Bucket Seat: Changan UNI-S

The Changan UNI-S enters one of South Africa's most fiercely contested SUV segments with plenty to prove. Chinese manufacturers have raised the benchmark significantly over the past few years, and consumers are no longer buying these vehicles purely because they're affordable. They're buying them because they offer impressive technology, bold styling and a level of refinement that often rivals established brands. The UNI-S is another example of just how quickly Chinese manufacturers are evolving, but more importantly, it shows that Changan is prepared to take its own design direction rather than simply following the crowd.

DESIGN

The first thing that struck me about the Changan UNI-S was just how different it looks compared to what many of the other Chinese manufacturers are currently offering. While most brands have gravitated towards sleek, minimalist styling, Changan has gone in a much bolder direction, and I think it works remarkably well. The front end is dominated by an enormous frameless grille that immediately grabs your attention and gives the SUV a distinctly American-inspired presence. It has the kind of road presence that makes it look far more expensive than its price tag would suggest. One thing I noticed almost immediately is that the UNI-S is significantly larger in person than it appears in photographs. Images simply don't do justice to its proportions. Standing next to it, you begin to appreciate its wide stance, muscular shoulders and commanding presence. It feels like a proper family SUV rather than a compact crossover trying to punch above its weight. Around the back, the full-width LED light bar is one of my favourite design elements. It gives the rear a modern, premium appearance, particularly at night when it creates a distinctive lighting signature. Combined with the sculpted tailgate and sporty roof spoiler, the rear of the vehicle looks every bit as impressive as the front. Overall, the UNI-S manages to look fresh and unique in a market where many SUVs are beginning to blend into one another.

PERFORMANCE

Under the bonnet sits a turbocharged petrol engine that many South Africans will recognise, as similar powertrains have become fairly common across several Chinese manufacturers. However, Changan seems to have done an excellent job with the calibration because the UNI-S feels noticeably more refined than many of its competitors.Power delivery is smooth and progressive, but when you ask for more acceleration, the engine responds with confidence. Whether overtaking slower traffic on the highway or pulling away from intersections, there always seems to be enough performance available without feeling strained. It doesn't necessarily produce dramatically more power than its rivals on paper, but the way it delivers that power certainly makes it feel more eager and responsive.The transmission also deserves praise. Gear changes are smoother and better timed than I've experienced in several competing Chinese SUVs. It rarely feels hesitant, and there's a noticeable refinement to the way it manages power, making everyday driving much more enjoyable. On the road, the UNI-S feels composed and well balanced. Steering is predictable, body roll is well controlled and the suspension strikes a good compromise between comfort and stability. Whether you're navigating city streets or spending long hours on the motorway, the vehicle inspires confidence and feels planted at higher speeds. It's an SUV that's easy to drive, comfortable to live with and refined enough for daily commuting.

COMFORT

Inside the cabin, it's immediately obvious that Changan has packed the UNI-S with technology. Virtually everything you'd expect from a modern SUV is here, and it certainly doesn't feel like you're missing out on features. Large digital displays, multiple driver assistance systems and intuitive controls all contribute to an upmarket driving experience. If there's one criticism I have, it's that the interior design feels very familiar. In fact, it borders on being a carbon copy of what we've already seen from several other Chinese manufacturers. While there's nothing wrong with the layout itself, it lacks the individuality and boldness that makes the exterior stand out so well. I would have liked to see Changan inject a little more of its own identity into the cabin. Thankfully, what it may lack in originality, it makes up for in comfort. The seats are supportive, well-cushioned and remain comfortable even during longer journeys. Cabin space is generous, with plenty of room for both front and rear passengers, making it a practical choice for growing families. Wireless smartphone connectivity works seamlessly, eliminating the need for cables and making everyday use that much more convenient. The infotainment system is responsive, while the sound system delivers impressive clarity and enough depth to keep music lovers satisfied. Add automatic climate control into the mix, and the UNI-S creates an environment that's both comfortable and enjoyable for daily driving.

