Changan re-enters the commercial space after 14-year absence

By: Dylan Naidoo

As per a press release by Changan Newcastle, Changan has officially announced their plans to re-enter the South African commercial vehicle sector, under their “Changan Commercial" brand name. This move follows the brand’s entry into the South African market last year with their passenger vehicles, such as the UNI-S and Hunter K50 REEV, both cars which we have already featured and reviewed. However, this is not the brand’s first commercial rodeo into the South African market.

According to Phuti Mpyane from BusinessDay, Changan first entered the South African market in 2007, under the “Chana” brand nameplate for their vehicles. The Chana brand made micro light commercial vehicles (LCVs) catered directly at SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises), offering affordable transportation solutions for budget-conscious business owners. Under the Chana name, the brand released the Benni hatchback, marking the brand’s first passenger car in the country. Chana however, fell into bankruptcy and left the South African market in 2012.

However, the brand will now be re-entering the South African market after a 14-year hiatus, According to Changan, the re-entry into the commercial market is driven by the increasing demand for accessible transportation solutions, especially in South Africa’s SME sector. The rollout is being handled by Changan’s distributor, Jameel Motors South Africa. Country Manager of Jameel Motors South Africa, Marinus Venter, expressed his interest into growing Changan Commercial in South Africa: “Chana built a strong reputation in South Africa as a trusted partner for small and medium-sized enterprises. With Changan Commercial, we are building on that legacy by reintroducing a product that is proven, trusted and ready to support a new generation of South African businesses.”

When going onto Changan’s website, we can see a commercial section has been added under the vehicle list. The link takes us to their new commercial page, with their LCV platform supporting a variety of body styles, including a single and double cab micro dropside, box body, panel van and minivan layout. Changan acknowledges that these new commercial vehicles will be backed by their 5-year/200 000km manufacturer warranty, giving SMEs peace of mind for product reliability and durability.

Changan, in fact, focuses on this point rigorously, mentioning their partnership with other micro-LCV maker Suzuki and further detailing their expertise in the field, especially since they began operations in 1984. Changan also notes that their Chana vehicles have become rather well-known in the South African market, stating that they have sold 8456 vehicles during the time.

Impact on KZN

KZN SMEs should be on the lookout for Changan’s new LCV offerings. Building upon their successful partnerships, generous service plans and reliability focus, these new offerings could potentially be a great buy for KZN-based businesses. Especially considering Changan’s pricing angle for their passenger cars, being positioned as more affordable options whilst still offering solid features at that price point. Even in our reviews, Changan’s vehicles have been amongst some of our favourite brands to test. As such, we are expecting Changan’s new LCVs to potentially undercut Suzuki’s already highly affordable offerings such as the Ecco and Super Carry.

Changan LCV Single Cab dropside