Changan Uni-S makes classy entrance in a crowded room

The sales success of the dozen plus Chinese car brands introduced locally over the last few years has largely hinged on their ability to undercut heritage brands in terms of price an spec.

This practice has made the compact to medium SUV/crossover segment such a tightly contested affair that it would seem virtually impossible for yet another newcomer to make an impact. Yet Changan has pulled it off to perfection with the Uni-S.

Unlike many of its compatriots that started out as some tech company and only got into the automotive game very recently, Changan has been building actual cars for over a century. So getting the product right was never going to be an issue. It was a case of how they position it that will determine their local reception.

Value for money

The Changan Uni-S manages to stand out from the crowd by virtue of three things. Catching exterior styling, even more spec than what we are used to seeing from the Chinese and class-leading power. All of this, in a specious setting as its length of 4 539mm would suggest, from just R389 900, is an offering that is very hard to beat.

The Citizen Motoring recently spent a week in the flagship CE derivative. At R469 900, this SUV hands down offers more features than R1-million plus products from heritage brands.

We really liked the Uni-S’ exterior styling. With so many SUVs competing for market share, it has become difficult to tell them apart with their all-too-often copy-and-paste designs.

But with it’s squared off grille and C-shaped LED headlights, the Changan Uni-S does manage to stand out from the crowd. Less so at the rear, where a distinctive LED lightbar running across the width of the tailgate might have you mistaking it for a VW Tiguan.

Changan Uni-S goes ‘Blush-red’

Inside, the Uni-S is an elegant and minimalistic affair. The burgundy called “blush-red” microfibre leather seats might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it does work well along with black and satin chrome finishing.

There is a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster along with an eight-speaker 12.8-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android.

Apart from a few physical buttons, almost everything is operated from the infotainment system. This includes the side mirrors, panoramic sunroof and even the side windows, albeit the presence of traditional switches for latter inside the doors.

The Changan Uni-S CE comes standard with electronic and ventilated front seats, 540-degree camera, wireless charger, rain-sensing wipers, auto headlights and electric tailgate. Also includes is 19-inch alloy wheels, heated and folding side mirrors and a rain-sensing auto close function for the sunroof.

There is plenty of head and legroom to keep adult occupants comfortable in the rear seat along with boot space of 475 litres.

A comprehensive set of advanced driver assistance systems include the likes of adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection and lane-chance assist.

Where things go wrong

Under the bonnet, it’s a stock standard Chinese setup, with a twist. The 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine which the manufacturer calls “BlueWhale”, produces all of 138kW of power and 300Nm of torque. This goes to the front wheels via seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) in a choice of three driving modes; Eco, Normal and Sport.

While the Uni-S power is class-leading, it unfortunately fails to escape the Chinese powertrain burden of poor throttle calibration. Regardless of driving mode selected, the throttle is slow to react, leading the driver to believe more input on required on the accelerator. Yet once this happens, a surge of power is released which often results in wheelspin.

Not helping this is the DCT, which behaves very similar to a CVT, which is quite ironic because the best CVT setups are the ones mated to generously powered engines. Gear selection when stationary is often slow, as well as actual changes when on the move. This tends to cause some droning, hence the CVT comparison.

Changhan Uni-S hard to beat

These niggles are unlikely to deter any buyer though. The best-selling local Chinese car models are often the biggest culprits when it comes the throttle calibration. We reckon it will be no different this time around.

The Changan Uni-S’ fuel consumption is claimed to be 7 litres per 100km and we achieved a number of 9.2L/100km. It is highish, but not terrible compared to some of its rivals, particularly those from the People’s Republic.

Drivetrain issues aside, we think the Changan Uni-S could not have made a more impactful local entrance. Managing to outfox its countrymen is no small feat, something that will not get unnoticed in the general buying public.

It comes standard with a five-year/150 000km warranty and a five-year/90 000km service plan.