VERDICT

The Changan UNI-S demonstrates just how far Chinese manufacturers have come, and more importantly, it shows that Changan has the potential to become a serious player in the South African market. Early owner experiences have generally highlighted the vehicle's value for money, generous specification levels and comfortable everyday driving characteristics, all of which align well with what South African buyers are increasingly looking for. What impressed me most is that the UNI-S doesn't simply compete on price. It offers genuine road presence, a refined driving experience and enough technology to satisfy buyers who want premium features without paying premium-brand prices. The exterior design stands out from the growing crowd of Chinese SUVs, while the driving dynamics feel slightly more polished than many of its direct competitors. Yes, I would have liked to see a more distinctive interior design, but that's a relatively minor criticism when you consider everything else the UNI-S gets right. For South African families wanting a spacious, well-equipped SUV that looks different, drives confidently and represents excellent overall value, the Changan UNI-S deserves to be high on the shortlist. It's another reminder that buying Chinese is no longer about compromising it's about getting more vehicle for your money than ever before.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.5L Turbocharged Petrol
Gear Box	7-Speed Dual Clutch
Power	138kW
Torque	300Nm
Fuel Economy	7.0L per 100km
Price	R469,900

 

Bucket Seat: Leapmotor C10 REEV

I'll be honest, I cannot keep up with the various Chinese brands that are entering our market and I'm in the motoring space, so I can only imagine how the general consumer feels. It's like over the last year, there's just been a sudden influx of brands that we have never heard of popping up. Some are affiliated or are sub-brands of well known Chinese manufacturers that have a really good footprint and some are just totally new. For my first test car of 2026, I had one of the latest brands give me a car to spend some time with, and it was from "Leapmotor". Founded in 2015 in Hangzhou China, they are now the third largest new energy vehicle startup in China, having sold over 400,000 EV's in China as of July 2024. So over year has passed since that last stat, so that number has grown exponentially since then. The Financial Times calls them a "no-frills" EV maker", with offerings cheaper than their Chinese counterparts BYD which helped them gain market share in China, catching the likes of Tesla and soon BYD. Now while the SA market is still getting accustomed to the Chinese offerings, let alone EV's, Leapmotor which is partly owned by leading global automobile group Stellantis, they've taken the decision to introduce the C10 REEV, which is a petrol hybrid model medium SUV to the market. Offering locals a test of their EV technology but the safety net of a range extender petrol engine. After spending a week with the car, here are my thoughts on this latest addition to our market. 

DESIGN

When the C10 cruised into my driveway, I was surprised at the size of it, as I was expecting something a bit smaller, sort of the Corolla Cross size but this was substantially bigger, about the size of the Audi Q5, if not a bit bigger. The clean design reminded me of the Geely which I saw late last year of which the lines are similar but with their own added flair. There aren't many ridges or edges but rather smooth flowing panels with subtle and soft curves that make the car look futuristic and elegant. It is a handsome looking car, I cannot deny that, the front LED headlights sit recessed into the front facia almost making it look like it was carved into the the body work. The slim grille that connects the two headlamps provides a subtle break in the body work with a straight edge difusser to make the front face more pronounced. There is a curvature to the bumper that folds into the body which just adds more character. The profile of the car is sleek with recessed door handles that continue the minimalist look with a black badge protruding from the front just above the wheel arch with the Leapmotor branding on it. The 20-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels are standard on the "Design" version of the C10 are really eye-catching. The rear is more of what you expect, clean, smooth and a solid light bar that runs across the back with a design very similar to that of the Porsche Cayenne. In fact, at a quick glance of the rear, some might mistake it for the German sports SUV. 

PERFORMANCE

While Leapmotor are known for their EV's in China, the C10 REEV is a PHEV, meaning it has an electric plug in motor as well as an internal combustion engine but while most PHEV's use the electric motor as a slave with the master being the ICE, with the C10 its the opposite. If you have enough charge, it will use the electric motor for most part of your drive. Hence giving you a total range with a full tank of fuel and fully battery of 970km! The switch over from petrol to electric is seamless and only can be felt on the highway when extra power is required where the all too familiar groan of the CVT kicks in. The dual power plants are broken into a 158kW electric motor that punches our which is rear wheel driven that has a 28.4kwh battery and gives you a pure electric range of 145km on a full charge. The ICE part of the car sits up front with a 1.5L naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine that has 63kW and 125Nm of torque, this is the sort of engine you'd find in a small C-Segment car. It has a 50L petrol tank so quite big but don't ask me how to open the fuel car for it as I'll explain that further in the next paragraph. The vehicle feels solid and steady on the road, with minimal body roll and extremely smooth on most surfaces. The steering wheel is light and rear active making easy work of controlling this big car on the road. I didn't take it on any gravel road but I feel with its raised suspension and big profile tyres, it would make light work of it. 

