It’s so easy to get lost or (sadly) overlooked these days as an automotive brand; that’s because the reality is there are more than enough car brands in the Philippines already. Changan is a brand that has stayed quiet in the past few years but has continued to be somewhat aggressive.
I recently just got my hands on one of their halo models locally, the Uni-T crossover, so I wanted to know if Changan has the goods to fly under the radar or if it’s time to sound the alarm before it’s too late.
Changan Uni-T exterior
Table of Contents
One of (if not the) most interesting thing about the Uni-T is the looks. I have to say that, in its class, it probably takes the cake for best design. It is certainly intriguing to look at, it has all these shapes, curves, and details that make it stand out by itself.
It just looks very well thought out design-wise; even the rim design perfectly compliments the overall look, even this very appealing grey color we had it in just accentuated every single design cue present in the Changan Uni-T, a fantastically looking vehicle.
Interior
This is where things get a little complicated. The overall layout of the interior is fine, perfectly straightforward for 2025, with a digital instrument cluster paired with a digital touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay (no Android Auto).
However, the quality and feel of the interior materials were ordinary at best, especially for the price this Uni-T commands. I just felt that the interior didn’t feel as solid or premium enough compared to other vehicles in the market that cost less than this does.
In terms of features, though, the Uni-T is more than complete. It has a big panoramic sunroof, both front seats are electronically adjustable, it has wireless charging, a remote engine start feature, and an electronic tailgate. Another neat but unusual feature is this small protruding console on the dashboard that has lights that turn into various colors depending on how you’re driving, kind of like additional peripheral warnings if you’re signal lights are on or if you’re driving close to the car in front, remind me of the Close Encounters of the Third Kind movie.
Space is also something the Changan Uni-T does well; the 2nd row is roomy, and the packaging of the trunk is good, featuring an undertray storage space to make up for the lack of length and width of the main trunk space capacity.
Engine and Safety
The Changan Uni-T uses a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that makes 177 HP with 300 Nm of torque, sending power to the front wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Safety is a priority for Changan because the Uni-T has almost all ADAS features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and many more.
Driving Impressions
Almost immediately, I had a small issue with the Uni-T in stop-and-go city traffic. The engine or transmission feels unrefined somehow, it vibrates under normal acceleration from 2nd-3rd gear. Once it settles, though, I appreciate how quiet the engine is; you barely register it at slower speeds and low revs.
Out on the highway, the Changan Uni-T is much better; it gets to stretch its legs properly, and the transmission seems to enjoy highway driving conditions more, becoming smoother. The engine is actually tuned well for acceleration and torque; increasing speed on the highway to overtake didn’t require me to mash the throttle.
That’s where the positives end, though; what became apparent is the lack of proper NVH suppression in the Uni-T. The tire noise was louder than our own voices and the music we were playing; it was almost as if the outside world was inside with us, while the ride was quite stiff compared to the competition.
In summary, the Changan Uni-T is a decent drive at best, nothing really spectacular or glaringly wrong, it gets the job done.
Points for improvement
I already mentioned the interior quality needs to be upgraded, there are also other issues that should be addressed. First is the gear shifter. It isn’t ergonomic; we’re used to electronic shifters nowadays, but this unit wasn’t as responsive to input. Sometimes, I would shift to reverse only for it to either be delayed or not even shift completely to reverse, instead shifting to neutral.
Next is the lack of a manual mode. I would have wanted at least a manual mode in the shifter, if not paddles, but the Uni-T has neither,r which is a huge lacking feature in terms of making the driving experience much better.
Price and Verdict
At PHP 1,679,000USD 28,996INR 2,528,406EUR 27,586CNY 210,379, the Uni-T is asking for a lot but not offering as much in return. In the current automotive landscape, the Uni-T is sadly lacking in terms of offering any incentive for buyers to purchase it. Apart from the aforementioned issues, the glaring lack of a hybrid or EV engine option at this price is a problem. This is a shame considering as a package it does have the right recipe, it looks good, and it has enough creature comforts; the potential is there, it just needs more fine tuning to make it worth it.
It’s just impossible to ignore that there are more affordable models that offer more like hybrid powertrains. In fact, in doing this review, I realized that Changan is the only mainstream Chinese brand that doesn’t offer a single hybrid or EV for sale, which is quite alarming. Changan needs to step up to stay in the game.
