I used to drive a manual car for a long time, but with how bad traffic has become — especially during holidays and peak seasons — driving got really exhausting, especially on highways. My old car was also close to hitting 10 years, so I started keeping an eye on new car offers. At the beginning of 2024, I checked out the Oshan Z6. It had good specs, but I heard they were about to change the branding, and I got worried that spare parts might become rare or unavailable, so I didn’t feel confident about it.
Then I looked at the Changan X7 Plus, but we couldn’t agree on a price. I had actually been eyeing the Changan CS75 for a while, especially after I saw a discount of around 3,400 AED — the specs seemed solid. The problem was, the 2023 model was sold out everywhere — in my city and even back home. In March, a nearby dealership called me and told me the 2024 model had arrived, so I went to check it out — and I liked it. After some long negotiations, I bought it.
They gave me floor mats, a 500 AED window tint voucher, and a car vacuum. No free maintenance or extra perks. The insurance came out to 5,200 AED, but I noticed that 500 AED of that was for coverage I didn’t really need. So I ended up paying an extra 300–400 AED unnecessarily, but it is what it is.
They didn’t have a test drive model for the CS75, but I had driven the CS55 Plus, and it felt smooth with no jerky gear shifts. However, after picking up the CS75, I noticed a difference — especially in gears 1, 2, and 3, which feel a bit jerky. You can’t slam the gas pedal either, or it’ll just rev without moving properly. You have to press the accelerator gently to get smooth performance. Right now, I’m just driving in the city, and fuel consumption is around 9L/100 km. I expect it to drop to 7–8 with time. I don’t drive much — maybe 10,000 km per year at most — so I can live with that.
One thing that really annoyed me is that many accessories for the 2024 model aren’t available yet. I bought a metallic door handle cover online — the seller said it would fit. But when I tried to install it, not only did it not fit, but it also scratched the door paint pretty badly. I had to return it and get a soft rubber one instead. It was frustrating, but hey — lesson learned.
