Plenty of Chinese-market metal passes through the internet these days with no chance of crossing its home border, but the Voyah Passion S may turn out to be the exception. The Passion S could reach European buyers, and how it gets there says as much about Stellantis as the car itself. Voyah is the premium EV arm of Dongfeng, and the Passion S wears more than a hint of Xiaomi YU7 in its sheetmetal.

Voyah is still a stranger to most buyers outside China, but Stellantis has confirmed it is in talks with Dongfeng to form a new joint venture that would let it build and sell Voyah-branded models in Europe, in the same way it currently handles Leapmotor internationally. A crossover like the Passion S, which carries more European SUV cues than Chinese ones, would be a sensible way to plant the brand on local soil.

Read: After Making Leapmotor EVs In Spain, Stellantis Wants To Build Dongfengs In France Too

Previewed in a rich shade of red, the Passion S features split headlights connected by an LED light bar, black air intakes, and a black splitter. It also includes black wheel arches, a panoramic glass roof, and a prominent LiDAR. The curvaceous rear quarter panels are similar to those of the Xiaomi YU7, while a fixed carbon fiber spoiler gives it a sporty note.

Chinese media reports put the Passion S at 5,050 mm (198.8 inches) long, 1,998 mm (78.6 inches) wide, and 1,656 mm (65.1 inches) tall, riding on a generous 3,000 mm (118.1-inch) wheelbase. The car sits on 21-inch wheels behind a meaty set of brake calipers. Interior photos have yet to surface.

What About Power?

The battery spec has not been confirmed, but we do know that the Passion S will be offered in rear- and all-wheel-drive form. The base model is expected to deliver 408 hp, while the dual-motor version will offer an impressive 646 hp. While that won’t be enough to rival the Xiaomi YU7 GT with its 990 hp, it’s still more power than most customers will ever need. An 800-volt electrical architecture will allow for fast DC charging.

There’s no word on when sales of the Passion S will start in China, nor how much it will cost. If the deal between Stellantis and Dongfeng is finalized, Voyah models could be built in Europe, potentially at the Rennes plant in France, and the Passion S might be a model Stellantis decides to sell locally.

If you can’t beat them, join them. Stellantis keeps getting deeper into China’s automotive world, first with Leapmotor, and now with Dongfeng. Not content with building bargain-priced Leapmotors in Spain, Stellantis announced plans today for a new joint venture with long-time Chinese partner Dongfeng that could see premium Voyah-brand cars built in France for European buyers.

The proposed deal would create a Stellantis-led company split 51-49 between the two manufacturers. Its responsibilities would stretch beyond simply importing cars. The new business would oversee manufacturing, engineering, purchasing, sales and distribution activities tied to Dongfeng’s new-energy vehicles across selected European markets.

Related: Jeep’s Next EV Could Be Made In China Instead Of Ohio After Stellantis Deal

Though Stellantis hasn’t confirmed where production would take place, Autonews says Dongfeng would set up shop at the Rennes plant in Brittany, in western France. Once capable of pumping out more than 400,000 vehicles annually, the site’s output has slowed dramatically over recent years. Today it mainly builds the Citroen C5 Aircross, leaving plenty of unused capacity waiting for fresh products.

That’s where Voyah enters the picture. Dongfeng’s upscale EV brand sold relatively small numbers in Europe last quarter, but local production could completely change its prospects. Building vehicles inside Europe would help sidestep tariffs aimed at Chinese-made EVs while also satisfying increasingly important Made-in-Europe expectations.

Courage Enters Brave New World

One model being suggested as a likely production candidate is the Voyah Courage SUV (seen below). The dual-motor, 429 hp (435 PS / 320 kW) EV has a 4.9-second 0-62 mph (100 kmh) time, a claimed 292-mile (470 km) WLTP range and Chinese-made versions are already on sale in Europe.

The move also adds another twist to Stellantis’ growing dependence on Chinese EV know-how. Just last week, the company confirmed future Jeep and Peugeot electrified models will be built in Wuhan beginning in 2027 for China and export markets. That means future Jeeps sold abroad could owe plenty to China’s rapidly evolving EV ecosystem.