COMFORT

The C10 is big, its spacious, its futuristic and most importantly, its comfortable. Like most of the Chinese cars, the brief for the interior seems to be standard "Big infotainment screen in excess of 10-inches, small instrument screen behind the steering wheel, little to no buttons, and floating center console with hard to reach USB ports". I get the whole futuristic thing but there's certain things about the C10 that annoyed me, a lot. For starters, the key, its an NFC card that only unlocked and locks the car from the driver side mirror. It had no proximity sensor which also means that there isn't comfort access for opening the tailgate when you are carrying a lot of things in your hands. With the cover on the car, it also made it tricky to get the card to read on the mirror. Once in the car, the second thing that annoyed me, was adjusting the side mirrors, no physical buttons meant going into the menu on the massive display screen, when you eventually find the sub-menu to adjust the mirrors, you have to use the little dials on the steering wheel to move the mirrors on either side. Extremely frustrating especially when you are trying to do this while driving. Then comes the climate control, works like a charm, dispelling even Durban's harsh humid conditions but when you want to change the direction of the airflow, you met with another conundrum, there isn't any physical lourves to adjust, how do you do it? Yes, you guessed it, its on that magic big screen, granted this one was much easier to access and it was pretty cool to just move your finger to show which direction you want the the air to go but all of that doesn't compare to the biggest gripe I have with the car, THERE IS NO MOBILE APPLICATIONS! Yes, no Apple Car Play, no Android Auto! in 2026?! Really?!!!! Well enough of the complaining, lets talk about the nice things, the seats were ultra comfy and have heating and ventilation, the ambient lighting is subtle and has a nice "rhythm" feature which changes colour to the beat of the music you are listening too. The electric seats are quite nice to use and easy to save for driver memory. The panoramic roof is large and the tint lets in the light without the heat. The driving safety sensors are not as pedantic as the other Chinese cars. The infotainment screen is easy to use and the vehicle menu gives you quite a comprehensive breakdown on the driving stats but I wish it had a graphic to show you when you are using the electric motor and when you are using the petrol engine. 

VERDICT

For it's first model to hit the roads in South Africa, the C10 REEV is a decent offering, the thing that will appeal to most is the range of the car. 970km is quite impressive and the overall package is nice apart from those few grips I shared about, but I realised I forgot two more, to start the car, you need to place the NFC card on the wireless charging mat while pushing on the break, while it worked most of the time, some times I found myself fighting with the car to start. The car has a premium feel to it which I loved, the design is different to what we are used to and looks more on the sophisticated side instead of being brash and in your face. The drive is great and I'm sure on long distances it will perform extremely well. While some in the industry said they feel this car was rushed, I think it was just short-sightedness from the brand to not see what the local market liked and adapted that to their offering but they rather chose to just give us what they think we wanted, or hoped we would ignore those short-comings with some fancy things. The price tag for this model is quite high, with it being just shy of 800K, so it's hard to ignore those factors when you are paying European money for something coming out of China. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.5L N/A 4 cylinder  +28.4kWh electric motor
Gear Box	Automatic CVT
Power	158kW + 63kW
Torque	320Nm + 125Nm
Average Fuel Consumption	6.1L per 100km (as tested)
Price	R799,900

 

Bucket Tech: Huawei Pura 80 - Review

The ever growing mobile phone market gives the consumer a broad choice to choose from but it makes choosing which device is right for you a bit more difficult. So how does one go about doing this? You can study the devices on their website, looking at the specifications, you can compare these specs with phones that you are interested in and also take price into consideration. But what about the user interface and operational use of it? That can only be seen when the phone is in hand, one of the brands I get asked about a lot is Huawei. Ever since they were axed from the Trump administration from using US resources, their own development kicked in, this enabled them to create apps and software to substitute the use of Android and Google services. I've tested many Huawei devices post this sanction and one thing I can confirm, they have been getting better and better over time. I recently got to spend a few weeks with the Pura 80 device, here are my thoughts on it. 

DESIGN

The Huawei Pura 80 follows a refined and understated design philosophy that leans heavily into premium aesthetics. Its clean lines, symmetrical layout and elegant camera module give it a distinctly high-end appearance without feeling overly flashy. The frosted glass back not only looks sophisticated but also does a good job of resisting fingerprints, making the device feel clean and polished in daily use. While the phone is on the heavier side, the weight contributes to a solid, well-balanced feel in the hand rather than feeling cumbersome. For users who appreciate a modern, premium design that prioritises elegance over gimmicks, the Pura 80 delivers confidently.

