Chinese Voyah to open first showroom in Belgium late 2024

Chinese electric vehicle brand Voyah, a subsidiary of Dongfeng Motor for luxury EVs, has announced plans to open its first showroom in Belgium by the end of the year. The new Chinese brand is imported into the Benelux region by the Gomes Group, a successful Mercedes dealer group from the Netherlands.

Voyah’s entry into Europe started last February when the brand opened a dedicated store for electric vehicles in Walhalla, Norway. As usual, the Netherlands was the next conquest market, so the Chinese start-up selected the Gomes Group for sales and distribution throughout the Benelux.

Sustainable showrooms

At the opening of its first showroom for the region, in Alkmaar, the Gomes Group announced the timeline for its Belgian operations, starting by the end of the year. No exact location has been revealed. The Gomes Group currently has no presence in Belgium. The showrooms from Voyah support the idea of sustainable mobility by featuring solar panels and geothermal heating.

Voyah is a premium brand, as witnessed by the iCozy concept car and the powerful 1,000 PS MHero SUV on display at the Alkmaar inauguration. CEO Kjeld Riegen emphasized the strategic move, stating that Voyah’s diverse line-up will cater to multiple market segments, enhancing the electric car markets in which it will embark. Voyah plans to offer three models: the SUV Free, the MPV Dream, and the sedan Passion.

The Voyah Free comes available for purchase first. It’s a spacious SUV with a 4.91-meter body length, and its electric drivetrain builds upon dual motors, delivering a combined output of 490 hp and 720 Nm of torque. As the models Dream and Passion join the Dutch market by the end of the year, they will most likely be offered immediately in Belgium when the store opens.

Lowest punitive tariff

Mother company Dongfeng seizes the opportunity to boost interest in its own vehicles alongside the Voyah range. Visitors to the new Belgian showroom will also see the budget-friendly Dongfeng 007 and The Box models. Priced at 20,000 euros, The Box competes with the Dacia Spring and Citroën ë-C3, potentially revolutionizing the low-cost EV segment crucial for broader EV adoption.

The five-door Box features a 95-hp electric motor driving the front wheels and is comparable in size to a Volkswagen Polo. In China, two LFP battery options are offered, providing ranges up to 330 and 430 kilometers, based on the optimistic Chinese CLTC values.

Its budget pricing will depend on the outcome of negotiations between EU officials and Chinese authorities. Currently, Dongfeng is subject to a punitive import tariff of 17.4% (the lowest of scales) if no agreement is reached. This could prove an obstacle to the successful adoption of both Voyah and Dongfeng, as pricing is an essential trigger for customer confidence.