Driven almost continuously with no-fail, stops only for gas and maintenance, adds to the car’s already impressive global record
ONE of the cars during the Changan media test drive was the CS35 endurance car, which by then already run over 75,000 kilometers. Driven by Auto Review host and former “The Good Drive” (of Malaya Business Insight) columnist Ron de los Reyes who reported that he was impressed at the build quality and “tightness” of the car.
Endurance testing is part of Changan’s commitment to the brand and not a mere PR stunt.
“Yes, we started by testing the CS35 here, not simply bring the cars in,” Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo, President and CEO of Changan Motor Philippines, Inc. (CMPI), told Malaya Business Insight during a light moment at the media test drive in Batangas. “The process to ensure customer service and a quality product were to know the ins and outs of the car better. Endurance testing is part of the process.”
And indeed the CS35 Plus proved its mettle–completing the 100,000 kilometers, in 122 days. That is 819 kilometers a day, or if divided by a whole year is 273 kilometers traveled–more than a normal motorist would do in the daily grind. In fact, in Metro Manila, that 100,000 kilometers would be the total mileage for about 2 to three years of driving.
Linear tests
The endurance challenge commenced in Laguna with a static and dynamic test on flat road with the engine running 24/7, averaging 40 kilometers (km) a day for 10 days straight on different ratings of premium and unleaded fuel.
This was followed by a day-long fuel consumption test from Calamba City to Baguio City, where Changan’s best-selling subcompact SUV took on combined highway and city driving, and the requisite uphill climb.
The test culminated with the CS35 Plus braving rough and uneven road surfaces from Calamba City to Batangas City, running 1,000-20,000 km on the first leg and 20,000-100,000 km on the second leg, clocking in over 800 kilometers both ways. To test parts resilience and quality of consumables, a standard periodic maintenance every 10,000 km is given.
Passed with flying colors
To compress all that kilometrage in an endurance test conducted on various terrains and under different driving conditions into just over a month and a half is very stressful to the engine and suspension components of any car. The CS35 however, completed the tests with flying colors.
After completing 100,000 km of endurance testing, the CS35 Plus emerged unscathed and in excellent driving condition. The 24/7 Laguna run witnessed the unfaltering stability of the CS35’s engine through 122 days of running at a sustained speed, while the Baguio run proved its fuel efficiency at 14.6 km/L.
These new results bolster the glowing feedback that Changan CS35 Plus has been receiving globally. It ranked the highest in meeting evolving consumer demand in the crossover segment in the 2020 J.D. Power China Initial Quality Study (IQS) and the 2020 J.D. Power China Automotive Performance Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study.
While the power, stability, reliability, and fuel efficiency of the Changan 1.5T BlueCore high pressure direct injection engine, which is at the heart of every Changan vehicle, recently broke the Guinness World Record’s “Longest Live Video Broadcasting” challenge with the engine running non-stop, live and online, for 255 hours at a sustained speed of 5500 rpm. That is the equivalent of about 55,000 kilometers running at full throttle.
“We take pride in the rigorous testing that our vehicles undergo. The CS35 Plus already passed the standard rigorous testing that Changan’s global R&D team subjected it to. Our local endurance test run now verifies its excellent quality and fuel efficiency,” Perez-Agudo shares.
The valedictorian’s secret
Changan boasts of two “magic weapons” for quality assurance: the Changan Automobile Product Development System (CA-PDS) and the Changan Automobile Test and Verification System (CA-TVS). CA-PDS covers product life cycle and accurately guides the Changan product development team to meet customer demands.
CA-TVS ensures durability and performance by subjecting every new vehicle to more than 12,400 tests in 16 areas, including parts verification, system matching, and complete vehicle level, totaling 4,000,000 km of punishing driving conditions. Product testing takes place at the sprawling Chongqing R&D base which houses the Changan Automobile Comprehensive Test Field, one of the most accurate of its kind in Asia.
Visit www.changanphil.com or @ChanganPhil on Facebook to learn more about the Changan CS35 Plus.
