Changan Motors joins the fray with expected new models

If you mention the name Changan in polite conversation, the mental image it evokes is one of commercial vehicles that live on work sites. Changan has been manufacturing hardcore work vehicles for a lot longer than most folks realise, but in recent years has branched out into the consumer space with some very nice SUVs and sedans that we didn't see in SA until now. Changan does not maintain an OEM presence in South Africa like the Chery Group or GWM, but has instead entered our local market through the local importer and distributor, Jameel Motors.

Related: Changan Motors officially launches in South Africa. 5 vehicles driven with impressions

To help cement this budding arrangement, the Changan Motors group, via Jameel, invited a select group of media representatives to its home base in Chongqing, China, to showcase its capabilities and the vehicles from its extensive range that we can expect to see arriving in SA in the near future. This is a brand that means business, has many plans, but is playing its hand carefully in a highly competitive auto market. Our whistlestop tour revealed a lot about Changan itself, how they see our market, and what they can offer that isn't just another Chinese auto brand trying to make it in a flooded auto market.

Changan UNI-S (2026) First Drive Review

Changan powerhouse

It was quite a surprise to learn about the history of the Changan brand. It started as a weapons and arsenal supplier to the government in the late 1800s. In the 1950s, it moved from weapons production into automobile manufacturing, building China's first vehicle, a Willys-style Jeep for the military.  Skipping ahead a few years, the Changan Automobile Company was incorporated, and by the early 1990's - 2000's was involved in numerous joint ventures with brands like Suzuki, Ford, Mazda, JMC, and, more recently, the PSA Group (Peugeot Stellantis). Although the company is massive and is essentially one of the largest vehicle producers in China, we would only see a small portion of its capabilities.

Manufacturing

Changan maintains numerous manufacturing hubs globally and across the country, but we would visit the Liangjiang location. It features a flexible mixed-line production process that covers stamping, welding, and general assembly for both fuel- and plug-in-hybrid vehicles. The stamping workshop mainly produces stamping parts for Qiyuan (Deepal) Q05, CS55PLUS, and UNI-V, while the welding workshop manufactures four models: CS55PLUS, new-generation CS55PLUS, UNI-V, and UNI-V PHEV. Covering a total area of 24 304 ㎡ with an 8 304 ㎡ warehouse, the stamping workshop is equipped with two domestic high-speed mixed steel-aluminium stamping lines with a maximum production beat of 15 strokes per minute and an annual output of 4.54 million stamping parts.

It was certified as one of China’s first national intelligent manufacturing demonstration projects in the automotive industry in 2016. Supported by an independently built 4-layer vertical sheet-metal warehouse and a fully automatic ADC die-change system, the workshop can complete the full replacement of moulds and trimming dies within 3 minutes, with the trimming-die warehouse capable of automatic storage and retrieval within 90 seconds, greatly improving multi-model switching efficiency.

As a national-level intelligent manufacturing demonstration workshop, the welding workshop is equipped with 506 welding robots to achieve 100% spot welding automation, delivering one complete white body every 55 seconds and supporting simultaneous production of four models with different power forms. Four laser inspection robots in the workshop cover more than 200 key dimensional points of the body to achieve 100% online inspection of white bodies, and are matched with a VIN marking robot to achieve full-lifecycle quality traceability for each vehicle. Two high-precision CMM machines imported from Germany conduct daily full-size inspections of white bodies; 83 smart meters are installed throughout the workshop to enable real-time, refined energy consumption monitoring across all production areas.

Its fully automatic door and roof production line requires only 20 operators to complete full-range production, and blue-light 3D scanning equipment is used to ensure high assembly precision for vehicle doors and body panels. The whole factory adopts a 5G intelligent welding data platform, predictive maintenance, and AR remote operation & maintenance systems, cutting unplanned production downtime by over 2 000 minutes each year to guarantee stable, continuous mass production. Under a double-shift, full-load production schedule, the maximum daily output is 1 200 units.

