Start with what the Changan CM8 is: a 5-door wagon with 1.3 L I4, built from 2004 to 2015, in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. What it meant takes a little longer. The shape is credited to I.D.E.A.
The hardware
The engine is 1.3 L I4. On the scales it comes to 1130 kg. Drive goes through a 5-speed manual. The layout matters: the engine sits behind the driver and ahead of the rear axle, which puts the mass in the middle of the car and is why mid-engined cars change direction the way they do. The wheelbase is 2430 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Family and rivals
The cars a buyer would have weighed it against include the Chrysler 300, the Hyundai Tucson, the Suzuki Swift. Its Changan Automobile stablemates include the Avatr 06 and the Avatr 07.