2023 Changan Alsvin: The new budget-friendly city cruiser in town
In our books, sedan Alsvin’s — currently in its third generation in China but the first one to be offered in Bangladesh – petite frame and manoeuvrability tick the box of driving comfort we seek in Dhaka’s traffic-dense roads
In recent years, the automobile industry of Bangladesh has seen remarkable growth. With a heap of new entrants from most countries, especially China, customers now have more options beyond the rinse-and-repeat Toyota and Honda formulas.
Changan Automobiles Co Ltd is a Chinese state-owned automaker that officially launched in Bangladesh in November of 2023. While not much of a popular name in other parts of the world, Changan has been operating in the Chinese market for more than 157 years, making it the oldest vehicle manufacturer in China.
With the launch of the brand last year, DHS Autos Ltd, the authorised distributor of Changan Automobiles in Bangladesh, introduced the Changan Alsvin into a segment of budget automobiles.
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However, it boasts features that put it in the league of the trustworthy Japanese steeds that the Bangladeshi market has grown to love. Surprisingly, the modest price tag of Tk20 lakh does not deprive Alsvin of character.
The Alsvin is a compact sedan, sitting in the same segment as a Toyota Yaris. In China, the Alsvin is currently in its third generation but it's the first one to be offered in Bangladesh.
It has textbook examples of the modern-day fundamentals of compact design language. Sporting halogen projection headlights and a sporty-looking hood bulge, the Alsvin has an inviting look that would make you think you received your money's worth. It's worth noting that the sedan has consistent and reliable build quality on its exterior.
Seemingly Alsvin's design is centred around a narrative of practicality. This practice also translates to the boot space that is remarkably large for a car of its size. The vehicle's interior also checks all the basics with a surprisingly premium feel like a faux leather dashboard with a soft touch on the door panels.
With piano black accents littered about tastefully, and buttons that have a pleasing tactile feedback, the interior of the Alsvin adds to the driving practicality through both reliability and pleasant user feedback.
For infotainment, the Alsvin comes with a 7-inch touchscreen that sticks out of the dashboard and is paired with an astonishingly well-tuned 4-speaker sound system. Although, given its large bezels, it looks a bit outdated. It also lacks Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto connectivity, a feature which isn't offered in this segment.
However, the Alsvin makes up for it through other practical features like parking sensors and a USB charging port apart from the regular charging socket. A second display is used for the semi-digital instrument cluster with RPM and other driving info.
Given Alsvin's exterior dimensions, it doesn't give the impression of a spacious interior. However, getting inside, users will find faux leather seats that cushion for a comfortable passenger experience.
The front seats offer great lumbar support and maintain good viewing angles for the driver. The rear passenger seats also offer the comfort of decent legroom and headroom for a compact sedan, with comfortable faux leather seats. The sunroof skew of the Alsvin adds to that already premium feel making the interior feel more roomy while not compromising too much headroom. However, this added roominess comes with a mere Tk1 lakh price increase on top of the base model.
What drives the practical cruiser is a 1480cc DVVT Inline-4 DOHC engine paired with a 5-speed Dual Clutch Transmission. It produces about 105 horsepower with 145 Nm of torque. These specs are standard for a car of this class, and the Changan executes them well.
The car sits nimble, weighing just over 1,000 kg.
This ensures a decent acceleration that keeps up with the bustling traffic in Dhaka. During our test drive, the car could easily handle lane changes at triple-digit speeds as it stayed nimble due to its low centre of gravity, being a sedan. Reaching that triple-digit speed also didn't require much effort thanks to the tiptronic gears, which can be very handy during highway overtakes.
However, once you are done with the overtaking, you can set the car to 'Cruise Control' – a feature that comes standard in this model.
The car's petite frame allows it to manoeuvre in traffic with ease. During the routine Bijoy Sarani traffic signal, the Alsvin managed to carve out space behind a CNG auto-rickshaw and continue to follow its lines through traffic. In our books, this manoeuvrability ticks the box of driving comfort we seek in Dhaka's traffic-dense roads, which makes compact sedans the better-suited models for Bangladesh.
The Changan Alsvin is offered in five different exterior shades and also comes with five years of free service and an engine warranty. We draw the verdict that it is a compelling choice for buyers looking for a compact sedan that balances both practicality and a rich feature set.
The biggest selling point for this car remains its attainable starting price of Tk20 lakh – a steal from what our testing has shown us.
Specifications:
Engine: 1480cc DVVT Inline-4 DOHC
Transmission: 5-speed DCT with Tiptronic
Max. Power: 105 bhp
Max. Torque: 145 Nm
Price: Starts at Tk20 Lakh
