The Changan UNI-T is one of the few SUVs from an independent brand that has left a good impression on me. Changan Automobile has made great improvements in product design in recent years, especially in the independent brand with a unique family design style, especially for young consumers to create the UNI series.
External Appearance
The 2020 and 2023 models of the Changan UNI-T exterior design are not much different, but a closer look will reveal that the dot-matrix design of the centre grid arrangement in the front of the car has changed from a square to the current L-shape, which is really a great test of the eyesight.
As for the rear of the car, it has an additional placement for the rear wing, which was previously absent on the Sport and regular versions, and has been added on the middle of the Sport. Among the bodywork, colored trims have been added to the front rear and sides, even the callipers. Looking at the Changan UNI-T this way it looks a bit like a modified car, and this is the feeling that the Uni- as an individual SUV wants to bring.
Interior Design
Although it is said that there is no change in appearance, but the interior design is very different, the new UNI-T’s interior is the focus of its enhancement. The previous small UNI-T screen has been replaced by the current large UNI-T screen, and the official name for this shield is Interactive Harbour.
Vehicle system
In addition to the regular car system functions, it also carries a new pre-control platform CIIA 1.0+, which can realise OTA upgrade after power down, and has intelligent power management, automatic warning, vehicle diagnostics, and supports fault sub-diagnostics and remote diagnostics, etc. The system uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8115 car-grade chip, which can achieve 8 trillion operations per second, thus bringing high computing 3D real-time rendering.
The system uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 8115 vehicle-grade chips, which can achieve 8 trillion operations per second, thus bringing high computing 3D real-time rendering, with a new UI design, bringing a new experience.
It is worth mentioning that the second-generation UNI-T voice interaction has also been upgraded, and it now supports wake-free interaction, which will be more natural and convenient to use.
Seats
The Changan UNI-T has overall one-piece sports-style seats, but the actual ride is soft and comfortable. In addition, the seat belts are brightly coloured to echo the trim on the outside of the car. In fact, the Changan UNI-T is not a car that focuses on ride comfort, so the back row is not its focus, the rear cushion length is a little short on the thigh support is not very good, and the long time will not feel very comfortable.
Power
The power options are different, with the second-generation UT following the previous model’s 1.5T engine and cancelling the previous 2.0T version.
This is probably for two reasons, the first is that you feel a 2.0T engine in a compact SUV would be a bit out of line with the price positioning, and the second is that you want to lower the price range overall and save the 2.0T engine for the premium models, so if you want a 2.0T engine, you can contact your local dealer to see if it’s still in stock.
The 2023 Changan UNI-T is powered by the Blue Whale NE 1.5T engine, with a maximum power of 188 hp and a torque of 300Nm, which is very good in its class. For this car as an SUV, I think its centre of gravity is relatively low, so in terms of handling has certain advantages, and its suspension filtering and rebound are also more comfortable, the overall handling comfort and ride comfort, I think it is still relatively OK.
The Changan UNI-T is equipped with three driving modes, Sport, Conventional and Energy Saving, and depending on this driving mode, its steering assistance will change at any time, allowing for a more enjoyable driving experience.
When the ECO mode is switched on, the engine speed drops below 1,000rpm, when the response of the accelerator pedal is relatively sluggish. This slow driving style is still appropriate in congested road conditions, which saves petrol.
In better road conditions, switch to SPORT mode power response will be more rapid, the engine at 1600rpm can release the maximum torque, although the rapid acceleration will not have obvious push back feeling, but in the daily driving is still possible.
The 2023 Changan UNI-T offers L2-level driver assistance, with an adaptive cruise control function that is easy and efficient to operate, radar probes that can detect preceding and following vehicles in the left and right lanes and identify lorries or motorcycle trailers, in addition to a lane-keeping function that is more accurate in identifying road surfaces.
Summary
As a compact SUV, the Changan UNI-T can easily stand out through its “youthful” and “futuristic” design, and we look forward to its subsequent performance.
