Forthing Taikon 5 review: Newcomer has the price and potential to make its mark in the medium SUV market – but some problems need fixing

Australia’s medium SUV market segment is as jam-packed as a bar at the MCG at halftime on grand final day. Standing out in that sort of crowd is no easy task for a brand so new many Aussies will never have heard of it, but Forthing has high hopes for making its mark with the Taikon 5.

Forthing who, you ask? The brand sits under the umbrella of Chinese giant Dongfeng, and it’s been launched here by Ateco Automotive, which also imports Renault, LDV and Ram. But in a market increasingly full of unfamiliar badges and sharply priced SUVs, what makes Forthing worth a look compared to *insert name of one of many cheap Chinese SUVs*? Let’s find out…

Although it sells a wider range overseas, Forthing has chosen to launch locally with the Taikon 5, which is available in both range-extender plug-in hybrid and fully electric forms. At 4600mm long, it sits on the smaller side of the medium SUV segment, so think more Chery Tiggo 7, not Hyundai Tucson sizing.

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The price is the headline attraction. The Taikon 5 starts from just $36,990 driveaway nationwide which, is a pretty good deal for a well-equipped range-extender plug-in hybrid with 170km of claimed electric range.

But before we go any further, there’s the small matter of its name. Forthing is currently involved in legal action with Porsche, which says ‘Taikon’ is too much like ‘Taycan’. Until a verdict is announced, Forthing Australia is referring to its products simply as the ‘Forthing Range-Extender’ and ‘Forthing Electric’. We’ll stick with Taikon 5.

How much does the Taikon 5 cost?

In an age where most medium SUVs now start at comfortably over $40,000 before on-road costs, the Taikon 5 starts from just $36,990 driveaway in range-extender (REEV) form, or $38,990 driveaway as an EV. That’s refreshingly low in 2026, and comfortably sits underneath many smaller SUVs too.

2026 Taikon 5 pricing (driveaway):

• Luxury REEV: $36,990
• Luxury EV: $38,990
• Exclusive REEV: $40,490
• Exclusive EV: $42,490

Chief rivals include the aforementioned Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid (from $34,990 driveaway) for the REEV and the Geely EX5 (from $41,990 +ORC) for the EV. But despite the bargain pricing, the Taikon 5 isn’t short on equipment. 

The entry-level Luxury comes with dusk-sensing automatic LED lighting, rain-sensing automatic wipers, synthetic leather trim, an electric driver’s seat with ventilation and massaging, automatic climate control, a 14.6-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat-nav and four-speaker audio.

There’s plenty of safety kit, too, including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition, driver-attention monitoring, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

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Above the Luxury, the Exclusive adds a panoramic glass roof, power tailgate, front parking sensors, a 360-degree camera, auto-folding mirrors, rear privacy glass, wireless phone charging, a synthetic leather steering wheel and two extra speakers. 

For an extra $3500, the Exclusive is definitely the value pick of the range and wants for little aside from ventilation and massaging for the front passenger seat, heated front seats, connected services and more USB ports. New Zealand also gets a lot more colour choice than the five shades offered in Australia. 

How far can the Taikon 5 travel on a full battery?

The REEV combines a 75kW/130Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 31kWh battery that powers a 120kW/240Nm rear-mounted e-motor, while the EV’s 150kW/340Nm front-mounted e-motor draws power from a larger 64kWh battery. Yep, you read that correctly, the REEV is rear-wheel drive, yet the EV is front-wheel drive.

The REEV is rated at a lengthy 170km of electric range – making it one of Australia’s longest-range PHEVs – while the EV claims 427km, with both figures on the WLTP cycle. Each SUV features DC fast charging, although neither is particularly quick: the EV peaks at 80kW and the REEV at 40kW, with both quoting around 30 minutes to charge from 30 to 80 per cent.

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The REEV is rated at 0.9L/100km for combined fuel consumption and emits 21g/km of CO2, running on 91RON regular unleaded fuel. With a full battery and tank, Forthing claims that it will achieve up to 937km (WLTP), a figure we didn’t test on the launch but hope to in the future.

On the road, the EV is noticeably quicker thanks to its extra 30kW and 100Nm, though the REEV still gets along just fine. Forthing doesn’t quote a 0-100km/h time, but based WhichCar by Wheels‘ experience, it feels somewhere in the eight-to-nine-second range, which is more than adequate for the target market. The active safety features are also surprisingly well tuned and didn’t cause much annoyance during the launch program.

The problem is the Taikon 5’s Atlas tyres. The EV’s 340Nm easily overwhelms them, with even moderate acceleration enough to make the front hoops start complaining. Carry a little too much enthusiasm into a corner and there’s plenty of tyre noise; push harder and they quickly run out of grip, sending you straight to understeer city accompanied by plenty of body roll. The REEV is rear-wheel drive, at least, giving it a touch more keenness on turn-in, but it’s still not what you’d call fun.

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I doubt many Taikon 5 owners will spend their weekends hunting apexes, but outright grip matters beyond enthusiastic driving, and I’d be interested to see how these tyres perform in the wet. The steering doesn’t offer much feel, although it can be weighted up nicely in the settings. Curiously, the 100kg-lighter REEV seems like the more resolved car, feeling more planted through higher-speed bends with a better-sorted ride. The EV’s damping isn’t quite as polished, making it neither as good to drive nor as comfortable.

