State-owned Changan Automotive started out as a military supply factory back when China was still an empire fighting off rebellions. It didn’t manufacture vehicles until 1959, when it produced general-purpose military equipment. Then it quickly became the primary passenger and commercial vehicle manufacturer in China.
As a distributor looking to expand into the global automotive market, Changan made crucial collaborations with Suzuki, then Ford and Mazda. The results of these technical cooperations are still evident in its lineup of cars. For example, the 1.5-liter Blue Core engine with a dual-clutch transmission, its signature powertrain, is an innovation from Yamaha.
You walk into their flagship showroom, look at the vehicles there, and you get a great first impression right away. The CS15 was launched by Changan Philippines in 2024 as its entry-level crossover. It got a minor aesthetic facelift for 2026, and all the significant gripes from the older model were addressed. Thus, the sticker price went up, but it still gets 10/10 for value.
Styling
At full side profile, it looks like a stubby SUV; not cartoonish, but in a charming way. The fender creases look like water ripples as they move further from the wheel outlines. The black plastic over the fenders are well-proportioned, but bigger or meatier tires will look better while improving performance. The new wheels are still 17-inchers, but are blacked out and visually shrink inside the wheel wells.
The elegantly curved door and hood creases are the same as the pre-facelift version, while the blacked-out rhombic grill is new. The taillights and headlights are the same LED DRLs with projector halogens. The rear black garnish extending the whole width of the hatch makes the glass above it look bigger than it is. This reduces the visual weight of the hatch, which extends all the way down to the bumper to make loading baggage easier.
The roof rails are functional, though I’d be hesitant to load heavy cargo there given its stocky and tall stature. There’s a thin strip of body-colored side sill under the doors that ties together the front and rear fenders. The aft roofline is boxy, and that adds headroom for rear passengers and storage height for the cargo area.
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Interior
The dash layout is catches your eye as you enter. It tapers toward the ends and draws attention to the central touchscreen infotainment. It bulges slightly on the driver’s side to accommodate the seven-inch instrument cluster. The bland display could use some customization even as it shows all the essential gauges. The 10-inch screen is adequate and may show some glare with the sunroof fully open. But the completely integrated layout is more pleasing than those huge floating display tablets.
There are climate control dials and buttons for the infotainment system. The volume controls, call buttons, and hazard lights buttons are laid out like keys on a keyboard. In a clever design idea that maximizes use of limited space, Changan placed these buttons ton he edge of the dashboard, just below the ventilation slits, along the soft-touch surface areas.
The driver’s seat is six-way adjustable, and all seats are wrapped in double-stitched vegan leather. Rear passengers have an amazing amount of legroom and headroom, and now get an A/C vent and a USB-C plug to share. While the front passengers have a couple of USB plugs, one Type-A and one Type-C, and there’s also an extra 12-volt DC socket.
The door cards use the same angular perspective motif with a mix of hard plastics that emulates stitched leather with some soft surfaces. Remove the tonneau cover attached to the rear hatch, and you can fit taller bags against the back of the seats. Notably, it’s the only model in this segment with a tilting sunroof with tinted glass.
Engine performance
The frugal 105hp, 145Nm Blue Core engine drives a wet dual-clutch transmission to the front wheels. It may be huffing at 2,900rpm while cruising at 100kph, but its power and torque are adequate for the vehicle package. If you mind your right foot, and when packed with a minimal payload, it can do 17km/L. Even in heavy traffic, it did more than 8km/L.
A DCT, when paired with a low-torque engine, will be jerky, especially when the fluids aren’t up to temperature. When climbing steep inclines from a stop, it will hesitate. This can be disconcerting for drivers accustomed to CVT or conventional automatic transmissions. This happens more frequently when backing up on a steep driveway. Other than that, I prefer DCT for its efficiency and rapid shifting. Even on a small displacement engine, automatic rev matching makes you feel like a sporty driver.
Ride and handling
It won’t turn on a dime, nor is it a luxurious ride. It is a tad firm, so it can take a corner aggressively with some body roll. If you want sharper handling, get grippier tires and maybe a stiffer rear sway bar. If you want it to emulate the ride and handling of an SUV, then meatier tires will not only look great, it will also dampen the ride a bit.
Loaded with passengers and cargo, it gets sluggish, but that’s not unexpected in this vehicle segment.
Extra features
Driver, front passenger and front side airbags are standard safety equipment. There’s rear seat Isofix, and child safety locks with the speed-sensing central door lock system. The front ventilated disc brakes are complemented by rear solid disc brakes, both augmented by ABS with EBD. The electronic stability program and brake assistance keep you from losing control, while the hill hold control may be handy when descending steep terrain.
Tire pressure monitoring system and cruise controls are standard equipment; these are not even available for the CS15’s top specification competitor.
New for 2026 are the parking sensors with the higher-resolution rearview camera and display. The infotainment system gets the much-appreciated wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration—a feature that’s becoming a necessity for car shoppers. And the four-speaker audio system doesn’t sound bad with the multi-channel equalizer tuned appropriately.
Verdict
Against its competitors, it offers more features for the money, not to mention a better drivetrain and sportier handling. At this price point, there aren’t a lot of complaints to be made. A solid entry-level crossover for anyone looking for an affordable and reliable daily commuter that’s packed with tech.
Concerns about reliability and dealer support for service and parts were valid issues raised by potential buyers. With the reputation of Inchcape, those concerns shouldn’t matter. Satisfying disbelief is the self-imposed tagline of Changan, and its entry-level crossover truly does that.
SPECS: Changan CS15 2027
Price: P850,000
Engine: 1.5-liter inline-4 Blue Core gasoline
Transmission: Five-speed DCT wet-clutch
Layout: front-engined; FWD
Seating: 5
Score: 8/10
More photos of the 2027 Changan CS15:
