet in the city or highway. 

Highway Performance

On the highway, the Mage feels more grown-up than its size suggests. Cruising at 150-plus km/h won’t be much of an issue; feel steady and in control. Overtakes were easy owing to the higher torque, and on longer road trips, the adaptive cruise in the Ultimate variant really helped ease the load. On the highway, as expected, the mileage is slightly on the higher side. On the highway, too, the cabin feels cool and quiet. Open the sunroof, and it instantly adds a nice, airy vibe to those long drives. It’s not built to be a racer, but it delivers solid confidence for inter-city runs.

Ride and Handling

On ride and handling, the Mage isn’t a big surprise, but it does satisfy you for the most part. The suspension setup is on the comfortable side, and it absorbs most bumps well. The bigger potholes that occasionally hit just to remind you that it is a compact SUV and not an off-roader, but should satisfy you with the balance.  will remind you it’s still a compact SUV, but overall, it strikes a nice balance. The MacPherson front and multi-link rear work quietly in the background, and the body doesn’t roll around too much in corners. With 197 mm clearance good to overcome the rough road patches without the risk of getting scrapes. Overall, it feels well-rounded for both family and solo use. The only consistent gripe is that bit of gearbox hesitation in traffic, but once you’re moving, it drives with confidence.

• 13.2-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth/WiFi

• 10.25-inch digital cluster

• Leather perforated seats
• Dual-zone AC
• 6-speaker audio
• Keyless entry
• Adaptive cruise (Ultimate)
• 540-degree camera
• Panoramic sunroof

• Wireless charger (Ultimate)
• Voice control

Luxury

The entry trim doesn’t feel absolutely hollow, because there are a fair number of features offered. You get LED lights, a big 13.2-inch screen, a sunroof, and the most necessary safety features. The seats are comfortable, and it looks the part from the outside, the best budget option.

Ultimate

The top-end variants with a higher price tag come with all the exciting features. There come 20-inch rims, extra airbags, ADAS like lane-keep assist, and those ventilated seats. The premium touches on longer drives, and the added safety features make the ride luxurious and confident, and serve well for families.

Sayarabay Recommendation

If you can spend a bit more, go for the Ultimate, which is the best buy among the two, and our recommendations. The extra features comprising ADAS, bigger alloys, and ventilated seats make a big difference day-to-day, and the engine is the same punchy 204 hp turbo across both trims. And, a mileage of over 15 kmpl, it is a good choice if you’re looking for a budget compact SUV.

The Dongfeng Mage, with its overall time spent driving, managed to impress us, and there is a lot more to this SUV than meets the eye. It’s compact enough for city use, but good for highways, a dual-purpose use for most buyers, is what they want. The engine is well-refined, the cabin feels premium, above its segment, and the feature list is long enough to serve you and the family perfectly. Compared to rivals in the segment, like the MG RX5, the Mage is affordable and highly loaded. If you’re a first-time SUV buyer, or moving from an existing one to a brand new one, don’t want to spend much but also wish to have an awesome ownership experience, then this SUV deserves your attention.

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