From M-Hero To Jeep

Jeep’s image has always played heavily on its rugged Americana and military-flavored heritage. But under Stellantis, the brand’s electric future – at least outside of the US – is tapping into Chinese technology, manufacturing and supply chains. Last year we reported on rumors that the Dongfeng M-Hero M817 SUV (seen below) could be transformed into a Jeep.

Peugeot last month showed the Concept 6 and Concept 8 sedan and SUV that previewed a sharp-looking pair of future models that will also be built in China by Dongfeng, both for domestic consumption and export to global markets.

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa framed the latest deal as a natural evolution of the companies’ decades-long partnership. “With this new chapter in our collaboration, we will give our customers an even greater choice of competitive products and pricing,” he said, adding the alliance combines Stellantis’ global footprint with Dongfeng’s advanced EV expertise.

Nissan is on a desperate mission to turn its business around, and selling its more affordable Chinese-built EVs in Canada could form a small but still important part of that plan. But it won’t help US drivers one bit.

According to Nissan Americas boss Christian Meunier, the company is exploring whether vehicles produced through its Dongfeng joint venture in China could eventually reach Canadian showrooms, Bloomberg reports. Meunier didn’t specify which models are under consideration, but confirmed Nissan is actively evaluating the idea after Canada loosened restrictions surrounding Chinese-built imports.

Related: Nissan’s New Midsize SUV Costs Less Than A Kicks And Has More Screens Than A Mercedes

Earlier this year, Canada agreed to allow up to 49,000 Chinese-made cars into the country annually. That decision has already started reshaping the market. Tesla recently began advertising a Canadian-market Model 3 sourced from Shanghai with pricing that undercuts previous versions by a substantial margin. However, due to the US tariff stance on Chinese vehicles, none of the Chinese-origin models will realistically make it to the US, even from Canada.

For Nissan, the attraction is obvious. Chinese factories can produce EVs faster and more cheaply than many plants elsewhere, and Nissan desperately needs competitive products right now. New CEO Ivan Espinosa has inherited a company weighed down by aging vehicles, declining sales, and years of financial instability. Making more use of its assets in China could buy Nissan valuable breathing room.

Nissan’s Global Plan For China

Exports are already central to the company’s recovery plans. Espinosa reportedly wants Nissan to initially export 100,000 Chinese-built vehicles annually around the world, before eventually tripling that number to 300,000 units, Bloomberg says. Latin America gets first bite, models arriving there including the electric N7 sedan (above) and PHEV Frontier Pro pickup (below). The pair start at around $17,000 and $26,000 respectively in China, though those numbers are unlikely to survive the trip abroad.

The N7 EV could work in Canada alongside both the Frontrier and the NX8 SUV (bottom gallery, priced from around $22K in China), because there’s one thing about the new trade rules that doesn’t seem to be getting the coverage it deserves. It’s that Canada isn’t just allowing full EVs entry from China, but also electrified vehicles. That means hybrids and plug-in hybrids qualify, too.

Chinese Brands Eyeing Up Nissan’s Western Plants

Nissan is at the same time also aggressively cutting costs across Europe, including reducing production capacity at its Sunderland plant in the UK, a story which also comes with a China twist. Reports suggest Nissan has held talks with several Chinese automakers, including Chery, about building vehicles in the idled part of the Sunderland facility.

There’s no suggestion yet that Donfeng plans to build cars in Canada, but the country’s relaxed rules make that a possibility, and Nissan rival Stellantis is already looking at building Chinese Leapmotor EVs in the mothballed Jeep plant in Brampton, Ontario.

Nissan

Honda is preparing to pull the plug on its only fully electric model currently sold in Europe. As part of a rethink of its EV strategy, the automaker will take the e:Ny1 off sale just three years after it arrived. That sounds abrupt, and it is. This is not a full EV retreat, though. The new Super-N hatchback is waiting in the wings, set to step in where the e:Ny1 leaves off, even if it targets a very different slice of the market.

