Changan officially launched the highly anticipated Kaicene F70 double cabin pickup truck in the Chinese market late last year. It was reported that the vehicle is destined to reach international markets. Now Changan has started to market the F70 pickup under Hunter brand name in the South American markets.
Related: Changan Officially Launches Kaicene F70 Pickup Truck
The F70 pickup which is jointly developed by Changan and its joint venture partner PSA (Peugeot-Citroen) stunned Chinese media and auto journalists alike with its striking appearance, high quality and rich configuration, ever since it made its first appearance at the 2019 Chongqing Auto Show. The vehicle has also spawned the latest generation of Peugeot Landtrek pickup which went on sale earlier this year.
As reported earlier, the export version Hunter slightly differs with the Chinese domestic version as far as the styling is concerned as it gets a large gaping mesh grille up front instead of the slated pattern adorned by the Kaicene F70.
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The Changan Hunter pickup truck measures 5,330/1,925/1,880 (mm) while having a 3,180 mm wheelbase. The body size is among the best in the Chinese domestic pickup truck market. It is worth mentioning that the width is close to 2 meters, which is considered second to none. For the sake of comparison, the Toyota Hilux Revo we have here measures 1,855 mm in width, whereas the Isuzu D-MAX is 1,860 mm wide. The F70 with 1,925 mm in width, is much wider than both.
| Kaicene F70 | Toyota Hilux | Isuzu D-MAX | |
| Length (mm） | 5,330 | 5,335 | 5,295 |
| Width (mm） | 1,930 | 1,855 | 1,860 |
| Height (mm） | 1,835 | 1,820 | 1,785 |
| Wheelbase (mm） | 3,180 | 3,085 | 3,095 |
In terms of length the Hunter is almost as same as the Hilux but is considerably bigger in terms of width, height as well as wheelbase than the above mentioned two. For export markets, the Hunter F70 gets 17-inch dual-tone wheels, which depending on the version can fit tires in size 245/65R17 in Comfort and 265/65R17 in Luxury version.
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The impressive looking interior reflects great influence of Peugeot. It gets a chunkier flat-bottomed multi-function steering wheel, digital instrument cluster & multimedia system. Then there is a 10-inch touch screen with Bluetooth for Luxury version whereas the Comfort version gets an 8-inch one. Below which there are attractive accessory switches to operate functions such as air-conditioning or climate control system according to version.
Interior of Changan Hunter pickup truck
In terms of safety the Changan Hunter gets ABS and EBD, dual front airbags, 3-point seatbelts for all five passengers, Isofix anchorages, reversing sensors and immobilizer as standard, while the Luxury versions get rear disc brakes, reverse camera, blind spot monitoring, traction control, stability control, cruise control, tire pressure monitoring system, hill-start & descent control system.
Under its hood, there is 1.9-liter turbo diesel four-cylinder engine which delivers 150 hp of power and a peak torque of 350 Nm between 1,800 and 2,800 rpm. The engine is coupled to a 6-speed manual transmission with Electronic traction selector (in 4WD versions). The engine has a variable geometry turbocharger provided by Garrett, while there is Bosch injection and chain distribution mechanism to enhance performance.
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For South American markets, the Changan Hunter pickup is available in three variants– Comfort 4×2, Luxury 4×2 and Luxury 4×4. It is priced from (Chilean Peso) CLP 11,790,000 (PKR 25.2 lac) for the base Comfort 4×2 version to up to CLP 14,890,000 (PKR 31.9 lac) for the Luxury 4×4 version.
Changan is in works to enhance its product portfolio in Pakistan and is well on course to introduce the 1.5L Alsvin sedan, as well as SUVs and MPVs further down the line. Perhaps the introduction of the likes of Hunter F70 can also enable them to eat some share of the pickup truck market where the game is on between the Toyota Hilux and Isuzu D-Max.
The 2020 Changan Hunter
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
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