Dongfeng Captain N

The cabin of the Dongfeng Captain-N might look too functional at first, but a closer look at it will make you aware of its practicality and ergonomically well-placed controls. The cabin here has an all-grey theme, which looks a bit dull and is mostly made of hard plastics which feel scratchy and below-average in terms of quality. However, the contrasting silver accents on the steering wheel and centre console liven the feel of the cabin a bit.

Behind the three-spoke multi-functional steering wheel, the Dongfeng Captain-N gets a traditional-looking analogue instrument console with satin silver surrounds. The centre console of the dashboard of the Dongfeng Captain-N has a wraparound design, with a large touchscreen infotainment system taking centre stage here, with sleek AC vents above it and controls for the manual AC below it.

The co-passenger side of the dashboard of the Dongfeng Captain-N features twin lockable gloveboxes, while the corners of the dashboard have small-sized squarish AC vents. There is an additional satin silver layer flowing across the width of the dashboard, making the cabin feel wide.

The overall design of the Dongfeng Captain-N has a boxy appeal, which features a lot of angular design elements, especially at the front. The squarish profile of the Captain-T, coupled with these angular elements, make it one of the most contemporary-looking light-duty trucks on sale in the Philippines at the moment.

At the front, the overall look of the Dongfeng Captain-N is divided into two halves, with the front windscreen majorly covering the upper half, and the basic fascia covering the lower half. The windscreen here has a gloss black trapezoidal panel below it, which accommodates mounts for the windscreen wipers and also wears the “Dongfeng” and “Captain” badges on its sides.

The Dongfeng Captain-N features angular-looking headlamps and a front grille in its lower half. The L-shaped headlamps of the Captain-N have blacked-out appearance, while the grille placed between the headlamps features a dual-tone grey and white theme, with distinctive-looking horizontal slats and a chrome garnish on its upper part.

The front bumper of the Dongfeng Captain-N has a protruding-out design, comprising trapezoidal halogen fog lamps on the sides and a partitioned lower air dam in the middle. The side door panels of the Dongfeng Captain-N also have blacked-out themes for the door handles and rearview mirrors, the latter of which are mounted on the edges of the A-pillars.

With power steering offered as standard, the Dongfeng Captain-N gets dual-circuit full-air brakes and leaf spring suspension setup at both front and rear. The suspension setup of the Captain-N might feel stiff and uncomfortable over long journeys, but they feel sturdy enough to sustain heavy loads.

Both the variants of the Dongfeng Captain-N come with a 3.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, though in different states of tune. The 14ft version of the Captain-N claims 130 bhp of power and 280 Nm of torque, while the 16ft version claims 150 bhp of power and 370 Nm of torque from the same engine. While the engine in the 14ft version gets a 5-speed manual transmission, the more powerful 16ft version offers an 8-speed manual gearbox.

In its range-topping version, the Dongfeng Captain-N gets ABS as a crucial safety feature, along with additional features like remote keyless entry, three-point seat belts and engine immobilizer offered as standard.

With the new comfort, convenience and safety features, along with a much more refined and powerful diesel engine from Nissan, the desirability of the Dongfeng Captain-N has increased, and so is its reliability over a longer duration of ownership.