Changan, a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Chongqing, China is all set to unroll its state-of-the-art sedan labelled “Alsvin” in Pakistan.
The Chinese company will operate in partnership with a local brand Master which earlier established a $100 million auto manufacturing plant in Karachi. It’s believed that the plant, in its current form, possesses the capacity of producing approximately 30,000 units per year.
Presently, Changan has 17 dealerships in Pakistan: 11 in Punjab, 4 in Sindh, 1 in KPK and 1 in Balochistan.
This vehicle, which comes in two categories: Powered by a 1480 cc (1.5L) engine and 1370 cc (1.4L) engine, will most likely challenge the monopoly of the already present vehicles in the domestic market; namely Toyota’s Corolla and Yaris, Honda’s City and Suzuki’s Ciaz.
In the last few years, Pakistan’s auto sector has generated immense interest among international automobile companies who have expanded their operations to the country with increased investment and domestic setups. Lately, South Korean giants Kia and Hyundai have taken the Pakistani automobile market by storm with their feature-packed SUVs. MG Motors, a British brand operating from China has also launched its operations in Pakistan with the release of their HS model SUV. Moreover, other smaller brands – some previously involved in bike manufacturing have expanded the scope of their operations to include small cars/ hatchbacks in their products e.g. United’s Bravo.
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Competition has become fierce with the entry of multiple brands in the country.
Let’s look at the specifications of Changan Alsvin to better assess how successful it will be once it’s released into the market.
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Engine and Performance
Changan Alsvin is a front-wheel drive that comes in two engine options as discussed earlier. It features VVT 4 cylinders naturally aspirated engine dubbed “Blue Core”. The HPs and Torques for the two engine options are as following:
- 5L with 106HP and 145NM of torque
- 4L with 99HP and 135NM of torque
The transmission will be 5-speed manual for the 1.4L variant and 5-speed automatic for the 1.5L trim level. The Alsvin comes packed with a MacPherson front and a torsion beam rear suspension setup.
As per estimates, Alsvin will offer the users a fuel average of 16 Km to 18.5 Km in a litre of petrol.
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Dimensions
[ in mm]
- Length: 4390
- Width: 1725
- Height: 1468
- Wheelbase: 2535.
- Trunk space: 500L
Exterior
As far as the exterior is concerned, the Changan Alsvin looks quite similar to Toyota’s Yaris – resembling its outlook to a large extent.
On the front end, you’ll find the very classy daylight running lamps (DRLs) along with the usual halogen projector headlights coming standard in almost all the vehicles nowadays.
The front grill on the higher end variant will most likely be made out of chrome but unless they are being extra generous to Pakistani consumers – expecting more than a plain black coloured grill will be too much to ask for. As for the fog lamps – which are nowhere to be found in the sedan.
If we look at the boots, or more precisely wheels of the car we find alloy rims with a wheel size of 14 inches.
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Interior
Interior is quite impressive for the cost of the vehicle. On first look, one can find round vents on both corners of the dashboard while long vents in the middle. Ahead of the driver’s seat steering wheel controls in addition to the speedometer display with a digital information space is seen.
The Transmission in the attached picture is automatic while the vehicle will most likely be available in both the variants. Power windows and mirrors come as standard. A Bluetooth capable infotainment system will also be offered to keep the commuters occupied during their daily journeys. Depending on the model you choose, Changan will offer you either 2 speakers (in the 1.4L variant) or 4 speakers (in the 1.5L variant). USB ports and 12 V power supply will come standard as with all the latest vehicles.
In the higher trim level, cruise control functionality along with sunroof might also be given.
Safety
Changan’s Alsvin, for all trim levels, comes packed with 2 airbags for front passenger and driver seats, hill hold assist and electronic stability control.
On the braking front, we find ABS and EBS with brake assist feature. On the higher end variant, we might find rear parking sensor as well as camera.
Front and rear seat belts as well as anti-theft alarm and immobilizer will also come standard.
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Price in Pakistan
Changan Alsvin is expected to be priced at PKR 2.3 Million for the base variant while 2.5 Million for the higher trim having an engine capacity of 1.5L. The car is well placed to become the cheapest sedan in Pakistan, going by the reports of it costing around PKR 2 million only.
Availability in Pakistan
Changan has been involved in a rigorous social media campaign, particularly on Facebook where glimpses were shared along with some hints about the launch date and model of the Sedan. As per social media campaign of Changan, the Alsvin will arrive in Pakistan on December 11, 2020.
In a post on Changan Pakistan’s official Facebook page, the company said referring to Alsvin: “Before one can drive their dreams.. they should be able to break out of the slumber of the status quo. When was the last time you allowed yourself to dream big? We can only achieve the impossible when we dare to dream.
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11.12.20 – WATCH THIS SPACE”
Moreover, the Chinese auto manufacturer also updated its cover photo on Facebook presumably with the Alsvin in the backdrop and the caption of “Drive your dreams 11-12-20.”