Road-noise levels are low for a medium SUV and both versions are generally well refined. The main exception is fairly loud motor whine under full throttle in the EV, but in normal driving the Taikon 5 is a quiet and easy-going thing.

How practical is the Taikon 5?

Jump into the cabin and things get off to a pretty good start. It’s a modern-looking space with good-quality materials, including convincing synthetic leather trim with attractive white stitching. There’s a mixture of soft and hard plastics, but it generally feels well screwed together.

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Practicality is fine, with a deep centre bin and another large tray underneath the centre console complementing a wireless charger in the Exclusive. But the USB ports are a letdown: there are just two in the entire car (plus a 12V socket). For a family-oriented medium SUV in 2026, that just isn’t enough.

At the centre is a 14.6-inch touchscreen that’ i’s strangely angled slightly away from the driver. It’s bright and sharp, but the shortcut bar disappears when Apple CarPlay is in use, while the lack of a permanent home button means switching between the native interface and smartphone mirroring takes two presses too many. The menu structure is generally intuitive to use, however, and response time is quick.

Thankfully, Forthing has fitted physical climate controls. That alone is almost enough to make you jump for joy in 2026, when so many manufacturers seem determined to bury temperature controls inside a touchscreen. Physical buttons make adjustments considerably easier and safer as you keep your eyes on the road. Who knew?

The front seats are supportive, while the driver gets six-way electric adjustment, ventilation and quite effective massaging functionality. That makes the lack of heated seats even stranger – a heated back is the perfect complement to getting a massage – while the front passenger only gets four-way electric adjustment and oddly, no ventilation or massage.

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Rear-seat space is fine for two six-foot adults, with the flat floor and the Exclusive’s panoramic glass roof making it feel roomier. There’s still only one USB port – and it’s a slower USB-A port – for the entire rear seat, which also gets air vents, map pockets, door pockets and a centre armrest with cupholders.

Behind the rear seats is a solid 480 litres of boot space, expanding to 1480L with the pews folded, plus additional underfloor storage. But only the Exclusive EV gets a spare wheel – and only a space-saver at that – with the other three variants making do with a tyre repair kit, despite the fact there’s space for a spare in the Luxury EV.

What sort of warranty covers the Taikon 5?

Forthing covers the Taikon 5 with a long seven-year/200,000km warranty, plus an eight-year/200,000km warranty for the EV battery, with both among the best coverage on the market. There’s also 12 months of roadside assistance, which can be extended up to five years with annual servicing at a Forthing dealership.

Service intervals are 12 months or every 20,000km for the EV and 12 months or every 15,000km for the REEV, while five years of servicing costs $1815 for the EV and $2605 for the REEV.

Should I buy a Forthing Taikon 5?

The Taikon 5 doesn’t rewrite the medium SUV rulebook, nor does it completely avoid some of the rougher edges we’ve seen from plenty of new entrants to Australia. But there’s potential for Dongfeng’s first introduction to our market. It’s well priced, generously equipped and, in REEV form, offers a genuinely useful 170km of WLTP claimed electric range.

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Of the two drivetrains, the REEV is clearly the one to buy. It’s more comfortable and better resolved dynamically, while the extra $3500 to step up to the Exclusive spec feels like money well spent. There are shortcomings – the tyres should be first on Forthing Australia’s to-do list, three of the four variants go without a spare wheel and a few obvious features are missing – but its $36,990 starting price makes that easier to forgive.

Convincing Australians to take a chance on yet another unfamiliar brand won’t be easy. But if you’re after a bargain medium SUV that can handle most daily driving on electricity without the range anxiety of an EV, and you can accept a few rough edges, the Taikon 5 REEV makes a solid case for itself.

Forthing Taikon 5 Luxury standard features:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Dusk-sensing automatic LED exterior lighting
• Rain-sensing automatic wipers
• Roof rails
• Heated door mirrors
• 4x automatic windows
• Keyless entry and start (push-button start for EV)
• Synthetic leather upholstery on the seats and steering wheel
• 10-way electric driver’s seat with ventilation and massaging
• 4-way electric front passenger seat
• Single-zone automatic climate control with rear air vents
• 8.8-inch digital driver’s display
• 14.6-inch touchscreen
• Satellite navigation
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• AM/FM/DAB+ digital radio
• Bluetooth calling and audio streaming
• Four-speaker audio system
• 2x USB charging ports
• Vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality up to 3.5kW
• 6x airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Lane keeping assistance
• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Door exit warning
• Driver attention monitoring
• Traffic sign recognition
• Rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• Tyre pressure monitoring

Taikon 5 Exclusive model adds:

• Electric tailgate
• Front parking sensors
• 360-degree camera
• Rear privacy glass
• Auto-folding mirrors
• Wireless phone charger
• Synthetic leather steering wheel
• Panoramic sunroof
• Six-speaker audio
• Space-saving spare wheel (EV only) 
• Rear cargo blind

Forthing Taikon 5 specifications: