Meet Changan Lantop, marque’s first own-badged truck for China

Changan has been making pickups for a while now, invariably selling them in China under the ‘Kaicene’ sub-brand. Things have changed with the announcement of the Changan Lantop.

The truck is a mildly redesigned version of the Kaicene F70. Like all Kaicenes, it targets the domestic market of China and in particular audiences who prefer premium equipment, powerful engines and active leisure opportunities. To that end, it is expected to ship with a digital dashboard, a touch-sensitive multimedia screen and other such modern niceties.

In terms of tech, it is still the regular Kaicene F70 (see video), which runs on a frame chassis and off-road suspension. The wheelbase and the truck bed geometry stay the same, too. Moderate changes can be found at the front end, which now sports all-LED lighting, new paneling and lots of chrome.

Later on, an upmarket spec called Pro will be added to the lineup with a rugged body kit, a snorkel for wading deep water, all-terrain tires and practical black trim.

The only engine available for pre-ordering right now is a turbocharged four-pot with 233 PS (230 hp / 171 kW) and 390 Nm (288 lb-ft) of torque. A diesel mill rated at 163 PS (161 hp / 120 kW) will join the range later, Changan says.