Changan CS15: no-fuss daily driver

In recent years, subcompact crossovers have risen in prominence to overshadow sedans and hatchbacks as the go-to segment for folks who just want a reliable but value-packed daily driver. As such, car makers have populated the said segment with relatively affordable options.

Changan Cars Philippines understood the said assignment when it launched the CS15 for the local market. With its starting price of P799,000, it is highly accessible to many would-be adopters, and it is very competitive against its rivals like the Geely GX3 Pro, MG ZS, and Chery Tiggo 2 Pro. 

So, what is the Changan CS15 offering to prospective buyers? How does it drive in the city? Zigwheels Philippines found the answers to the aforementioned questions when we borrowed the Changan-made crossover for a week.  

Exterior

At first glance, the Changan CS15 impresses with its combination of modern design details and interesting crossover proportions. 

Up front, it wears a large grille relative to its size and a pair of keen-looking halogen headlamps, which are bordered from the bottom by LED daytime running lamps. It also sports a shapely hood and, from the bottom, even more choice design cuts on its lower front bumper. 

From the side, one can see the model’s high-riding roofline - hinting at its abundance of headroom. And like the usual crossover sold in the market right now, it has black plastic claddings. The rear section of the Changan crossover, on the other hand, received a pair of eye-catching LED taillights and a generously wide trunk door. 

Other notable exterior features of the CS15 include the following: 

• Roof rails
• Shark fin antenna
• Rear fog lamps
• Third brake light
• 17-inch wheels

Based on the CS15’s exterior feature list, it is specced out as a straightforward, no-nonsense ride equipped with the essentials. However, despite its lack of LED headlamps and power-folding side mirrors, the model compensates with a lighting system that provides sufficient illumination at night. The said pair of lamps’ automatic functionality was also responsive and worked well in tunnels. At the same time, the addition of roof rails is a nice touch for folks wanting to stretch the crossover’s cargo capacity. 

Being a subcompact model, the CS15 also has a very appropriate size that’s ideal for dealing with the hustle and bustle of in-city streets. For reference, here are the dimensions of the Changan CS15: 

Model	Changan CS15
Length (in millimeters)	4,135
Width (in mm)	1,740
Height (in mm)	1,630
Wheelbase length (in mm)	2,520
Ground clearance (in mm)	190

Interior

Similar to its exterior, the Changan CS15’s five-seater interior prioritizes practical comfort without much in the way of electronic doodads and gimmicky gadgets. 

While it doesn’t have power-adjustability for its seats, it utilizes supple leather upholstery. A big portion of the dashboard comes with hard scratchy plastics, but some areas have soft-touch surfaces and shiny decorative bits as well. Plus, it comes with a sunroof - a rarity amongst vehicles in its segment. 

For the writer’s five foot, 11-inch frame, the seats were sufficiently comfortable, though some firmness can be felt on the seat base. It does, however, provide ample legroom in the front and rear rows, and as hinted by its tall-roofed body, it has plenty of headroom as well. 

Drivers of the Changan-made ride will particularly appreciate the presence of physical knobs for its air-conditioning system. The aforementioned, of course, is miles better than touchscreen-based controls because it allows users to easily manipulate the air-conditioning system’s fan speed and temperature setting while keeping one’s eyes on the road. 

Additionally, the model comes with steering-wheel-mounted auxiliary controls, a shiny-looking gear shift lever, and a manual parking brake. The said gear shift lever has a “semi-gated” arrangement where drive, neutral, reverse, and park are not aligned in a straight line. The aforementioned, while unusual for some first-time users, does great in helping avoid mis-inputs. And, of course, a manual parking brake is easy to use and easy to reach. 

If there’s any notable weakness to the CS15’s interior, it would have to be its speakers. Sure, the model’s digital gauge and 7-inch touchscreen, even without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, work fine, but the four-piece speaker system sounds scratchy and lacks any substantial bass levels. 

In the daytime, the camera's video feed is also quite clear. But in the dead of night or deep inside basement parking lots, the image quality experiences a nose-dive. 

Safety

When it comes to safety, the Changan CS15 was kitted out with a sufficient amount of gear. It has anti-lock braking, dual front airbags, front side airbags, tire pressure monitoring, hill-hold control, rear parking sensors, and electronic stability control - among others. 

Unlike some of its rivals, however, the said crossover doesn’t get a suite of advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS). 

Powertrain

Propelling the Changan CS15 is a 1.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine capable of producing up to 105 horsepower and 145 Newton-meters of torque. Power is sent to its front wheels via a five-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). 

When it comes to translating engine output to forward momentum, the Changan CS15 is quite responsive and will get up to speed steadily. It is by no means a sporty crossover, but it has enough go juice for safely performing overtakes on the highway. 

On slow traffic, the vehicle also behaves well, though manipulating the DCT via gentle accelerator inputs will take some practice. Specifically, it returns slight rev-happiness and somewhat jittery behavior, especially if you’re a heavy-footed driver. However, the said behaviors can be tamed when using the semi-automatic shift mode via the model’s gear shift lever. 

Steering the vehicle is quite straightforward, and it doesn’t return too much body roll when tackling corners. The ride quality, however, is on the stiff side, which can be jarring when taking on speed bumps at speed. 

Here is a table detailing the engine outputs and other relevant mechanical details of the Changan CS15: 

Model	Changan CS15
Engine	1.5-liter inline-4
Fuel type	Gasoline
Transmission	Five-speed dual-clutch transmission
Drivetrain	Front-wheel-drive
Horsepower	105
Torque	145 Nm
Front suspension	MacPherson strut
Rear suspension	Multi-link
Brakes	Front and rear discs

 

Final thoughts

Overall, the Changan CS15 is a competent solution for solving the day-to-day A to B problem. Sure, has nice features such as a good-looking exterior and a sunroof, but its simple, no-nonsense interior combined with its affordable price tag will definitely sway buyers who just want a no-fuss daily driver. 

As shown by our time with the CS15, however, it isn’t a perfect budget car by any means. For one thing, it lacks an ADAS kit, and its sound system leaves much to be desired. 

So, is it a good car for the price? Definitely. But regardless, we urge folks who are interested in the Changan CS15 to give it a test drive first. 

Also read: 

Changan CS15 vs. the competition

Small crossover skirmish: Changan CS15 vs. Geely GX3 Pro

5 charming hues of the Changan CS15