As mentioned in our 2024 Bangkok International Motor Show opening post, Chinese carmakers are dominating the annual show at Impact Muang Thong Thani, and Changan is making a big splash here with its sub-brands Deepal, Avatr and Lumin. The Deepals are officially on sale, and so is the Lumin, a cute EV city car that’s also the lucky draw prize for show visitors.
Think Wuling Air EV but with a cartoon face and half-opened eyes and you have the Lumin. Changan followed the two-door box format popularised by Wuling and the dimensions are in the larger end of the ballpark.
At 3,270 mm long and 1,700 mm wide, the Lumin is 296 mm longer and 195 mm wider than the Wuling, although its 1,980 mm wheelbase is 30 mm shorter. Boot volume is small at 104 litres, but fold the rear seats and you’ll get 580 litres, although the latter figure could be from floor to roof.
The little Lumin is powered by a 48 hp motor that’s juiced by a lithium-ion battery from CATL. The 27.98 kWh LFP unit is good for a claimed NEDC range of 301 km. Top speed is 101 km/h and the AC charging rate is 3.3 kW. If you want DC charging, a 28.08 kWh version (same motor and range) supports up to 50 kW fast charging, which raises SoC from 30% to 80% in 35 minutes.
These are modest EV specs, but the price is also modest. The AC-only Lumin retails for 479,000 baht (RM62,332) while the one with DC capabilities is priced at 499,000 baht (RM64,935). Again, that’s in the Wuling Air EV’s range.
For that money, you get projector halogen headlamps with LED turn signals, 14-inch wheels with 165/70 tyres (two inches larger than the Wuling), keyless entry with push start, a 7.0-inch digital meter panel, 10.25-inch central screen, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay (update coming in August), fabric seats, reverse camera and parking sensors. There’s also tyre pressure monitoring, ESP and two airbags. No ADAS.
What do you think of basic electric transportation like the Changan Lumin? How’s the driving experience and is it even workable in real life, you ask? I drove the OG of the segment – the Wuling Air EV – in crazy Jakarta traffic to find out.
GALLERY: Changan Lumin at BIMS 2024
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Ala comel. Boleh pakai buang.
Another reason why we don’t need Proton.
But proton don’t make small cars only P2 does. Are you saying we don’t need your P2?
another reason our car market is ruined by proton and perodua.
Aiyoh comelnya… saya akan bagi jalan dan tak akan hon benda comel ini.