A product of Honda’s joint venture with Dongfeng, the e:Ny1 arrived in Europe in mid-2023 as the electric counterpart to the local-spec HR-V. It looks closely related to the hybrid crossover, but its roots trace back to China, where it has been sold as the e:NS1 and e:NP1 since 2022.

More: Honda’s 1.2 Million-Car China Peak Is Now A 720,000-Car Retreat

As reported by German newspaper Handelsblatt, the e:Ny1 has already disappeared from configurators in several major markets, including Germany, Italy, and Spain. The SUV remains available to order in France and Austria, but Honda is reportedly directing remaining stock toward the UK and Nordic regions, where demand has been stronger.

The model struggled to gain ground against newer, more affordable rivals from both European and Chinese brands. Even after a price cut in Germany from €47,590 ($56,100) to €38,990 ($46,000), Honda managed to sell just 105 units of the e:Ny1 last year.

The e:Ny1 rides on the “e:N Architecture F” platform and uses a single electric motor producing 201 hp (150 kW / 204 PS). A 68.8 kWh battery delivers a WLTP range of 412 km (256 miles). Compared with the EU-spec HR-V, it features a redesigned front end with a charging port integrated into the grille, clear taillights, and a 15.1-inch portrait touchscreen inside.

Honda Takes A Step Back

This European scale-back mirrors a wider global pivot. Honda recently confirmed it has canceled several planned EVs intended for North America, including the Acura RSX, the 0 Series Saloon and SUV, and the Afeela sedan and SUV from the Sony Honda Mobility joint venture.

More: Honda Plans To Sell 3,000 Rebadged Chinese EVs As The New Insight In Japan

Despite the gloomy outlook for its larger EVs, Honda isn’t pulling the plug entirely. The Super-N will reach UK and Europe shortly after its initial roll-out in Japan. The pint-sized electric hatchback draws inspiration from the Honda City Turbo II, pairing a sporty body kit with a 94 hp motor. Pricing is expected to start below £20,000 (€23,000 / $27,100), aiming to attract buyers with a more accessible entry point and a distinct character.

The rest of Honda’s European lineup is exclusively available with self-charging hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, as all ICE-only offerings were phased out in late 2022.

Hot off the back of Honda’s $15.7 billion restructuring costs and a broader EV strategy overhaul announced last month, things aren’t looking good for Honda’s Chinese venture either. At least one of its automobile manufacturing plants in China will be closed by the end of June, according to a recent report.

The plant in question is part of their joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC), following Honda’s China sales fall by some 24% in 2025 to just under 647,000 vehicles, roughly half of the 1.2 million sold in 2023.

Read: Honda Went To China, Saw The Future, And Reached Back To The 1960s

According to Reuters, another plant from Honda’s other JV with Dongfeng Motor may be shut soon, as the Japanese automaker tries to keep pace with a rapidly changing market. Demand for traditional petrol vehicles has dropped significantly, and local electric vehicle brands are increasingly taking market share from foreign manufacturers, putting them under increasing strain.

A Turning Point For Honda In China’s Evolving Market 

Honda has six plants as part of its alliances with GAC and Dongfeng, but sustaining ICE production looks increasingly difficult. Estimates indicate that closing a single ICE plant in each joint venture would halve Honda’s petrol car production capacity in China, dropping from 960,000 to approximately 480,000 cars per year. This would also reduce Honda’s total annual vehicle capacity in the country from 1.2 million to around 720,000.

This comes on the heels of a rough year for the automaker in China, where it posted a steep drop in sales. As yet, there have been no official announcements of closures by the company or its partners, but analysts expect some slowdown.

Honda’s ICE offerings have seen some impressive offers, indicative of their poor sales performance. For instance, GAC Honda was offering returning customers a hefty discount of $14,610 (100,000 yuan) off a new Accord e: PHEV earlier in the year.

The bigger picture is to shift investment toward electric vehicles, although Honda’s EV growth in China will likely remain slow, as competitors already outpace them in tech and consumers increasingly prefer cars better optimized for local integration and cutting-edge software.