The Changan: A workhorse but not for Kayalami - EE Publishers
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Wel, om mee te begin, bekyk ek die bakkie so by aflewering en sê vir myself, “Jy het die vriendelike mense van Changan se tyd gemors want hierdie bakkie sal jy nie kan toets nie – daar is eenvoudig nie ŉ manier om in die beknopte kajuit in te pas nie!” Ek was verkeerd: Met die sitplek op sy verste agtertoe geskuif pas ek toe heel “gemaklik” in, maar ek moet darem net noem dat die Cangan verkoop word as ŉ viersitplek-dubbelkajuit. Met my agter die stuur sal dit egter ŉ drie-en-half sitplek wees!
Die materiaalsitplekke is verbasend stewig en nogal gemaklik. Die ligte grys insetsels in die toetsmodel vertoon mooi, maar ek glo dit sal in die langtermyn baie onprakties wees vir ŉ werkesel-bakkie.
The seat is positioned quite high and allows you to make provision for the many reckless drivers on our roads. The Changan Double Cab is powered by a 1243 cc petrol engine of 72 kW and 119 nm torque. Although, please realise, this is no racer, it can accelerate fast enough to keep up with the Gauteng traffic. I was also eager to do some cornering because of its high centre of gravity but, of course, no-one will drive it at the Kyalami racing course.
Changing gears is very smooth and the pedals are well placed. The loading bay is huge (2,06 m by 1,5 m) in comparison with similar bakkies, and can accommodate a roll of 25 mm cable with ease.
Van die bak gepraat: Ek moet ek net noem dat al die kante met gemak kan afslaan. Soos julle weet, is daar tot van die luukste bakkies waar jy by tye jou vrek sukkel om die bakklap oop of toe te maak. Die Chinese het dit met ŉ eenvoudige meganisme kinderspeletjies gemaak.
Ek toets nou al jarelank bakkies en kry die indruk dat van die vervaardigers hulle prioriteite verkeerdom het. Dit is so dat jy kry waarvoor jy betaal, maar ek het byvoorbeeld nie gedink dat jy in hierdie eeu ŉ voertuig sonder ŉ kragstuur sal kry nie, veral een wat hoofsaaklik vir stadsgebruik bemark word. Daar is wel lugreëling, voorste elektriese vensters (onnodig), sentrale sluitstelsel, die ewige irriterende misligte en ŉ radio met twee luidsprekers wat ŉ digitale horlosie insluit. My punt is net dat, in plaas van sogenaamde luukshede, sal mens seker liewer ŉ kragstuur sou verkies…
There are some features you wouldn’t expect in this price range, for example that the head light beam can be controlled from inside the cab. On the other hand, you would expect the courtesy light to switch on the moment you open the door, but it isn’t wired that way and must be operated manually.
Specifications: Changan Double Cab Lux
Engine 1243 cc, four-cylinder petrol
0 – 100 km /h 19,5 sec (approximately)
Consumption 7,2 l/100 km
Cross weight 2400 kg
Price R 165 000
At the top speed of about 120 km/h, the drive train seems to be a bit noisy but I am sure it isn’t designed to travel so “fast”. The Changan’s road clearance is about 155 mm with 175/70R 14 tyres fitted on steel wheels. It also is supplied with a full-sized spare wheel located under the loading bay. The front suspension has the hugely independent Macpherson strut system with leaf springs at the rear, which enables this bakkie to carry a load of one ton. The power is passed to the rear wheels via a five-speed gearbox.
The Changan test vehicle was made available to Vector by Garth Wilson JMC (SA).
Send you comments to vector@ee.co.za
111/02/2018 Real Realtors The Electrical Contractor Toets n Bakkie-Feb 2018 vector