The Chinese company will work in tandem with Master Motors which has reportedly set up a $100 million vehicle assembly plant in Karachi. Reports also state that the plant has an annual production capacity of approximately 30,000 units. Changan currently has seventeen dealerships across Pakistan – one in KP, one in Balochistan, four in Sindh, and eleven in the Punjab.
The digital reveal was hosted by the CEO of Master Changan Motors, Danial Malik. In his address, he introduced the Master group and Changan, spoke about the current car culture and Changan’s new offerings, and detailed how the Alsvin Sedan is going to be a game-changer for the Pakistani automotive industry.
The Alsvin is a sub-compact sedan that will go up against the Toyota Yaris, the Honda City, and other similar cars in the market. Although it will initially be offered as a CBU, its CKD version will go into production by mid-2021 if the demand for it is high enough. This seems to be highly probable as the car has a lot to be liked.
Let’s go over all its elements:
Design
The Alsvin is a decent-looking car with a front fascia that has been designed to be both aggressive and stylish. It also has a large and imposing front grille, a sharp pair of headlights with DRLs, cutting-edge LED foglights, and a smooth front design.
The side profile resembles the compact family sedan with a few sharp lines, average-looking 15-inch alloy wheels, and body-colored door handles that give it a cleaner-looking design.
The Alsvin’s theme of simplicity continues at the rear as it features standard-looking lights, bumper, and reflectors, and resembles the 5th generation Hyundai Accent.
Overall, the Alsvin is a good-looking family sedan, especially in the metallic blue tone that is shown in the photos.
Interior
The design, albeit not too cutting edge, is on the better side of simple interiors with a modern cockpit and a bright and happy ivory-beige interior that complements the black dashboard and door panels.
It also has a sporty-looking, flat-bottom steering wheel with control switches, a 7-inch touch-sensitive infotainment screen, dual-airbags, and many other features that will be discussed in the next section.
Variants and Specs
The car will be offered in three trim levels – the 1.37L, the 1.5L, and the 1.5L Lumiere. Following are the specs of each of the trim-levels.
Performance
The Alsvin is available with two powertrain options. The base trim has a 1.37-liter 4-cylinder Blue Core engine with Dual-Variable Valve Timing Technology (DVVT ) that delivers 95 hp and 135 N m of torque, and is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.
The mid and the top trim levels both have a 1.5 liter 4-cylinder Blue Core engine with DVVT that makes 105 hp, 145 N m of torque, and are mated to a 5-speed DCT automatic gearbox each.
For the suspension setup, the vehicle has a MacPherson Strut setup at the front and a torsion bar coil-spring setup at the back that allow for a smooth ride over bumps.
The Alsvin also has ventilated disc brakes at the front with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) Technology and conventional drum brakes at the back. Additionally, the ABS Technology provides the car with good stopping power.
Price
Danial Malik revealed that the price of the vehicle will be announced in January 2021. He also stated that official bookings will begin next month and that buyers should not make any payments anywhere until then. Pre-booking can earn buyers a year-long free maintenance package for the car.
Conclusion
Changan has undoubtedly piqued the interest and desire for the Alsvin by withholding its price. It is one of the few cars to be launched this year that has been more anticipated than the others as it appeals to a larger audience.
How much love the Alsvin will get from Pakistan remains to be seen. What is certain is that the Alsvin has all the features required to be the new hit in the Pakistani market and give its competition a run for their money.