New Models / 12 November 2025 / Michael Taylor

New Chinese sedan goes on sale in South Africa – Pricing and features

Changan has officially launched the new Alsvin sedan in South Africa.

The Alsvin is one of four new products the Chinese automaker has brought to our shores, and is meant to serve as its entry-level product with a starting price of R238,000.

This makes it the third-cheapest sedan in the country after the R209,900 Proton Saga and the R224,900 Suzuki DZire.

Engine

The Alsvin is available in two specifications – the CS and CE – each of which gets its own engine.

The CS comes with a 1.4-litre naturally aspirated petrol mill that produces 74kW and 135Nm.

This is paired with a five-speed manual gearbox, leading to an average fuel consumption of 5.8l/100km.

The other option is the CE, which has a slightly more powerful 1.5-litre block with 78kW and 145Nm.

Notably, the CE has a five-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which is unusual to see on an entry-level car, where most vehicles use an automated manual transmission or a CVT.

This comes at a higher fuel cost, however, as the CE consumes 6.9l/100km.

Features

The CS comes standard with 15-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, electric windows, central locking, a multifunction steering wheel, cloth and leather upholstery, a central armrest with a storage box, manual air conditioning, four speakers, 2 USB ports, and a 7-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth.

It also has ABS, dual front airbags, rear parking sensors, and a reverse camera.

Aside from the engine and gearbox, the CE will throw in a few extras for its higher price, namely, cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring, a powered sunroof, and automatic headlights.