CarBrandLogos archive · Changan · 2012

ChanganEado

Changan's first serious attempt at a compact saloon it designed itself.

Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0

The story

A defining chapter in Changan history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Changan Eado, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

Launched in 2012 to replace the CX30, the Eado was Changan's move up from cheap city cars into the compact class that dominates Chinese sales. It was developed with input from the company's overseas design and engineering studios — Changan has run technical centres in Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom — and the result was a conventional front-wheel-drive saloon, later joined by a hatchback, with far more presence than the firm's earlier products.

Chang'an Eado 01 China · Navigator84 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Design and engineering

The Eado sold steadily rather than spectacularly, competing against the Volkswagen Lavida, Toyota Corolla and Buick Excelle in a segment where the joint ventures held enormous brand advantage. Its later versions, particularly the sharper-styled Eado Plus, narrowed the gap considerably, and a battery-electric variant broadened the range.

Chang'an Eado XT 01 China · Navigator84 · CC BY-SA 3.0