City Slicker: Why the Changan CS15 thrives in the hustle and bustle – Feature
There are so many cars nowadays, not just the volume of vehicles sold but also the choice of brand new ones. I will admit that despite the nature of my work, I still have a hard time keeping track of every single model in the market today, and when I’m asked “What’s a great city car that can also hit the open road when needed?” I’m either stumped or forgetting a certain model.
I remembered recently that before the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) 2024, Changan launched the perfect candidate for the question above, the CS15. We even shot the CS15 before the launch at MIAS and it struck me how much potential it had for the price point, we’re so used to believing “cheap and cheerful” doesn’t apply to vehicles but I was keen to prove the CS15 had something.
Changan CS15 City daytrip challenge
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I’m a firm believer in the fact that City Cars are evolving from small economy sedans to small economy crossovers. The market has shifted to demanding more ride height and slightly more space in the interior. Proving this theory along with the competence of the CS15 meant I had to put it through its paces in the urban jungle we call Metro Manila.
I started the day off first driving from my place in Pasig to pick up Kelvin in Otis Manila which took about an hour in peak morning rush hour traffic. I immediately appreciated the size of the CS15, as Waze took me on a journey through some tight and narrow alleys to bypass the traffic, I recall being followed by bigger vehicles that had to creep around to not hit anything, while I was in the CS15 could keep a constant brisk pace without worry of hitting pedestrians, parked vehicles or even homes and road structures.
Another plus to the CS15 is the vehicle ride height/ground clearance and overall dynamics of driving. Having the confidence of “some” height makes driving through the more beaten path less stressful and less damaging to the vehicle, so far the Changan CS15 was doing really well.
I picked up Kelvin and pushed through more rush-hour traffic from Manila to Banawe QC to pick up our next passenger, Jose a frequent guest and general raconteur of the Yuga family. We snaked through the congested roads into the heart of Banawe, and we left for our final passenger pickup, Carlos. With all 4 people now in the vehicle we set off for lunch at Solaire North, and my passengers immediately noted how spacious the interior packaging of the Changan CS15 is.
We all appreciated the headroom, the legroom (even with full capacity), and the non-claustrophobic vibe in the interior thanks to a sunroof that lets more light in giving a bigger sense of space.
Afternoon errands
After a heavy lunch of dim sum and other oriental treats (availing ourselves of the Red Lantern dim sum buffet lunch), I was corralled into driving Carlos around for some errands in Banawe. I would normally rather tell him to do it himself because he’s an adult now and I’m not his slave, but keen to prove the Changan CS15’s plus points I soldiered on.
We all know how hard it is to move around Banawe, it’s a heavily populated area with little to no parking at all. As we moved from car shop to car shop to fulfill Carlos’ needs, I noticed how easy it was to double park the CS15 without obstructing any other vehicle or being in the way. We even had afternoon coffee at Corner Cafe Deli which has zero parking on any day and time, we were lucky that due to the Changan CS15’s proportions, we were able to squeeze into a small spot that only the CS15 and smaller cars could comfortably park in.
Errands done, and coffee consumed we had a newfound energy to do some window shopping, with our varied interests the best place to go to would be a place that caters to all, and that’s Greenhills shopping. The drive from Banawe to Greenhills took about 30 minutes with peak “going home” traffic in full swing, we made it to our destination and I noticed something incredible, despite already being on the move as early as 9:30 am, at 7:00 pm and having traveled through heavy traffic, double parked and idled for long periods of time… the Changan CS15 still registered a full tank.
Now this isn’t an EV or a hybrid, it isn’t even a turbocharged engine. The CS15 has a normal 1.5-liter naturally aspirated 4-pot making 105 HP and is mated to a 5-speed dual-clutch transmission. What makes it even more incredible is the fact that before we did the city day trip challenge, I had already driven the Changan CS15 through heavy traffic 2 days before, yet it remained with a full tank despite it all, incredible how efficient it is even in gridlock stop and go traffic.
Night Drive
We spent another 2 hours walking around Greenhills and window shopping for some toys and other little trinkets that piqued our interest eventually, we got hungry again and Kelvin suggested we cap the night off in Malate at a Korean restaurant that we couldn’t find the English name of…
At this point, the suggestion of Greenhills to Malate at 9 pm didn’t bother me because I knew the Changan CS15 made short work of such journeys, we arrived a little past 9:30 pm famished but still quite relaxed, and just like Banawe Malate isn’t known for being too car friendly, but the CS15 fit right in without any fuss or drama, it was a breeze getting there and staying there, we enjoyed our dinner in peace and I drove each and every one of them back home, before heading home myself.
In Summary
Priced at PHP 799,000 the Changan CS15 is one heck of a value proposition when it comes to mobility, something this spacious, this fuel-efficient, this decently equipped, this easy to drive and live with, and finally this comfortable is less (much) less than 1 million Pesos, let that sink in.
It’s not perfect, but no car is, what makes the Changan CS15 great is the versatility it offers as a great city car for every day, but having enough space and height to be a first family car or a long journey companion, and at PHP 799,000 you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
