Caoa Changan’s CS55 range has expanded at Brazilian dealerships with the arrival of the entry-level Prime and the plug-in hybrid PHEV. The PHEV costs R$189,990 and is imported from China; the Prime is priced at R$144,990, while the locally built Infinity costs R$154,990. The Prime and Infinity are assembled at CAOA’s plant in Anápolis, Goiás.
Dealers have reportedly quoted delivery periods of up to 60 days for the newly arrived versions, and the PHEV is not yet available for test drives. Caoa Changan says the first batch of PHEVs is already in Brazil and that deliveries could take as little as 15 days, giving buyers a substantially shorter estimate than the one reported at dealerships.
The PHEV pairs a 1.5-liter turbo flex-fuel engine with an electric motor for a claimed 286 hp and 47 kgfm of torque, managed by a dedicated DHT transmission. The manufacturer cites urban consumption of up to 42.2 km/l when electric driving is included, plus a total range of 1,200 km. Its equipment includes vehicle-to-load power output, acoustic glass and traffic-sign recognition.
The CS55 measures 4.55 meters long and has a 525-liter trunk. In Brazil, it is positioned against conventional SUVs such as the Jeep Compass and Toyota Corolla Cross, as well as electrified rivals including the BYD Song Pro and Geely EX5 EM-i.