FIRST DRIVE | Changan Uni-S joins competitive SA’s mid-size SUV fray

The new Changan Uni-S is now on sale in South Africa.

Changan is a Chinese state-owned brand headquartered in Chongqing and was available locally before 2012 with Chana vehicles. The new Uni-S forms part of the brand relaunch in 2025 which saw the introduction of the Hunter bakkie, Alsvin sedan and CS75 Pro SUV ranges.

The new model enters the competitive mid-size SUV niche with a line up comprising three trims: the entry-point CS, mid-tier CL and high-grade CE.

Rivals include the Toyota Corolla Cross, Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, Haval Jolion and H6, Kia Sportage and the Volkswagen Tiguan, and it also seems partly inspired by the styling of latter German rival. The frontal styling is independent though, with a large and shiny grille.

The cabin is neat and spacious with heavy digitalisation. (CHANGAN SA)

Inside you are greeted by a spacious interior with boot space that seems usable. The 475l volume increases when you fold down the rear seats, and rear passenger seat space is ample too with plenty of headroom for taller passengers. There are also cubbies all over the car to store oddments.

The cabin subscribes to modern minimalism with a large and colourful 12.8-inch infotainment main screen and 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.

Standard amenities in the entry-model are quite generous including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, an AI voice assistant, ventilated front seats, automatic and dual-zone climate control, park simulation video display, rear parking sensors, 540° panoramic camera and cruise control.

Safety systems include ABS, stability control. hill start assist, hill descent control with auto hold, and front and side airbags.

The mid-spec CL adds intelligent driver assistance such as forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian recognition, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and lane keeping assist.

Passengers are also treated to microfibre leather upholstery, electric driver seat adjustment, rain-sensing wipers, auto high beam control, heated and folding mirrors and front and rear curtain airbags. Both CS and CL trims ride on 18-inch alloy wheels.

The Uni-S is sold in three guises. (CHANGAN SA)

The range-topping Uni-S CE which we drove at the launch expands the spec sheet with 19-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, automatic parking assist, electric passenger seat adjustment, panoramic sunroof with rain-sensing auto close, electric tailgate and an eight-speaker sound system.

Buyers of the CE also get more advanced ADAS systems including blind spot detection, lane change assist, rear cross-traffic alert and rear collision warning.

The Changan Uni-S range is powered a 1.5l turbocharged petrol engine driving the front wheels, and managed by a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The 138kW and 300Nm outputs offer sprightly enough performance.

Changan doesn’t share consumption figures but the test car averaged an economical 5.8l/100km on the drive. It’s a comfy and poised drive experience, the refinement affected only by a raised engine noise when flooring the throttle. Otherwise the debutant drives very well indeed.

The Changan Uni-S colour pallete includes five colours. It’s sold with a five-year/150,000km warranty and five-year/90,000km service plan.