Nascent electric vehicle brand Forthing has announced it will expand its footprint in Australia beyond the newly launched electric and range-extended Taikon 5 SUV, to include three additional models; an MPV and two SUVs at “attainable price points”.
Speaking at the brand’s local launch, national manager Shaun Garrard declared, “Our plan is to be here for the long term.”
Driving Enthusiast understands the most likely candidate to debut first is the Forthing V6 (also known domestically as the Xinghai V6), which is expected to make its local debut at Everything Electric next week.
Rather than the much larger V9, this dedicated six-seat crossover represents a major technology play for the brand, having been heavily co-developed with tech giant Huawei. The vehicle integrates Huawei’s Qiankun ADS 5 SE advanced driver-assistance suite to manage active safety and semi-autonomous functions.
Measuring 4835mm long and 1900mm wide on a 2900mm wheelbase, the V6 utilises a flexible 2+2+2 cabin layout. In China, the fully electric V6 is offered with a choice of 45.5kWh or 60.5kWh battery packs, providing a claimed (and traditionally optimistic) CLTC driving range of 400km to 510km. An extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) variant is also in production.
Aside from the MPV, two other SUVs sized either side of the brand’s current small-mid-size offering are expected to follow. This indicates a (small) BYD Atto 2 and (large) MG S6 rival could book-end the newly launched model.
That current mid-size SUV, initially announced as the Taikon 5, is presently in the midst of a trademark dispute with Porsche AG. The German manufacturer is challenging the nameplate due to its phonetic similarity to the Porsche Taycan electric sports car.
As a risk mitigation measure, the vehicle is temporarily being marketed locally simply as the ‘Forthing Electric’ and ‘Forthing Range Extender Hybrid’.
Stay tuned for our drive impressions on the Forthing electric and range-extended SUV next week.
