Dongfeng Captain T

On the inside, the cabin of the Dongfeng Captain-T has an all-grey appeal, with a contrast silver-coloured centre console and silver accents on the lower spokes of the steering wheel. Along with the seats, the steering wheel is also placed quite high to give a nice heightened seating posture. The Captain-T has a conventional analogue instrument console behind it, while also having audio and Bluetooth controls on the steering wheel.

Compatible with the steering-mounted audio and Bluetooth controls is a 1-DIN audio system sitting in between the centre console, with two rectangular storage spaces placed above and below it. The sides of the upper centre console get vertical AC vents with rounded edges, while the lower half of the same centre console has rounded manual dials for the AC. The corners of the dashboard have rounded AC vents with chrome surrounds and cup holders placed ahead of them, while the co-driver side of the dashboard also gets a lockable glovebox. The Dongfeng Captain-T also gets power windows as standard for both the windows of its cabin.

Sharing much of its design with the Dongfeng Titan, the new Captain-T light-duty truck has a pleasant-looking design, which is neither too attention-grabbing nor too dull. Instead, it strikes a fine middle-ground, with much of its exterior design elements having an angular appeal to them.

At the front, the upper half of the front profile of the Dongfeng Captain-T has a tilted angle for the windscreen, which is very much like what is offered in other light-duty trucks. The front apron placed between the windscreen and lower fascia has the badges of “Dongfeng” and “Titan” badges sitting below the lower edges of the front windscreen.

At the bottom, the front profile of the Dongfeng Captain-T has an angular set of headlamps on either corner, with these headlamps having all-halogen illumination and a blacked-out theme. The upper edges of the headlamps also come integrated with daytime running LED strips. In between the headlamps, the Dongfeng Captain-T gets a dual-tone grille, with the inner part of the grille having a couple of horizontal slats running across its width.

The Dongfeng Captain-T comes with body-coloured large rearview mirrors mounted on its a-pillars and a large front bumper, which houses trapezoidal fog lamps with gloss black surrounds on its corners and a trapezoidal air dam in the middle. The door panels on the sides, which have blacked-out door handles, also come with ovular turn indicators and a couple of smooth curves flowing over the rounded wheel arches.

The rugged Dongfeng Captain-T is based on a sturdy ladder-on-frame chassis while getting steel leaf springs with hydraulic double-acting shock absorbers at both front and rear for suspension duties. The Captain-T is equipped with 185R15 tyres all around, and over 15-inch steel wheels, while it also has hydraulic brakes on all of them. 

Powering the Dongfeng Captain-T is a 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, which has been developed grounds-up for this light-duty truck, With a maximum power output of 88 bhp and a torque output of 225 Nm, this diesel engine is paired to a 5-speed manual transmission.

The basic safety features which are offered in the Dongfeng Captain-T as standard are three-point seat belts, collapsible power steering and remote keyless entry. However, it misses out on more sophisticated safety features like airbags and ABS.

With its durable and decently powerful diesel engine, sturdy mechanical setup for the frame and suspension and spacious and decently-equipped cabin, the Dongfeng Captain-T makes a strong case for itself as a practical light-duty truck.