BUILD QUALITY

Huawei’s reputation for excellent build quality is clearly evident in the Pura 80. The aluminium frame provides rigidity, while the front is protected by second-generation Kunlun Glass, offering enhanced resistance against drops and scratches. The device also boasts IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance, which is particularly relevant for South African conditions where dust, heat and occasional exposure to water are part of everyday life. Overall, the Pura 80 feels exceptionally well-constructed and durable, giving buyers peace of mind that the phone can withstand daily wear and tear over the long term.

SCREEN QUALITY

The Pura 80 features a high-quality OLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, and it is one of the phone’s standout features. The screen delivers vibrant colours, deep blacks and excellent contrast, making everything from social media scrolling to video streaming a visually pleasing experience. The high refresh rate adds a noticeable smoothness to animations and interactions, enhancing both everyday usability and gaming. Brightness levels are strong enough for outdoor use, even under South Africa’s often harsh sunlight, and the display remains sharp and easy to read in most lighting conditions.

PERFORMANCE

In terms of performance, the Huawei Pura 80 offers a smooth and reliable experience for most users. Powered by Huawei’s Kirin chipset and paired with ample RAM, the device handles daily tasks such as multitasking, browsing and media consumption with ease. App launches are quick, and the interface remains responsive even during extended use. While it may not match the raw processing power of the very latest Snapdragon-based flagships, real-world performance remains strong and consistent. For the average user, performance never feels like a limitation, making the Pura 80 well-suited for both productivity and entertainment.

GAMING & GPU PERFORMANCE

Gaming on the Pura 80 is a solid experience thanks to its capable GPU and high refresh rate display. Popular mobile titles run smoothly at high settings, with stable frame rates and minimal stuttering. Extended gaming sessions do result in some warmth, but thermal management is well controlled, preventing uncomfortable overheating. While hardcore gamers chasing maximum benchmark scores may find more powerful alternatives elsewhere, the Pura 80 easily satisfies casual and intermediate mobile gamers.

CAMERA

Camera performance is one of the Huawei Pura 80’s strongest selling points. The main camera produces sharp, detailed images with excellent dynamic range and natural colour reproduction. Daylight photos are crisp and vibrant, while low-light shots benefit from Huawei’s advanced image processing, delivering impressive clarity with controlled noise. The inclusion of a telephoto and ultra-wide lens adds versatility, allowing users to capture a wide range of scenes. Portrait shots are particularly pleasing, with accurate subject separation and attractive background blur. Video recording is equally competent, offering stable and detailed footage suitable for social media and everyday content creation.

BATTERY LIFE

Battery life on the Pura 80 is excellent, thanks to its large capacity battery and Huawei’s efficient power optimisation. The phone comfortably lasts a full day of moderate to heavy use, and lighter users may even stretch it into a second day. Fast charging support ensures that downtime is minimal, allowing users to quickly top up the battery when needed. This makes the Pura 80 a reliable companion for long workdays, travel and users who are frequently away from charging points.

FINAL VERDICT

The Huawei Pura 80 is a polished and well-rounded smartphone that delivers a premium experience in almost every area that matters. It excels in design, build quality, display performance, camera capability and battery life, making it a strong contender in its segment. While the lack of Google Mobile Services may still be a consideration for some South African consumers, those willing to adapt will be rewarded with a durable, capable and refined device. Overall, the Pura 80 is a worthy purchase for buyers who value quality, reliability and excellent photography without needing the absolute highest-end performance.

PRICING

R18,999

SAMPLE PICS 

 

Bucket Tech: HUAWEI P50 Pro - Review

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After attending the launch of HUAWEI's P50 range in March, I was looking forward to getting my hands on either devices which is available locally, as luck would have it I got the opportunity to spend a few weeks with the P50 Pro, the more business orientated device in the P50 range. 

UNBOXING

Unboxing the device is no different from any other HUAWEI smart phone, they box design has remained the same for as long as I can remember, with a sleek case which is very robust and has a nice plastic sheen to it. Once the lid is taken off you will find the P50 device propped right on the top, wrapped in protective paper and sat on a tray. Below this is a slim line box which houses the silicon cover that comes for free with every HUAWEI device and also on this box you will find the pin to eject the slim card slot. Underneath that is the box containing the user manual and there after you will be pleased to see that the P50 Pro comes with the 66W SuperCharger plug socket as well as the USB C fast charging cable. Most other premium devices have opted to sell their phones without the plug socket, making it an additional expense for their customers. I suppose this is one of the pro's that HUAWEI is hoping to keeping their loyal customers happy. 

