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Thanks: Changan Motors Russia 2024 Changan CS55 Plus Changan Philippines showed promise in the country when it was first launched, and then even more so when the CS35 Plus was launched. The rest of the lineup didn’t seem too exciting in comparison, however, this new compact crossover from the brand is a little more interesting, to say the least. For now, we can see it going up against the likes of the Ford Territory, serving as a viable alternative to the Toyota Corolla Cross in some respects, and beating out other similar rivals. Specs-wise, it’s hard to deny that the CS55 Plus has a lot going for it, but what is it like to drive? Well, Changan Philippines took us straight from their stockyard in Laguna and straight to Baguio in order to test it out. Exterior It’s a good-looking vehicle, and it’s plenty presentable for most people. The general consensus that our group figured is that the CS55 Plus had an attractive design overall in neutral colors and in the Luxe trim. Changan chose to go with gold accents for this model for a more neutral look, but it looks a little out of place on the red color of this model and looks stunning in the Blue, Grey, and White colors. That is unless you like Iron Man’s color scheme, then that’s totally fine as well. Apart from that, you get a full suite of LED headlights, taillights, and DRLs on this car, and you’ll find a lot of the lights come in an atypical shape, especially that rear third brake light on the spoiler. As for the rest of the car, it comes in at 4,515mm long, wide, and 1,680mm tall on a wheelbase that is 2,656mm long, putting it squarely in the compact crossover segment. Some would say that the styling of the CS55 Plus is more upmarket compared to its other rivals and we’re inclined to agree. Let’s just say that it definitely does not look like its price tag suggests. The vehicle rolls on 19-inch alloy wheels, which is acceptable in its design. It’s a little odd to see a few boxes on an otherwise sharp and curved car, but it gets the job done and they were wrapped in some Dunlop tires. Interior It’s a nice break from the normal Chinese car this time around, as almost every part of the interior was solid and of quality. While we spent the better part of the trip driving, we did notice that all of the major touch points were solid, and didn’t detract from the passenger or the driving experience of the CS55 Plus. The seats were nice and comfy and had decent padding on them. On top of that, the seats were also motorized, which allowed us to find our preferred driving positions whenever there was a driver change on the way to Baguio. The rest of the cabin was spacious, with a ton of room in the rear for cargo and four passengers. Even tall individuals were able to comfortably sit in the back of the CS55 Plus with room to spare. During the trip, we were able to fit four people inside the cabin with ease, but we felt that a fifth passenger could have been accommodated with little to no problems. Following that, the cabin looked good and had a sort of fighter pilot aesthetic about it. It was futuristic, no doubt, and it felt like a unique design given the other offerings in the segment and price bracket. Comfort Equipped with a fully-independent suspension setup, the Changan CS55 Plus felt good on provincial and city roads. It also felt good to drive on the highway with minimal wind noise. The only con is that the tires that Changan opted for in the vehicle were a little on the noisy side of things. Being economy-spec Dunlop tires, however, this was within the margin of acceptability. Once you upgrade to a more premium set of tires, however, you can expect things to be very quiet and comfy inside this vehicle. One thing that bugged us though, was the lack of a privacy cover at the rear. It’s likely that Changan decided to leave the accessory behind since they knew we would be loading the rear up to the brim with our stuff. However, the rear cargo space was plenty but it did get a little cramped once we fitted all our laptops, camera gear, and clothes for the weekend at the back. Read More
