Would you look at that? Just as surely as the sun would rise this morning, another Chinese SUV — this time from Changan — has come to South Africa. The brand promised that its newest mid-size SUV, the Uni-S, would come to SA in early April, and now it’s made good on that commitment. It arrives in three variants: the CS, CL, and CE.
It enters the segment not as an alternative, but as the strongest contender of 2026,” Changang said (via TopAuto). “This is not about offering ‘good enough for the price’, it is about completely challenging expectations of what buyers should expect at this level – and then delivering on that.”
A Changan of heart?
On the bottom rung sits the Uni-S CS, though it shares the same 4.5m body and 745l of luggage space with the rest of the Uni-S crew. Starting at R390,000, the Uni-S range hopes to entice motorists with a 1.5l “turbocharged” engine that’ll ply the roads with 138kW of power and 300Nm of torque — paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. It’s supported by a multi-link independent rear suspension for a smoother ride.
Even if all the models are equally powerful, their innards and exteriors… aren’t. The core-level CS employs 18in alloy rims, with LED lighting to go with them. Head inside and you’ll find a 12.8in infotainment display and a 10.25in digital cluster. CarPlay and Android Auto are supported, as is the ‘AI Elf voice assistant’. We’d rather not ask about that.
It’s not a bad deal, considering the CS trim also adds electronic park brakes, rear parking sensors, ‘park simulation video display’, and a 540° panoramic camera system. Cruise control is available, as is the ability to locate your car using a mobile phone over Bluetooth.
Then there’s the Uni-S CL, demanding R430,000 before it’ll come home with you. It keeps everything that defines the CS, but adds more safety systems.
Those would be Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking. It’s also kitted out with adaptive cruise control and pedestrian recognition — because that sounds cool for the pedestrian. Integrated Adaptive Cruise, Traffic Sign Recognition, and Lane Keeping Assist round out the Uni-S CS spec sheet.
I know (Uni-S) CS
Finally, the Belle of the ball — the Uni-S CE. It sets itself apart visually with 19in alloy rims, while a host of additional rear parking sensors complete the vision. That means a full complement of ADAS features, like Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, and Rear Collision Warning.
All that for R470,000. It seems to us that if you’re an old-school driver who can get around without a million beeps telling ’em what to do, the core Uni-S CS is the best bang for your buck. If that’s all the convincing you need, the Uni-S range comes in five colours: black, putty grey, shadow grey, flourite grey, and moon white.
