The joint venture of Master Motors with Changan Automobiles will start the production of three light commercial vehicles (LCV’s) in this month of April. The announcement was made by Danial Malik, the CEO of Master Motors on the 2nd day of the Pakistan Auto Parts Show (PAPS) 2019. The new entrant has constructed its production plant in a record time of 13 months in Karachi. It has the capacity of producing 30,000 vehicles annually, as informed by the CEO. The plant is also certified with Automotive Quality Management System (QMS) standard IATF 16949:2016 based on ISO 9001:2015 which has international recognition.
The auto manufacturer will start local assembling of three light commercial vehicles (LCV’s) including Changan Karvaan, Changan M8, and Changan M9. Among these, Karvaan and M9 are currently being sold in the country. He further informed that the company provides peace of mind to its customers with its standard warranty of 3 years or 60,000 km whichever comes first. The cloud-based dealer management system provides matchless customer service backed by the sales network of 3S dealerships.
Changan is one of the highly reputable Chinese auto manufacturers with 32 years of experience in building and selling passenger vehicles. The company aims to provide the best solution to its customers at competitive prices in the local market.
Let’s introduce you to the three LCVs which will be assembled in Pakistan.
Changan Karvaan:
Changan Karvaan is a mid-sized van which provides the comfort of a passenger vehicle under minivan functionalities. It has a body length, width, and height of 3980mm, 1620mm and 1890mm respectively. It has a seating capacity of 6 persons.
Engine, Transmission & Suspension:
It’s equipped with a powerful 1.0-litre In-line 4-cylinder OHC C10 engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission that offers seamless performance with a maximum output power of 68 hp at 6000 rpm and 92 Nm of torque at 4800 rpm. The 999 cc engine displacement minivan is a very responsive unit at all gear outputs with multi-point fuel injection system and Euro-IV emission standards. The front suspension is powered by MacPherson struts that ensure a comfortable journey for the passengers.
Exterior:
The front side of the minivan is provided with LED headlights along with an impressive dual-wing chrome radiator grille which has an aggressive outlook. Beneath, there are fog lamps to enhance the visibility on the road. The rear horizontally-styled tail lamps are also LED. It has a rear sliding door on both sides that helps in easy entry and exit of passengers and cargo loading even in the tight spaces. The wheels are 14’’ in size with standard tyres 165/70 R13 equipped with 10-spoke alloy wheels to enhance the look and improve the performance of the suspension. The side view mirrors of Karvaan offer a wide-angle view for improved visibility.
Interior:
The cabin of Karvaan is designed like a sedan’s cabin. It offers a spacious feel under the space grey cosmetic color combination with the black dashboard. The steering wheel is ergonomically positioned with the gear shift lever in close proximity of the driver.
Comfort & Features:
Changan Karvaan has an ample leg room with comfortable fabric seats designed with lumbar support. The 3rd-row seats are foldable, hence providing additional space for cargo. The minivan has a stunning monochromatic blue information cluster which displays the necessary real-time parameters such as rpm, fuel gauge, mileage reading, and trip meter. It’s equipped with an air-conditioning system with four air-vents at the front and separate unit for the passengers sitting in the 2nd and 3rd row of the rear compartment. It also has a climate control knob for temperature adjustment inside the cabin. The basic entertainment features include built-in AUX and FM radio connectivity.
Safety equipment:
Changan itself means “lasting safety”. The minivan is equipped with seat belts at the front and the 2nd row including a seat belt reminder alert for the driver. It has front disc brakes to provide optimum braking experience. The steering wheel is an energy absorbing unit which helps in reducing the impact of a collision and saves the driver from serious injuries.
Price:
Changan Karvaan is currently priced at Rs.1 million (ex-factory). However, the price may vary once the company rolls out the locally assembled unit of the minivan.
Changan M8:
Changan M8 is a light commercial truck with a fair amount of cargo capacity. It has body dimensions of 4080mm length, 1485mm width, and 1810mm height. The cargo pickup is tailor-made with a capacity of 800 kg on the large cargo deck that has the dimensions of 8 ft (length) by 4.5 ft (width). It provides with an ideal platform for multi-purpose loading needs.
Engine, Transmission & Suspension:
Changan M8 is equipped with 1.0-litre In-line 4-cylinder C10 engine coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission. The 999 cc engine produces a 68 hp at 6000 rpm and 92 Nm of torque at 4800 rpm. It also has a multi-point fuel injection system with Euro-IV emission standards.
Exterior:
The front side of the Changan M8 cargo pickup is equipped with a two-tier headlamp that separates the headlight halogen lamp from the turn signal indicator located at the top. Underneath, there are fog lamps for the enhancement of visibility during bad weather conditions. The pickup is installed with 13” wheels with steel wheel caps. The cargo deck is equipped with cage handles which have a 3-way opening to allow maximum utilization of the space.
Interior:
The space grey interior of the M8 combines with a spacious cabin space inside the vehicle. It has the capacity of seating one passenger alongside the driver.
Comfort & Features:
The pickup has comfortable seats, which makes long drives fun. However, there are no power windows installed. It has a basic monochromatic speedometer along with an information cluster which provides basic information. There are four exclusive air vents for the front compartment which maintain the temperature through the climate control feature. Moreover, it has FM radio connectivity as a basic entertainment feature.
Safety equipment:
Changan M8 has seat belts for both the driver and the passenger sitting in the front. It has front disc brakes for improved braking experience on the road. The cargo pickup also features cargo crash bars for structural support to the cabin. In case of a collision, it reduces the impact of cargo and keeps the passengers safe.
Price:
Changan M8’s price is still unknown. However, it is estimated at around Rs.0.85 million (ex-factory).
Changan M9:
It’s an elder version of Changan M8 with more cargo loading capacity and additional features. It is designed exclusively as a 1-ton pickup which has 9 ft long cargo deck which extends up to 5 ft in width. The body dimensions (L*W*H) are (4560*1645*1890) mm.
Engine, Transmission & Suspension:
Changan M9 is also equipped with the same 1.0-litre In-line 4-cylinder OHC C10 engine which produces a maximum output 68 hp and 92 Nm of torque. The 5-speed manual transmission provides optimum performance at any given amount of load. The front suspension has MacPherson struts for a smooth ride on uneven terrain.
Exterior:
Unlike M8, it has projection front headlamps that have an adjustment feature up to 5 levels in accordance with the requirement. Also, there is a fabulous chrome grille which is absent in Changan M8. Moreover, it covers all the transport needs with its larger cargo deck which has a 3-way opening. It has 14” wheels equipped with tubeless 175/70 R 14 tyres.
Interior:
The interior is quite similar in the tone with M8 i.e. space grey. It’s also much spacious from the inside and offers lunar air vents for the front compartment.
Comfort & Features:
Changan M9 also features comfortable seating for an improved longer journey experience. There is ample legroom for the passenger sitting alongside the driver. The pickup has built-in AUX and FM radio connectivity for entertainment purpose. The speed and revolution cluster are monochromatic which offers a soothing feel to the eyes.
Safety equipment:
The cargo pickup has seat belts for the driver and the front passenger. The front disc brakes instead of drum provide a better braking experience on the congested roads. The cargo crash cage is also installed for additional safety of the passengers in case of a collision.
Price:
Changan M9 comes at a base price of Rs.0.919 million (ex-factory) in the local market.
Stay connected with PakWheels for the latest updates on the automobile industry. Drop your valuable opinion in the comments space provided below.
