There are quite a lot of cars to consider when you are looking for a midsize SUV nowadays. Not to mention, the price ranges have also shifted to be more flexible, so there are many more body styles in the conversation. Allow me to further complicate or rather suggest yet another vehicle to consider from the Chinese to shortlist as a "must-see" option: the Changan Uni-S.
What is Changan?
Manufacturers from China have been swarming our local market, and one of those brands is Changan, which made its debut on our shores in October 2025. While most of these new entrants use a method of introducing one model at a time until they have a full range, Changan made its entrance by introducing an entire range of vehicles that interestingly fall into different categories, such as the 7-seater segment with the CS7 Pro, the low yet present sedan segment with the Alsvin, a highly contested bakkie segment in the form of the Hunter diesel and Hunter REEV, and lastly, the super active midsize SUV market with the Changan Uni-S.
The Changan Uni-S finally drove up to our yard for testing, and I was eagerly anticipating testing whether this vehicle has substance and a unique character, or if it is just another victim of copy and pasting that we have seen with most cars from the Chinese automotive region so far.
Let us begin with the appearance of the vehicle
Now, most cars from China usually come out with radical and quite literally "out there" styling, which helps because the cars all look different from what we are used to and help give the cars an unmistakable demeanor about them. But, I must say few or little of those cars wear the title of good-looking; rather, they are different. Ironically, that is not the case, I feel, with the Uni-S.
This car is absolutely stunning, and I would go as far as to say it is probably one of the best-looking in its entire segment, right next to the Kia Seltos, which has a derivative priced closely to the Uni-S. Up front, the vehicle has a cool-looking honeycomb grille pattern design that looks neatly integrated into the whole bumper, making the car look almost alive or like it's breathing. The grille is accompanied by two LED headlights connected by a lightbar that carries an almost question mark-like daytime running light signature.
The front is clean and not too complicated to look at. I cannot say the same for some of its Chinese counterparts, but this makes the car's front look more professional and much prettier to me. Again, when you move your eyes to the side view of the vehicle, it doesn't try too hard to be something it isn't. In fact, the side profile is quite the familiar midsize SUV shape. Pop-out door handles are the only thing that quickly reminds you where this car is from, and these work okay. They do take some time to get used to but aren't too bad to operate.
The wheel arches are filled with 19-inch two-tone piano black and chrome alloy wheels, which are exclusive to the top-of-the-range CE models and happen to be wrapped in a generous amount of rubber that ensures a smooth ride quality. Our unit was finished in the Shadow Grey hue, which has hints of sparkle that make an appearance when the sun's rays refract off the sculptured edges and creases found on the vehicle's body.
Finally, the rear is also a clear and clutterless space that is dominated by a, yep, you guessed it, a LED light bar which houses the rear taillights and the Changan badge that illuminates. While at the back, you will notice the integrated rear roof spoiler with a central high-mount stop lamp and lower bumper that has the presence of a clear "almost" fake exhaust setup since the exhaust stays tucked away under the matte black bumper.
The Changan is also a sizable vehicle and has a very commanding presence about it. The vehicle measures at 4,539 mm in length, has a width of 1,865 mm and stands tall at 1,680 mm. This makes the Changan visually bigger than most compact crossovers that it competes with, like your Corolla Cross from Toyota or Chery Tiggo 7 models.
The interior is a minimalistic space and is very spacious
This is where the Changan Uni-S kind of loses me because almost everything is operated via the massive 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment display. However, the screen does support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, and at least you do have some critical climate control hotkeys placed just below the screen. I, the driver, also had a 10.25-inch full-LCD digital instrument cluster which showcased important vitals and all other relevant info. Usually, the screens are quite annoying at first, but I always like to say, dedicate at least 10 minutes to purely fiddling with the screens to understand what they do, how they do it, and most importantly, where stuff is.
After figuring out the basics, you come to find that the screen is usable and very responsive. Another weird thing to point out is how unclear I find the Chinese car's multifunctional steering wheel buttons to be . It seems the manufacturers always make the effort to switch controls to align with our right-hand drive configuration, but they do not make the effort of switching the actual buttons, so you find that the volume button is located on the right-hand side, but the button with the volume icons is still located on the left-hand side.
Once you finally wrap your head around how that operates, you have to acknowledge just how well Changan has appointed spaces in the cabin to keep your phones, keys, and even a full-size handbag below the center console . The center console itself houses a wireless phone charger with cooling capabilities to stop your phone from overheating ; you also have a USB-A charging port in the back for the rear occupants.
