Changan Hunter 4x4 - Stellar ride and then some

Pickups, and their fans, are a traditional bunch.

- By VINCENT VILLA

They want you to innovate all while using the same formula. A ladder frame, a diesel engine, 4x4 availability, and near-ton payload capability. Some Chinese rookies tried to shake the status quo but at the end of the day, the oldies still reign supreme.Then came the Changan Hunter 4x4. I drove it from my pickup point in Pasig to my place in San Rafael, Bulacan and the ride was simply outstanding. I drove different pickups through this route and the Hunter was the best of them all (as of time of testing). It felt like the truck lane of C5 wasn't as bad and Bulacan wasn't "lubakan." It was immediately better than other ladder frame-based pickup trucks in the country, at least in my book.

For PHP 1,970,000 this seemed like a bargain. It looked like a solid contender against the Japanese offerings that have ruled the segment for too long. But as the digits racked up on the odometer, the Hunter bared its other side.

It's not surprising that the Hunter tried its best to stand out. Its range-extended EV (REEV) nature can't be seen at a glance and so they made this front end that reminds me of Crush Gear. I like its broken DRL pattern and the Olive Green color is also low-key fancy. But I saw this in all black and as a fan of Batman, I absolutely love it.

Under the hood is a 2-liter turbocharged gas engine paired to two electric motors. It has a combined output of 268 horsepower which is far more than the usual diesel pickups in the segment. Torque isn't far off with 470 Nm available here. It also has a 31.8 kWh battery capacity that gives it an EV only range of 180 km and up to 1,031 km combined. In my experience it can theoretically fulfill the combined distance it mentioned if you choose the right Power Mode.