Remember when the idea of driving an SUV was associated with poor fuel economy? It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Especially with all the smaller models coming out in the segment lately.
One such vehicle is the Changan CS35 Plus subcompact SUV. It packs a 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine capable of up to 156hp and 235Nm of torque paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. This mill managed to perform pretty well during a recent fuel economy run held by the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP).
During the run held from July 20 to 22, the vehicle managed to do an impressive 21.432km/L over 180.6km along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and Subic-Clark-Tarlac-Expressway (SCTEX). It’s worth noting, however, that it was only traveling at a modest 60-88kph during the test.
As expected, fuel economy for the CS35 Plus fell during city driving conditions, but still came out to a decent 13.548km/L over 90.8km. The vehicle was driven around Makati, Pasay, Manila, and Quezon City for this part of the test.
The company notes that the unit used for testing was completely stock and had two passengers on board and no luggage, with the A/C system set to medium.
Not bad. Do you consider fuel efficiency to be a major selling point in today’s SUVs and crossovers? Let us know in the comments.