English: Place: Foshan, Guangdong Province
Chinese name: 长安奔奔 (cháng'ān bēnbēn) Year of launch: 2013
Changan is the best-selling local carmaker in China, being strong in both passenger cars and commercial vans/cheap MPVs. Changan has a wide SUV-range, consisting of the CS15, CS35, CS55, CS75 and CS95, as well as the value-oriented CX70.
Together with SAIC, FAW and Dongfeng, Changan is considered one of the 'big four' of China, referring to the largest car producers in production volume (including production for foreign joint venture partners like VW, Peugeot-Citroën, Honda, Toyota, Nissan or in case of Changan: Ford, Peugeot-Citroën (DS Automobile only), Mazda and Suzuki.
Changan was allegedly founded in 1862 as a gun store and assembled a jeep from the late 1950s. Changan has one of the largest model ranges of indigenous models as well. Changan currently has a passenger car and commercial car label, both named Changan, but distinguished by a different logo.
The Changan Benben, English name Benni, was launched in 2006. The Benben, codenamed CV6, is a small city car which competed with the Chery QQ3, Hafei Lobo (Lubao), Changhe Ideal and old FAW Xiali's and Geely's. The first generation was revamped in 2009, when it was renamed Benben (Benni) Love to make place for yet another Benben: the Benben (Benni) Mini, codenamed CV5, which was positioned below the Love. The new generation Benben was launched in 2013, a good-looking, contemporary hatchback and leaps and bounds better looking than its (scarce) Chinese competition if you ask me.