Chinese mini-electric car Changan Lumin - 300 kilometers on a single charge

Chinese cars have long been part of the daily life of Russian drivers. They no longer cause contemptuous smirks, although most of our compatriots still do not trust them.


It is believed that the Chinese auto industry is rapidly rusting and rotting. Practice shows that cars from the Middle Kingdom really do not differ in corrosion resistance, but such a model will leave its 10 years even if the body is not taken care of.

Chinese cars are usually bought as a cheap alternative to European, Japanese and Korean models. That is, at the head is the desire to save money. The best way to do this is to buy an electric car.


And here Chinese manufacturers are at their best - they offer not only expensive models, but also quite economical minicars for the city. For example, Changan Lumin. This electric car debuted in June 2022, managed to collect more than 40 pre-orders. The main difference between Changan Lumin and other cars of this class is the power reserve in the maximum configuration of up to 000 km.

Exterior and interior design

Changan Lumin's appearance is unusual. Such a car will definitely not go unnoticed in the traffic stream. The small electric car looks like it was copied from a cartoon car. What is only worth optics, half-covered "for centuries" and a front bumper with a characteristic "smile" of the air intake. The latter, by the way, performs a purely decorative function, because Changan Lumin is an electric car.

The headlights are laser engraved. Another of the interesting design solutions is the hidden door handles.
In general, the appearance of Changan Lumin painfully resembles one Italian model - the Fiat 500. But the Chinese electric car was also influenced by the love of Asian manufacturers for anime.


Inside, the car looks more like some kind of jewelry box. At least, the manufacturer wanted to achieve just such an effect by making all the twist washers with side faces for diamonds.



For an additional fee, customers are offered to order Changan Lumin in various non-standard body colors. Interior trim can also be changed.

Isn't it cramped inside?

Despite its toy appearance, Changan Lumin is suitable for moving at least four people. If you make room, then even three can be placed behind, but not a heroic physique. Long trips for passengers taller than 175 cm in the second row are also contraindicated.


The length of the electric car is 3 mm with a wheelbase of 270 mm. The driver and passenger of a fairly large physique can be accommodated in front. The manufacturer claims that there is more space in the Changan Lumin cabin than in electric cars from competitors.

Oddly enough, but the car even has a fairly spacious luggage compartment for its class. Its volume is 104 liters - a couple of suitcases will fit if you put them on top of each other. If you fold the rear seats, the usable space will increase to 580 liters. The only complaint is that there will be no even floor.

Power reserve and dynamics

In China, Changan Lumin is offered in three main versions, which differ in running batteries. The electric car is capable of driving 155, 210 and 301 km, respectively.

As pre-orders and sales have shown, customers are most interested in the most productive modifications. Indeed, a power reserve of 301 km makes it possible to move not only around the city, but also to safely leave it within a radius of about 100 km.

As for the dynamics, it is not particularly impressive, although in traffic the car does not lag behind budget gasoline models, and middle-class cars too. Up to 100 km / h Changan Lumin accelerates in 8,8 seconds. It's like the new Volkswagen Passat 1.4 TSI MT with 150 hp. With.

At the same time, the maximum speed is low - only 101 km / h. There is enough for the city, but in principle, such compact electric cars have nothing to do on the tracks. Although, the manufacturer believes that low speed is an advantage - you can see the beauties of nature flickering outside the window.


Changan Lumin accelerates smoothly, does not press into the seats. If you want to accelerate faster, you should switch to SPORT mode. Only at the same time, you need to remember that electricity consumption will increase, and then there will be no talk of any 301 km of run.



In SPORT mode, overtaking in urban areas is easy. But on the highway, this will not work, because the compact electric car does not accelerate more than 101 km / h.

Other features of the model

Noise isolation Changan Lumin enough for its maximum speed. The driver and passengers do not complain about extraneous sounds in the cabin - they can talk without shouting.

Suspension Changan Lumin different comfortable settings, which is atypical for urban mini-electric cars. Certainly not to be expected from a business-class budget car, but potholes and sleeper cops go light.


The braking system of Changan Lumin is called Nbooster. She is listed as intelligent. In this case, this only means that the electric car will stop smoothly, and wheel locking is excluded. The brake system is equipped with an assistant when starting uphill.

How will he behave in an accident?

Changan claims that their Lumin compact electric car meets all safety parameters. Say, the model has an energy-absorbing body of a multi-component structure. For its manufacture, high-strength steel is used. Even in the basic configuration of the electric car, two airbags are included - for the driver and front passenger.

But all this is just words - Changan Lumin did not pass real crash tests. As practice shows, such small city cars cannot provide protection in serious accidents. On the other hand, the car does not accelerate to such speeds, and it is not intended for the track.


One of the best protections for such urban mini-cars is Smart. There is a birdcage-type frame made of modern alloys - like a sports car. It is clear that it makes no sense to put such protection on a budget electric car, otherwise the cost of the car will seriously increase.

Is it possible to buy in Russia

Changan Lumin is not officially sold in our country, and is unlikely to appear in the near future. It makes no sense for the manufacturer to bring to us a model for which a queue of people in China has lined up.


But numerous companies involved in the delivery of cars from China to Russia already offer Changan Lumin. As a rule, these electric cars are in the maximum configuration and will be asked for them in the region of 1,2 million rubles.

Is it worth ordering a compact car at this price? For what purposes it is supposed to be used. Due to the underdevelopment of the infrastructure for electric cars in Russia, Changan Lumin can only be operated in large cities, preferably with a private house and its own charging station. In extreme cases, a “home” outlet is also suitable.

It is not worth considering Changan Lumin as a universal car. But for the role of the second car in the family, in order to economically move to work, shopping and business, this model is perfect. Of course, provided that the Chinese auto industry does not cause you rejection.