Technology and Safety

After our tour of the manufacturing facility, we would visit two more innovation hubs at which were not allowed to capture imagery or video, those being the Science and Data centre, where Changan maintains a massive data centre and server farm, which deals with Smart Driving and Automous driving technology code development and the interior science department, which deals with everything from audio system development to smart screen development and human/vehicle interactions.

The safety development centre was also cloaked in secrecy, with phones and cameras prohibited. We were shown a number of crash-testing facilities and vehicles, and witnessed a live crash-test demonstration of an as-yet-unreleased vehicle model, which we cannot tell you about... yet. The reason for the secrecy is not Changan protecting its own IP, but rather the IP it develops for its JV partners, of which we could see numerous (unmentionable) examples.

Models under consideration

After our facilities tours, we made our way over to a large storage area where a number of testing and homologation vehicles awaited us. These test mules are currently undergoing verification for our market, and we were allowed to sample them on a short sprint down a test road. Although these were running and driving examples, Changan were not able to confirm much about the technical specifications, as the units we drove varied between left- and right-hand drive and across various final specifications. We will have more information closer to the release dates, but for now, these are the details we have.

Hunter REEV K70

Unveiled at the 2026 Beijing Autoshow, the K70 is an updated version of the existing K50 REEV bakkie that we tested last month. Changan was very tight-lipped about the technical specs of the new REEV, only confirming that it was destined for SA in late 2028, but not exactly when or what we would get under the newly developed aggressive bodywork.

Lumin EV

Built on Changan’s EPA0 platform, the Lumin offers multiple lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery options, offering an impressive city-friendly range of up to 301 km (NEDC). Powered by a 35 kW front motor, it reaches a top speed of 101 km/h. Inside, it features a modern 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system and foldable rear seats for expanded cargo space. Under the skin, this new 5-door derivative gets a 31.1 kW battery with power and torque to be confirmed.

CS75 Pro facelift 

CS75 HEV

The 2027 Changan CS75 HEV combines the 4th-generation SUV's bold redesign with cutting-edge hybrid efficiency. Visually, it gets a striking V-shaped mesh grille, power-retractable door handles, and sleek, full-width LED light bars.

Under the hood lies an advanced hybrid powertrain featuring a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine paired with an electric motor and an innovative 500-bar direct-injection system that delivers 166kW & 300Nm, offering stellar fuel economy. The inside is dominated by a massive, premium triple-screen dashboard. Complete with Level 2 driver assistance systems and generous cargo space,

CS55 Pro 

UNI-S HEV

The Changan UNI-S HEV brings a hyper-efficient hybrid edge to the brand's popular mid-size SUV. Embracing a futuristic aesthetic, it features Changan's signature borderless parametric front grille, sleek hidden door handles, and sharp LED lighting.

The highlight is the proprietary "BlueCore Hybrid" powertrain, which seamlessly blends a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine with a highly efficient dual-motor setup delivering 166kW & 300Nm. This allows the SUV to achieve an exceptional fuel economy of up to 25 km/L. Inside, a high-tech cabin boasts a prominent 12.8-inch infotainment display, upscale materials, and Level 2 ADAS.

Q05

The Deepal Q05 enters the market as a highly sophisticated, all-electric compact crossover. Penned by famed designer Klaus Zyciora, it features the brand's striking "Digital Smart Wing" aesthetic, marked by sleek aerodynamic contours and a drag coefficient of just 0.265.

Powered by a front-mounted 120 kW motor, it offers a choice of robust LFP batteries up to 51.9 kWh, yielding a city-friendly range of 462 km (NEDC) and a limited top speed of 160km/h. The high-tech cabin centres around an expansive 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen.

Verdict

Changan Motors is truly surprising; it is much bigger than it appears, and we don't see even a quarter of the stuff they are involved in. The vehicles being developed and destined for our market are impressive and should, by the time they are released locally, cover the gamut of the NEV, SUV and bakkie market. I see Changan as a left field option, a quirky yet cool alternative to the host of cookie-cutter vehicles currently flooding our market. It is very clear that Changan is going to do things differently. On another note, the city of Chongqing is a must-visit destination; it is a very vibrant and youthful place, home to the most English-speaking Chinese people of any city we have yet visited, a perfect home for a brand that is clearly following its own path.