1,070 hp electric Mengshi M-Terrain SUV spotted during extreme testing

Mengshi is a off-road vehicle brand established by Dongfeng with the aim to offer highly capable, extreme 4x4 electric cars. Its first models are the M-Terrain SUV and M-Terrain S pickup truck, both were officially unveiled in August and promised to go on sale in 2023.

With the promised beginning of sales approaching fast, it is no surprise that first examples of the M-Terrain are undergoing road tests but seeing one of the test vehicles drive through rivers and tackle some serious offroad scenarios reminds us that these cars are not just for show, they are meant to be used in most demanding environments.

Still wearing a full camouflage, the Mengshi M-Terrain is wading through clearly more than 1 meter of water without any hesitation, only to emerge at full speed on the shore. Looking like a happy dog shaking water off after a quick swim, the M-Terrain is clearly not a boulevard tiger but a real-deal offroad tool.

Through the camo we can see the production car retains some of the features we first saw on the concept vehicles but the wheel arches are no longer as aggressive and the front bumper has been dialed down as well. Still - the car is huge and with an extra 150 mm of lift at a touch of a button, it will tackle more than rain puddles.

Some leaked documentation points to the car having a 140 kWh battery pack which is significantly less than Hummer EV has at its disposal. For cars of this size and designed for off-road use, battery size means everything. Power is important as well, the same documents suggest the car will come with 800 kW of peak power and 16,000 Nm of torque - that figure is most likely the wheel-torque.

The company claims the M-Terrain will have 500 km of range thanks to its battery but this is going to be very difficult to achieve in real life. Unless the car has a trick up its sleeve - a range extender. The hint was in the leaked documents which mentioned the specification was for the “pure EV model” - does it mean there is an EREV on the way as well? As the time is getting closer to the official unveiling and start of sales, the more details will become available.

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