How to drive the Changan CS75 PLUS manual transmission?
2 Answers
Push the gear lever to the right side of the D position to enter the manual mode for upshifting and downshifting. Push the gear lever downward once to upshift by one gear according to the actual driving speed. Push it upward once to downshift by one gear, which is used for low-speed high-torque situations. The (P) button on the left is the electronic parking brake button. Pressing it releases the parking brake, while lifting it engages the parking brake. The topmost gear position is the P gear, which is used when parking. To reverse, shift the gear into the R position, which is the reverse gear.
Driving the Changan CS75 Plus manual transmission for the first time felt a bit challenging. I first got in the car and adjusted the seat and mirrors to ensure comfort. Pressing the clutch, I started the engine, listened to the engine roar, and then shifted into first gear. Slowly releasing the clutch while gently pressing the accelerator, I felt the car move forward gradually; releasing the clutch too quickly could cause the engine to stall, which happened a few times. When shifting gears, I paid attention to the tachometer—usually around 2,000 RPM, I should press the clutch and shift to the next gear, such as shifting from first to second gear when reaching 15 km/h after starting. Starting on a slope was even trickier; I remembered to engage the handbrake to prevent rolling back and maintained throttle while partially releasing the clutch. The clutch on the CS75 Plus is relatively light, and using lower gears in traffic helped reduce jerking. After a few practice runs, it became much smoother, and driving a manual transmission offered more control and fun.
