Rain is said to be the great equalizer in racing. For us in the motoring beat, it’s the great hassle. Changan prepared a good drive for us towards Quezon with the Q05 SUV, Hunter pickup, and a preview of the A05 sedan. The rain hampered our activities and so I was limited to the Hunter pickup.
It’s not a bad thing either. I already had my personal time with it before (review coming soon) but taking it far and in unfamiliar places made me appreciate some of its traits. We drove it from Pasig to SLEX, STAR Tollway, to our end point at Villa Escudero in Tiaong, Quezon. I was a driver and passenger and there are three things that stood out to me with this Hunter.
Superior Ride Comfort
Changan definitely did some wonders with the suspension of the Hunter. It’s not the first ladder frame pickup that has a multi-link suspension at the rear axle and yet it is the most comfortable in my experience. Yes I’ve been in the Navara, the Ranger, Ranger Raptor, and the BYD Shark 6. The comfort of this Hunter is simply astonishing.
The ride is soft but not bouncy. You can feel the dips in SLEX’s deep ruts, but it’s not jarring in any way. It was also chill at STAR tollway’s uneven surfaces. It’s also crossover-like on the highway in that it just glides smoothly on the asphalt and doesn’t have those little bumps that other pickups still feel on a decent road. This is further aided by the soft cushion on the rear seats giving me a very comfortable sleep at the back.
Diesel isn’t missed
One might scoff at the Hunter when they see its brochure. The first part of the specsheet immediately says it runs with a 2-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. Diesel lovers will immediately pull their “walang hatak yan!” card out of their pockets for sure.
Changan said the Hunter is the first range-extender pickup, and the first 4-wheel drive electric pickup in the country. Their words, not mine. Luckily all the time I had was spent on the 4x4 version and man, it is quick. Typical pickups in the country hover less than 200 horses and around 500 Nm of torque. The Hunter matched the torque but it has 268 horses in its disposal, making it the Mike Tyson of pickup trucks - big, packs a punch, but light on its feet.
As for range, Changan says the Hunter has a combined range of 1,031 km with the full tank and battery charge. I think it’s plausible given the nature of the pickup. It prioritizes using the electric batteries first, even during acceleration and uphills. It has a high threshold for activating the engine, giving you more fuel efficiency. I also like that the battery can be charged via regenerative braking without the feeling of being slowed down too much.
Easier Tailgate Access
One thing the other pickups in the country are still half-hearted on is how to jump into the cargo bed. Some introduced a step at the side of the rear bumper so the user can step on it before stepping into the tailgate. The problem there is, that step is still a bit high. Changan introduced a more ladderized approach.
The Hunter’s tailgate can be divided at a push of a button. This will reveal a panel that can be lowered down so you have a 2-step approach for the cargo bed. This is lower than the usual solution done by other pickup makers. This is a huge boost to tailgate parties in gas stations, side streets, or any other parking lot. You won’t have to struggle just to look cool again. Best of all, that step assembly and tailgate itself withstood my full weight so rest assured, it can support you as well.
There’s also a Vehicle-to-Load socket at the rear, giving you the capability to use small appliances while out in the wild for up to 100 hours. Takers of the 4x4 trim will also be treated to the waterproof cover of the cargo bed according to Changan.
There are many more things I can say about the Changan Hunter but that would have to wait. All you need to know for now is that it’s a promising pickup in a market dominated by diesel. It also takes the battle close to the BYD Shark 6 as both are electrified and fun to drive.
Where the Hunter has a definite advantage is the pricing because they are still under 2-M for both trims. The Changan Hunter 4x2 is priced at P 1,699,000 while the Hunter 4x4 is at P 1,970,000. If you want a pickup that won’t remove your soul when going through the C5 truck lane, the Changan Hunter is worth the look.
Words and Photos by Vincent Villa
Very nice,well priced and fuel efficient pickup truck from Changan.
ReplyDeleteMiles better then byd shark and much affordable too
ReplyDeleteBYD Shark 6 DMO is way more popular and sold more units locally than this Changan pickup truck.
DeleteBYD shark is haunted by frequent check engine light warning. Both hunter and shark6 has low payload capacity
ReplyDeleteAre you talking about the check engine light on start up sometimes that asks you to press the brake and start button and then it goes away? If so, I think that's a self-diagnostic feature and not an issue (it goes away in an instant).
DeleteThe low payload capacity is deliberate. Since these new trucks seem to be catering more heavily to urban users with the occasional large but not industrial cargo hauling (the same author here also wrote about the RADAR pickup and says that that one's really good for his personal needs despite having similar low max payload).
It's still a very workable platform as evidenced by the popularity of Ford Mavericks and Hyundai Santa Cruzes in the states which both follow the same principle.
Frequent check engine light not an issue? its a very concerning quality problem, dont normalize such a thing coz its not normal but maybe in low quality car like byd it is.
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