The top-of-the-range CE derivative features a brown / terracotta- colored interior that covers the seats, door cards, and some parts of the dashboard, which I felt made the interior a special place to be. Speaking of seats, these are dressed in soft-touch microfibre leather upholstery with integrated capabilities for electric memory position recall and the automatic seat usher feature (which rolls the seat backward when you open the door for easy entry). These were comfortable, and the front cooled seats came in handy. My family and I enjoyed a short road trip from the Pinetown area into the outskirts of Umzimkhulu , with the 8-speaker sound system keeping our eardrums entertained and generous amounts of light being let in by the big 1.9- meter electric panoramic glass roof.
The engine performs and is does not scream
There is one side of this car that just had me unhappy with the drive towards the tail end of my testing period, and that is fuel consumption-sheesh. Now, before I divulge how the car managed to empty my pockets due to trips taken to the fueling station, let's talk numbers and powerplants.
The Uni-S uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine across its entire standard local lineup. This engine outputs 138 kW and 300 Nm via a 7-speed dual - clutch transmission that drives only the front wheels. Now, this pairing is set to give you a claimed fuel return of 7.0 litres per 100 km and a full tank range of roughly 729 km from its 51-litre fuel tank.
This was not the case for me , at least ; I have noticed a pattern with Chinese-manufactured cars. Their claimed fuel consumption figures are only attainable in long-distance, open-road scenarios and by driving like a grandma, which, on an everyday usability scale, is not a realistic claim at all. Changan has made some kind of amendment or "fix" by introducing an HEV version of the Uni-S at the Festival of Motoring 2026, but still, what if you do not want an electrified version of the vehicle? Interesting.
I managed to achieve fuel consumption rates that ranged between 9.8 to 11 litres per 100 km, all in Eco mode, might I add, which is not very ideal, as this just spoils the fun of driving the vehicle because it genuinely is such a nice and comfortable car to drive. I give it extra marks for how it handles a 20 km stretch of bad and light gravel as we made our way to Umzimkhulu.
On a good note, the throttle calibration on the Uni-S was one of the best I have experienced from a Chinese manufacturer ; the engine was super punchy and definitely powerful. Being one of the only vehicles to offer an independent multi-link rear axle, you can expect a much better ride quality from the car, which made soaking up road imperfections an ideal experience for me in the driver's seat and for my occupants/ passengers.
With that said, the engine was quiet on the long drive, although it was somewhat rattled by inclines that made it panic and switch through gears, landing on a ratio that would cause a quick yell before the car quickly rectified that. The steering wheel felt a bit too light from stock, but thanks to a high level of configuration, I was able to set the wheel to a weighted "sport" setting, which made it feel better.
The Changan Uni-S has a lot of safety onboard
The safety assistance configuration of the Changan Uni-S is highly structured across its three distinct local derivatives. While basic active safety systems and the standout camera tech are standard from the base model, Changan splits its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) into "Forward-Facing" tech for the mid-tier CL and adds "Rear-Facing / Blind-Spot" tech to create a full Level 2 suite for the flagship CE. The range-topping Uni-S CE features the absolute complete ADAS suite. It retains everything from the lower models but introduces critical rear and side radar-based awareness systems along with parking automation.
Changan Uni-S Pricing
- Changan Uni-S 1.5T CS (Base Grade): R389,900
- Changan Uni-S 1.5T CL (Mid Grade): R429,900
- Changan Uni-S 1.5T CE (Flagship Grade): R469,900
A purchase of a Uni-S gets you a backing of mechanical warranty of 5-Year / 150,000 km Warranty and a service plan of 5-Year / 90,000 km Service Plan.
Conclusion
This was such a wonderful car to have on test ; it has great looks in appearance, a standard yet well-equipped set of technology alongside equipment that is more than enough, and an outstanding and quite literally shocking pricing structure that should sparkle in the eye of most. Even though it gets caught out a bit on the topic of refinement, where I feel some things could've been executed a bit better, and that knack for being a little bit too thirsty for the fuel station, it is, however, a great offering that just makes sense. It does make me wonder how the legacy brands are going to answer to cars like these threatening to take their place. I mean, if improving just refinement and fuel economy is the only thing stopping this car from being complete, shouldn't they be worried?.