SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Many of the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.

Editor's note: SA Roadtests accepts multi-day vehicle loans from manufacturers or dealers in order to provide editorial reviews. All vehicle reviews are conducted on our turf and on our terms.

For out-of-province vehicle launch features however, travel costs are covered by the manufacturer concerned. This is common in the motor industry, as it's more economical to ship journalists to cars than to ship cars to journalists.

Judgments and opinions expressed on this site are our own. We do not accept paid editorial content or ads of any kind.


Geared for work: 2019 Changan Star 3 double-cab Base

Soul of a swan

Pics by author
Posted: September 19, 2019

The numbers
Price: R156 880
Engine: 1243 cc, DOHC, transverse four-cylinder, naturally aspirated
Power: 72 kW at 6000 rpm
Torque: 119 Nm at 4800 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: Not available. Anywhere
Top speed: 120 km/h
Manufacturer’s claimed average fuel consumption: 7.2 l/100 km
Tank: 40 litres
Standard tyre size: 175/70R14 LT
Minimum ground clearance: 155 mm
Tare: 1160 kg
GVM: 2400 kg
Load: 1000 kg
GCM: 3400 kg
Warranty: 3 years / 100 000 km with roadside assistance

A reader mentioned recently, when seeking guidance on buying a simple, no-nonsense car, that she didn’t need her vehicle to tell her what to do. Her phone does that. Although her opinion differs from the popular narrative she has a point and is not alone.

Changan (pronounced Shangaan), still called Chana in many overseas markets, is part of a collective that includes JMC and is owned by the Chinese government. Star-branded vehicles consist of a range of mini-trucks, vans and a seven-seat SUV that share a 1243 cc, naturally aspirated petrol engine and almost complete disdain for modern frippery.

Standard kit on the Base version includes steel wheels with plastic centre caps, fully sized spare, rubber floor covering, manual windows and exterior mirrors, a steering lock but no height or reach adjustment, a heater, a basic radio with auxiliary but no RDS, a 12-volt socket and an ashtray. That’s because many people still smoke but you could use it to store crumpled candy wrappers or car guard money. It also features three cupholders for those who cannot live without.

If you’re prepared to pay R10 000 more you can have air conditioning, powered windows, fog lamps, a slightly fancier sound system and remote central locking but not much else. There is no ABS for example, no airbags or ESP and definitely no touch-screen connectivity. Perspective: Similarly priced single-cab one-tonners from Mahindra and GWM don’t offer those things either.

Our test unit, a Star 3 double-cab with dropside body, is what the Japanese would call Keitora or mini-truck. Alongside their single-cab sisters they are widely used throughout Asia in agriculture, fisheries, construction and fire-fighting.

It’s built on a sturdy ladder frame chassis with many nuts and bolts left visible. You might think it’s unsightly but your mechanic will love it for easy accessibility. Front suspension is by means of McPherson struts while the solid rear axle hangs from six-leaf springs. Brakes are disc in front and drum at the rear. Its face won’t win beauty pageants – some might call it an ugly truckling – but deep within lies the soul of a swan.

Although its engine is small it’s geared for hard work. That explains why its rated (read practical) top speed is only 120 km/h. It takes a little longer than some to get there, but it will be “today”.  Just kidding. Because of its low gearing it accelerates quickly enough to keep pace with city traffic and should you venture onto a freeway, you can easily overtake any heavies that abide by their mandated speed limits. Just leave a little more time and space, is all we’re asking.

Because we could, we conducted an informal check on rpm-for-speed in top (fifth) gear: 60 km/h comes up at around 2200, 80 at 2900 or so, 100 means 3600 and 120 needs around 4400 rpm that is well within its rev. limit of 6000.

Less pretty than a conventional pickup perhaps, its dropside bin is nevertheless more practical. Dropping the tailgate enables quick lowering of side panels and it loads at an accessible 79 cm. That means that you and your crew could pack from three sides at once if pressed for time and, by using foresight,  stack appropriately for different delivery points. Just ask any convenient Merchant Navy cadet for guidance.

We see it being used on farms to carry food and crews to feeding points or tank and pumps to firebreaks. Or simply lugging a ton of crops to the prep shed. Owners of small businesses might drop the kids off at school before continuing to the market to collect supplies for the B-‘n-B or to drop the ride-on mower off at the workshop. Possibilities are limited only by your own imagination. Single-cab versions are 100 mm shorter overall with bins extended by 90 mm. They also weigh 90 kg less. Wheelbases and load capacities are the same.

Practicalities: While there’s ample rear seat headspace for tall passengers, knee room is limited and foot space doesn’t exist. That’s because the front chairs are mounted on a hump over the engine. Speaking of which, there’s no tunnel to get in the way of any middle passenger’s feet in the back. Two-and-a-half belts keep them all buckled in.

Its parking brake is mounted centrally and boasts a firm and smooth action. The gearstick is within comfortable reach and smooth to operate. That’s good because you’ll use it a lot. Star’s turning circle is fairly large, at 12 metres, but it remains quite easy to park.

Changan’s little truckling may be plain but it’s solidly practical and very usable.

Test unit kindly loaned by JMC Pietermaritzburg


What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.