Changan Alsvin sedan: big ambitions and cheap plastic

To briefly describe the Alsvin Changan, it is a front-wheel drive budget sedan of the subcompact class with a simple technical part. The affordable price tag makes the model a competitor to the domestic Lada Vesta.


The third generation of subcompacts from Changan was introduced to the Chinese car market back in April 2018. The sedan reached Russia only in mid-2023. It’s safe to say that Alsvin is one of the most affordable foreign cars on the market.

Technical specifications

The basis of the sedan is a front-wheel drive architecture with a monocoque all-metal body. The power unit is located transversely.

The four-door is equipped with an independent front McPherson strut and a semi-independent torsion beam at the rear. The simple rack and pinion steering mechanism is complemented by electrical assistance. Ventilated discs are also installed at the front, and simpler drum ones at the rear.

Under the hood of the sedan is a gasoline one and a half liter four-cylinder “aspirated” JL73QF with distributed fuel injection.


The power plant produces 107 horsepower at 5 rpm and 500 Nm of torque.


A 5-speed robot with a wet clutch and drive wheels of the front axle was added to the engine. In trim levels for other countries, Alsvin Changan has a 1,4-liter “four” with 101 horsepower with a 5-speed manual gearbox.

As for the “robot,” it’s too early to talk about its reliability or problems. Now some people praise him, while others hate him. A more or less definite answer will come after long-term use and test drives.


The numbers will remain numbers, but for the driver, the driving properties of the car are more important. But they depend on design solutions and fine-tuning.

In terms of fine-tuning the chassis, Chinese engineers are still somewhat inferior to representatives of other brands (primarily Japanese, European and American). Sometimes at the end we see a truly balanced car from the People's Republic of China, but more often we notice the elaboration of certain parameters with obvious savings on others. The Alsvin sedan is just one of these.

Dynamics and control

Many have already noted a certain “slowness” of Chinese cars and poor consistency between the power unit and the gearbox. So here it is. The robot here practically does not understand what a “sport” team is. For him, pressing the gas pedal is a reason for one and a half seconds to think about the eternal.


The most interesting thing is that starting from half a pedal and starting “to the floor” will not be much different. The automatic will still take a long second and a half to connect the clutch to the flywheel.


Chinese engineers added a gearbox and a mode to hold the car when starting uphill. But it is better not to abuse the function.

Once the car reaches 60 km/h, the chassis begins to feel more composed and maneuvers are a joy. The good handling of the model in urban conditions can be explained quite simply:

✅ There is electric power steering
✅ Overall compactness and small turning radius
✅ Suspension is not very hard

Naturally, Alsvin should not be used for off-road driving or in difficult weather conditions. The sedan may not be able to withstand such a test of strength. This is a clean city car with decent maneuverability.

Size, weight and capacity

The length of the sedan is 4 mm, and the width and height are 390 ​​mm and 1 mm, respectively. The wheelbase is 725 mm, and the ground clearance of 1 mm is perfectly suitable for driving on our roads.


The total weight of the car falls just short of 1,5 tons. The nominal trunk volume is 380 liters. Quite small for modern purchases; it is unlikely that it will be possible to transport something more or less large. And then the rear seats cannot be folded.

There is enough space for the driver and passenger in the front. But only two people can comfortably fit in the back instead of the stated three. There are no additional amenities such as armrests or footrests. There is probably enough space in the back for working in a taxi. But it is unlikely to be possible to transport a large family without compromising their comfort.

Appearance and interior

When looking at the third generation Alsvin, references to other brands immediately catch the eye, but the design cannot be called trivial. A good impression is largely due to:

✅ Slanted headlights
✅ X-shaped radiator grille
✅ Cute lanterns
✅ Neat, slightly “upturned” bumper

You could even say that the car looks elegant, maintaining smooth lines and dynamic proportions. In the color palette of the model, in addition to the classic white and black, there was room for silver, blue and red. Therefore, everyone will choose a car to suit their style and preferences.


Alsvin's interior is equipped with a 7-inch display of a multimedia system running on Android. Nobody canceled the crooked localization. There is also a microclimate and USB unit. The 3-spoke steering wheel with the brand logo deserves special attention. The rim is truncated at the bottom.

I was very pleased with the combined instrument panel with an analogue speedometer and control buttons. Many consider this a relic of the past, but the touch controls on the “Chinese” quite often “lag” and make drivers even more nervous.


As for the upholstery and steering wheel, the owners' comments are quite controversial. Some people like the quality of the materials, others want to cry because of the cheapness and “skew” like carbon fiber.

Safety, equipment and prices

Chinese automaker Changan claims that the Alsvin sedan fully complies with modern safety standards for driver and passengers. Among other things, they note:

✅ A couple of airbags
✅ Stability control system
✅ Assistance during ascent
✅ Tire pressure monitoring system
✅ Parking assistant

Some options are only available on the premium trim level. Speaking of them. Dealers offer us to buy two versions of Alsvin. The basic (LX) with a price tag of 1,6 million rubles includes:

✅ LED DRLs and halogen headlights
✅ Heated mirrors and windshield, electric drive
✅ Electric window lifts
✅ On-board computer with climate control
✅ Rear view camera, keyless entry
✅ Traffic control system (AEB, LDW, TSR)

Accessories also include R15 alloy wheels, directional stability and an extended package of safety systems.


For the top-end DLX package, the price tag starts at 1,7 million rubles. In addition to the features listed above, the sedan has a panoramic sunroof, a side-view camera and start-stop technology.


Perhaps prices will drop slightly after the opening of the assembly of Changan cars in Russia. The Chinese brand is already openly talking about this. In the meantime, it offers official representatives and service, a 5-year warranty on all its models.

Many people have probably heard about the shortage of spare parts for Chinese cars. After a little searching on the Internet, we still managed to find several sites with new components for Changan Alsvin.


The price tags are steep, delivery is quite long, but they exist. It will be even easier in five years, when car repair shops and salvage yards will be replenished with used parts at bargain prices. In the meantime, you'll have to be patient a little.

Advantages and disadvantages

It is always quite difficult to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of a car, since the process, whether you like it or not, is slightly subjective. Therefore, we will focus not only on our opinion, but also on the reviews of owners on the Internet. Most note:

✅ Nice design
✅ Relatively low gas consumption
✅ A decent range of options adjusted for economy class
✅ Physical buttons to control the car

Among the shortcomings are a small selection of trim levels and power units, as well as a cramped interior in the rear and a modestly sized trunk. The responsiveness of the gearbox raises questions, and the sound insulation is poor. And many consider the price tag to be overpriced for the Russian market.

If the Chinese Changan really wants to assemble its cars in Russia, in particular the Alsvin sedan, then it will easily become a competitor to the domestic Vesta. Now we won’t compare cars, we’ll just say that the “Chinese” will impose extremely serious competition.