DESIGN

I've owned a HUAWEI P30 Pro smart phone which has been my primary device for the past 2 years. In terms of design, not much has changed to the P50, the general design remains very much the same as mine and the previous P20 Pro, with the curved edges and metallic unibody. The phone has grown in size though, measuring 158.8 X 72.8mm in length and breath with a thickness of 8.5mm and a weight of 196g The device does feel good in hand but with the metallic finish can feel a bit slippery, the free silicon cover does alleviate this issue but like most covers, it does bulk the phone up a bit and then doesn't feel as good in hand as it does without the cover. The P50 Pro is available in two colours locally, Cocoa Gold and Golden Black, I had the Cocoa Gold which is the more appealing of the two giving the phone a very premium look both in light conditions and the dark. The metallic mirror finish is very eye catching but does get covered in finger prints quite easily. Cleaning them off isn't an issue as one swipe with a cloth or tissue does the trick, or if you like me a quick wipe on the pants to make it look all clean and elegant again. 

PROCESSING

The P50 Pro packs a power house chipset with it having the Kirin 9000, with the Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888. It runs a Octa-core CPU with a Mali-G78 MP24 GPU with Adreno 660. Memory wise the P50 Pro has 8GB of RAM with storage options of 128GB, 256GB and 512GB with 12GB RAM. Pretty powerful set up but the main talking point is the OS, it runs HUAWEI's latest Harmony OS 2.0 with no Google Services, while the platform is android based the device has no access to Google Playstore which in the previous generation device, the P40 Pro proved to be a major deal breaker for many. The bad news is that it doesn't look likely to change in the near future with HUAWEI already heavily investing into their own research and development of their own OS and platform. The Petal search application and App Gallery has seen a tremendous growth over the past 2 years lots of applications becoming available on the Gallery, while it still misses the popular ones predominantly from the Meta Group, there is the option of downloading and installing the APK files via the HUAWEI App Gallery when searching for these apps. Once downloaded and installed, these apps do work but there are some bugs that you'll pick up while using them. A most common one for me was seeing comments on Instagram posts being mixed up. I'm sure there will be a quick fix to this soon but for now, I'm just happy we can get these applications working on the phone without trying any funny hacker stuff. There are links to Google Services APK but the bugs are more prominent in these as my brief use of Google Maps was found to be unpleasant and I found myself reverting to Petal Maps on the phone as it was a more seamless interface. Not sure if this is purposely done this way to encourage use of the HUAWEI Apps. Overall, processing power and usage of the P50 Pro seems to be up there with the likes of the Galaxy S22 Pro and Apple iPhone 13 Pro.

CAMERA

Like with many of the P Series devices of the past, the camera is something that stands out as one of the phones key features. The P50 Pro is no different boasting a Quad camera set up that features a 50M wide lens, a 64MP periscope telephoto lens, 13MP ultra wide len and a 40MP 23mm (B/W) lens developed with Leica optics with a dual-LED flash. With HUAWEI and Leica's partnerships of the past, low light photography has been paramount in their tech, the P50 Pro boast impressive colourisation and detail in low light conditions with the night mode making use of of the the camera AI and chip to bring out the most in the pictures. A worthy note to mention is while taking pictures in night mode, the timing has been reduced significantly so you don't have to stand still for more than 4 seconds for night mode pictures. Other features on the camera include panorama, HDR and Super Macro functions which let you take detailed pictures of objects close up. Video on the main camera is superb as well with a great image stablizer while recording in 4K@30fps in 1080p resolution. There has been vast improvements in the front facing camera better known as the selfie camera these days, with it being a 13MP lens with wide lens offering so you can get everyone in that shot. It also features 4K video recording so it makes it perfect for vlogging.

VERDICT

While there still is a dark shadow hanging over the brand in terms of its lack of Google Services, there is no denying that the quality of their devices is still up there with the other brands in the market. The offerings in terms of features, processing power and the camera is as good if not better than its competitors. I was really impressed with the quality of the pictures from the P50 Pro, so much so it had me considering selling my P30 Pro! It's amazing to see how the technology has improved over the years in this regard. The battery life on the P50 Pro was pretty impressive as well with the 4360mAh battery giving me a full days usage giving me at least 2 days of life, and with the 66W SuperCharge even if you sitting on 0% you'll have up to 70% charge in a matter of minutes. Priced at R19,999 it certainly is the best value for money smart phone in its range, if you can operate without Google then it shouldn't be an issue getting used to this device and while I still think HUAWEI Harmony and Petal have a long way to go until it gets fully adopted, I don't see that transition taking very long. 

Some examples of pictures taken with the P50 Pro: