Changan launches presales of its Avatr 06 sedan in China

China’s fourth-largest carmaker, state-owned Changan, set foot ashore in Mainz, Germany, last week for the debut of its European introduction. In its homeland, it has launched presales for a fourth model of its Avatr car brand, the 06 sedans. Avatr is backed by two other Chinese tech giants: CATL and Huawei.

The Avatr 06 is a fully electric 4.8-meter sedan based on an 800-volt high-voltage platform that runs up to 650 km (CLTC) on a single charge. It is also available in China as an EREV with options for 170 or 240 km of pure electric range, starting at 215,900 yuan (€27,477).

Separate entity

Changan Automobile is a Chinese state-owned car manufacturer headquartered in Chongqing. Its roots date back to 1862 when it was founded as the Shanghai Foreign Gun Bureau, a weapon factory. In the 1950s, after the country became the People’s Republic of China, the company shifted toward vehicle manufacturing.

Avatr Technology was established as a separate entity by Changan Automobile, Huawei, and CATL as a joint project in vehicle R&D and intelligent manufacturing to build an international high-end SEV brand.

The brand’s name is derived from the English ‘avatar’, which in the digital world, is a graphical representation of a person in a video game, virtual world, forum, or social media. Changan explains it as “inspired by the ancient English word avatar, meaning ’embodiment’.”

The Avatr 06 is already the sixth model in the lineup, after the Avatr 11 fastback SUV, the Avatr 12 liftback, and the Avatr 07 crossover. Its dimensions are 4,885/1,960/1,450 mm, and its wheelbase is 2,940 mm. It has cameras instead of traditional side-view mirrors.

Three BEV variants

The BEVs come with two motor options: a single-motor (RWD) with a 252 kW (338 hp) motor and a dual-motor (AWD) variant that adds another front motor of 188 kW for a total of 440 kW (590 hp). It gets CATL’s 82 kWh LFP battery for a range of up to 650 km.

Initially meant as an electric-only brand, Changan compromised due to a dip in EV enthusiasm among the general public, who were still suffering from range anxiety and started adding Extended-Range EVs (EREVs).

This one has a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with 115 kW (154 hp) and a 231 kW (310 hp) electric motor on the rear axle. It has two CATL battery options, 31.7 or 45.06 kWh, for a 170 km pure electric range. With the ICE engine running, that range is extended to 1,100 km.

Huawei’s Qiankun ADS 3.0

It’s quite a luxury sedan offering Napa leather or ultra-suede, birch wood, a fragrance system, ambient lighting, and a 25-speaker Meridian sound system. This time, the instrument cluster isn’t a tiny mailbox slit-sized screen but a big one, measuring 35.4 inches and stretching almost the whole width of the cockpit. It is running Huawei’s HarmonyOS like the 15.6-inch central screen.

It has several options, such as air suspension and LiDAR, with Huawei’s Qiankun ADS 3.0 advanced intelligent driving system, which was launched in April 2024 to compete with Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology.

It has several key features, such as Enhanced Obstacle Detection (improved recognition of various obstacles), Comprehensive Collision Avoidance (CAS 3.0), and Remote Parking Assistance. BYD used the Huawei systems in its Fang Cheng Bao Bao 8 luxury offroad vehicle.

No date for Europe set

As the first step in its ‘European invasion’ in ten markets, which will start on the Old Continent in the following years, Changan showed its electric SUV, Deepal S07, last week in Mainz, Germany. It will start at 45,000 euros.

It will be introduced in Norway, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands from April onward, followed by the UK in June, and other markets later. First deliveries are expected no sooner than September. A launch date for the European Avatr brand has not yet been communicated.