In recent years crossover SUVs like most parts of the world are now becoming increasingly popular in our market, however the love for sedans aka diggi wali gaari (cars with boot) isn’t seem to going away anytime soon.
Known as a true representation of family car, the sedans in our market were long deprived of true variety with meager choices revolving around a handful of options. Back in the 80s there were no less than 7 options if you were out to buy a new sedan, however of late the choice became restricted to 2/3. Now thankfully the recent introduction of new options has once again opened doors for a variety of sedans in the market.
Related: Is Japanese Dominance in Sedans Coming to an End?
Hyundai is in process of introducing the Elantra sedan in the compact segment followed by an expected arrival of Kia Cerato whereas MG has also hinted to introduce the MG5 and MG6 to compete in the segment. Proton is warming up to bring in the Saga sedan in the subcompact segment followed by BAIC D20 sedan towards the middle of this year. Master Changan having recently introduced the Alsvin sedan made quite a buzz in the market since the car is not only very competitively priced, but is loaded with safety features & equipment while having a modern fuel efficient powerplant under its hood that’s mated to manual as well as DCT automatic transmission options.
Bookings of the Alsvin sedan got closed due to an overwhelming response with units booked till July based on the current production capacity as communicated by the company. The Alsvin is set to give a tough time to the existing options including Toyota Yaris, which is currently the bestselling sedan in Pakistan as well as the aging 5th gen Honda City which has now entered its 13th year of production in Pakistan.
Related: Changan Alsvin- Test Drive & Review
But the Alsvin isn’t the only sedan Changan has in its arsenal. In addition to a number of quality vehicles out there, Changan does have the Eado sedan which competes in the compact segment against the likes of Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra.
The Eado is currently in its second generation that debuted in 2018 but has been blessed with a thorough facelift called the Eado Plus from the 2020 model year. Available in both hatchback & sedan forms, the Changan Eado comes equipped with a variety of engine options including 1.0L three-cylinder turbo, 1.5L four-cylinder turbo and 1.6L naturally aspirated units while transmission options include 5-speed manual, 6-speed torque converter automatic & 7-speed DCT.
Related: Changan Unveils All New 2020 Eado Plus
In terms of dimensions the Eado has the exact same wheelbase of 2,700mm as with the upcoming 6th gen Hyundai Elantra as well as the 10th gen Honda Civic and 11th gen Toyota Corolla we have here, but is the biggest of them all when it comes to length, width & height.
| Honda Civic | Toyota Corolla | Hyundai Elantra | Changan Eado | |
| Length | 4,630mm | 4,620mm | 4,620mm | 4,730mm |
| Width | 1,799mm | 1,775mm | 1,800mm | 1,820mm |
| Height | 1,416mm | 1,460mm | 1,435mm | 1,505mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,700mm | 2,700mm | 2,700mm | 2,700mm |
The two faces of Changan Eado Plus- Standard (silver) and Sport (red)
The Eado comes in two exterior styling appearances– Standard and a Sports one. The Standard trim gets horizontal slatted chrome grille pattern while the Sports versions get black honeycomb mesh grille. The side profile features sloping roofline and similar dual waist line as with the Alsvin whereas the rear end gets slimmer set of tail lamps & a nicely profiled rear bumper which boasts dual exhausts with chrome embellishments.
Inside the well designed interior gets dual-screen center console which is tilted towards the driver and carries two large 10.25-inch screens– one for the instrument panel. Features including ABS with EBD and BA, airbags, panoramic sunroof, three-spoke multifunction steering wheel, keyless entry, push button engine start/stop function, electronic handbrake, 360 ° reversing imagery, multimedia audio and video system, and automatic air conditioning, electronic driver seat adjustment etc are all equipped as standard on the new Eado Plus.
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Changan’s facility in Pakistan will eventually act as a production hub for exporting RHD units to right hand drive markets across the globe. So somewhere down the line, most of the models are expected to make their way here. Just like Alsvin, the Eado sedan has a huge potential to create a stir in our market, let’s see when actually it’s going to arrive here.
The Changan Eado Plus
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
