Changan Alsvin

All three variants of the Changan Alsvin have an all-black cabin, with it offering a cost-effective fabric upholstery. Despite being an old design, this cabin impresses with the asymmetric design of the centre console. The contrast silver accents for the inner door handles, steering wheel and centre console are also a nice touch. However, the quality of plastics and fit and finish levels clearly show the signs of cost-cutting executed.

The Changan Alsvin has a three-spoke V-themed steering wheel with a conventional instrument console behind it for its driver’s cockpit, with the latter having traditional and outdated analogue gauges. The asymmetric centre console of the Alsvin has a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system above it, with the middle part here having AC vents, controls for the audio buttons, and controls for the auto AC in a vertical order.

The upper dashboard of the Changan Alsvin has smooth contours over the co-passenger side, with the dashboard also having rounded AC vents with piano black surrounds on the corners. The cabin of the Changan Alsvin, otherwise, is a very basic place with only essentials like power windows and 4-way adjustability for the front seats.

Compared to the previous second-generation model, which had a bit of curvaceous design, this third-generation version of the Changan Alsvin has more creases, making it look relatively more modern. However, by today’s standards, the Alsvin looks a bit dated, and the fact that it has been in existence for more than half a decade now without a single change shows its age. However, along with the decent looks, the large dimensions of the Alsvin give it a better road presence than similarly-priced cars, most of which are hatchbacks. 

At the front, the Changan Alsvin has an X-themed fascia with sleek, bird’s-eye-shaped headlamps on the upper edges attached to the upper edges of the grille, which have halogen projectors within them. The trapezoidal grille of the Changan Alsvin has three horizontal chrome slats in the upper half, while the lower half of the grille stretches down to the lower edge of the front bumper. The lower part of the front bumper has a horizontally stretched housing with a chrome garnish strip running across its width and daytime running LEDs positioned on the corners. 

The Changan Alsvin looks simple from the side, with the sedan’s decently long wheelbase giving it a nice stance. While the Standard variants get 14-inch steel wheels with wheel caps, the top-spec Platinum variant has 15-inch alloy wheels.  There’s a prominent crease starting from the front fender, while there is an additional curve over the rear door and fender. 

The rear profile of the Changan Alsvin has a nice wide and squatted stance, with the overall appearance at the back inspired by the previous-generation Hyundai sedans that boasted fluidic design language. The boot lid has an integrated spoiler above it, while the combination tail lamps have haunches above them. The rear bumper of the Alsvin also has a simplistic look with a black diffuser at the bottom.

Measuring 4,390mm long, 1,725mm wide and 1,490mm tall, the Changan Alsvin is a fairly large-sized car for its price, giving a few other similarly-priced cars a run for their money. The long wheelbase translates into impressive space on the inside, with the rear seat occupants having more than sufficient legroom and knee room. 

All the variants of the Changan Alsvin have a suspension setup of Macpherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear. This setup might be basic, but is highly cost-effective and delivers a decently comfortable ride quality at lower speeds. Even the light setup for the steering makes it a breeze to drive in the low-speed urban environment. However, at higher speeds, the sedan tends to be a bit bouncy, with the light steering not ensuring enough confidence. 

There are two powertrain combinations available across the three-variant lineup of Changan Alsvin. The base-spec Changan Alsvin MT Standard has a 1.4-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission. This engine produces a maximum power output of 99 bhp and a maximum torque output of 135 Nm.

Meanwhile, the Alsvin DCT Standard and Alsvin DCT Platinum variants get a 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated petrol engine under their hood. Paired with a 5-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, this engine churns out a maximum power output of 105 bhp and a maximum torque output of 145 Nm.

Both these engine options of the Changan Alsvin score decently in refinement levels, but where they suffer is the lack of power delivery, particularly at higher variants. Even the 5-speed DCT gearbox, which is expected to be a smoother transmission unit, doesn’t feel seamless in its shifts and is slow in its responses. 

Being a basic entry-level compact sedan, the Changan Alsvin misses out on premium ADAS features. However, it covers the basis with safety essentials like dual front airbags, ABS, traction control, tyre pressure monitoring system, blind spot camera, electronic stability program and hill hold control.

For the price points at which it is being offered, the Changan Alsvin might seem to be a great deal, considering it is a fairly large sedan for its price that can outsell similarly-priced entry-level hatchbacks. However, besides offering a large-sized cabin, the Alsvin is a lukewarm product with below-average fit and finish levels, underwhelming performance and uninspiring driving dynamics, all of which are evident signs of cost-cutting.