Changan has officially launched the much awaited Kaicene (Kaicheng in Chinese) F70 double cabin pickup truck in the Chinese market. The Kaicene F70 is available in 30 trims distributed across standard, as well as long wheelbase versions with 2WD and 4WD options available.
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The Kaicene F70 is jointly developed by Changan and its joint venture partner PSA (Peugeot-Citroen) and has already 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 earlier this year.
The F70 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 Kaicene F70 with 1,925 mm in width, is wider than both.
| Kaicene F70 | Kaicene F70 (LWB) | Toyota Hilux | Isuzu D-MAX | |
| Length (mm） | 5,330 | 5,580 | 5,335 | 5,295 |
| Width (mm） | 1,930 | 1,930 | 1,855 | 1,860 |
| Height (mm） | 1,835 | 1,835 | 1,820 | 1,785 |
| Wheelbase (mm） | 3,180 | 3,430 | 3,085 | 3,095 |
In terms of length the Kaicene F70 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. Plus there are bigger versions with long wheelbase (LWB) & extended cargo deck available as well. The standard versions ride on 17” rims whereas LWB versions have 18”.
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The influence of Peugeot is more evident in the interior. There is a floating 12-inch touchscreen unit, piano style control buttons, large rectangular air vents, 2-spoke multifunction flat-bottomed steering wheel and a big chunky manual gear lever. The cabin has improved NVH levels of just 44dB which is rare for the vehicles of this class.
The Kaicene F70 comes equipped with latest generation in Call3.0 intelligent system, AI voice control, APP remote monitoring and 360° 3D high-definition images. Safety features include airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP, traction control, self-locking differential, front collision warning, active braking system, lane departure warning, steep slope descent, body stability control, push-button engine start/stop, tire pressure monitoring, adaptive cruise control, LED taillights, smart keys and much more.
There are 5 powertrain options available with 3 turbocharged engines (2 diesel & 1 petrol) and various power output configurations as mentioned below. All the engines are paired to a 6-speed manual transmission.
| Engine | Maximum power (horsepower) | Peak torque (N·m) | |
| 1.9T diesel | Kunming Yunnei Power D20TCIE | 150 | 350 |
| 2.5T diesel V | Jiangxi Isuzu JE4D25Q5A | 129 | 320 |
| 2.5T diesel VI | Jiangxi Isuzu JE4D25Q6A | 150 | 360 |
| 2.4T gasoline V | Shenyang Aerospace Mitsubishi 4K22D4T | 218 | 320 |
| 2.4T gasoline VI | Shenyang Aerospace Mitsubishi 4K22D4T | 211 | 320 |
The Kaicene F70 1.9T range is priced from 99,800 yuan (PKR 21.86 lac) for the base 2WD version to 136,800 yuan (PKR 29.97 lac) for the flagship 4WD version. The 2.5T is priced between 102,800 yuan (PKR 22.52 lac) for the base 2WD and 139,800 yuan (PKR 30.63 lac) for the flagship 4WD. The 2.4T is priced from 92,800 yuan (PKR 20.33 lac) for the base 2WD to up to 131,800 yuan (PKR 28.88 lac) for the flagship 4WD version.
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Positioned as a global model, the Kaicene F70 pickup will also be exported to various international markets. The export version will bear the Changan logo instead of Kaicene wordmark and will have slight cosmetic differences from the Chinese domestic version. In some European and Latin American markets, the F70 will be marketed under Peugeot brand name.
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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