Changan News

The Chinese luxury brand space is about to expand in Australia.Avatr, the luxury arm of Changan, is set for an Australian arrival imminently as the company goes on a hiring spree for Avatr Australia on LinkedIn.Whether the brand will launch at the same time as its mainstream arm Changan locally, and whether it will use the same sales model and dealer network, remains to be seen.Avatr serves as a rival to Zeekr (Geely’s premium arm), and MG’s IM Motors division, as well as other tech-forward Chinese brands not sold yet in Australia, including Nio.In Changan’s portfolio it sits above Deepal, which is already distributed in Australia via Subaru importer Inchcape.As to what to expect from the company, we can look at other right-hand drive markets for a clue.Avatr is already on sale in Thailand, where it sells two models in right-hand drive, the 07 and 11. Both are unusually-shaped models, with the Avatr 07 being a swoopy mid-size SUV, and the Avatr 11 adopting a crossover-styled liftback design, similar to the likes of the Polestar 4.This is just a fraction of the brand’s range available in China, which includes the 06 sedan and 06T wagon as competitors to the Zeekr 7GT, and the flagship 12 limousine.Avatr’s range is available both in fully electric and range-extender hybrid forms in China, although the 07 and 11 offered in right-hand drive for the Thai market are both electric only.The 07, which will go into battle with the overwhelmingly popular Zeekr 7X has a 82.16kWh LFP battery with 575km of driving range in base rear-wheel drive form, or 545km of driving range in top-spec AWD form, although both of these range figures are calculated to the more lenient NEDC methodology.The rear-drive version produces 252kW/365Nm able to sprint from 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds, while the AWD version produces a combined 440kW/645Nm, reducing 0-100km/h sprint time to just 3.9 seconds, according to the brand.The 07 has an 800-volt electrical architecture, allowing it to charge at a maximum speed of 420kW on DC for a charge time (quoted at 30 - 80 per cent) in 10 minutes.In Thailand, where Avatr is distributed rather than factory-backed, the 07 costs from the equivalent of $70,635 for the RWD to $79,150 for the top-spec AWD.They are priced at a little over half that in the Chinese domestic market. The reality for Australia is prices will likely being somewhere in-between, particularly if the 07 wants to take market share from the Zeekr 7X that is priced from $57,900 before on-roads.Meanwhile the unusually-styled 11 comes with a massive 116.79kWh NMC battery, allowing it a much longer driving range of 680km for the rear-drive version or 630km for the all-wheel drive version (also to NEDC figures).It produces 230kW/350Nm in RWD form with a 0-100km/h print for 6.9 seconds, while the all-wheel drive produces a combined 395kW/641Nm and reduces the 100km/h sprint to just 4.8 seconds.Its charging speed is less than the 07, rated at a maximum 240kW for a 30 - 80 per cent charge in 25 minutes.Both cars are able to output power via a vehicle-to-load system at 3.3kW, and both cars score continuously variable damping in all-wheel drive form.The Avatr 11 is built in Thailand, with the brand also planning to produce knock-down-kit versions of the 07.Plans for a further right-hand drive expansion for the Avatr brand are yet to be seen, but given the brand's recent rapid export-market expansion, we expect to see more soon.Changan as a group is also plotting a new product offensive across other right-hand drive markets in South East Asia ever closer to Australia like Malaysia, where it is contemplating other important products, including the affordable Nevo Q05 as a new rival to the Geely EX5, and even a range-extended hybrid dual-cab ute to be sold under the Changan marque.Stay tuned for more info on Avatr and Changan as their new model roll-out plans come to fruition.

A fight is brewing over the newest Chinese ute earmarked for Australia, with the new Hunter a possible Mazda, Deepal or Changan.In fact, both Deepal and Changan already have a deferred trademark on the Hunter, while Mazda already partners with the latter on the 6e and CX-6e.The ute in question is the Changan Hunter K50 – a plug-in hybrid powerhouse that was recently updated with a bigger battery for a class-leading EV-only range.The latest update saw the K50 fitted with a 43.47kWh lithium-ion battery pack, promising an NEDC-rated range of 192km (estimated 150km WLTP), and a total range of over 1000km.It is a REEV, rather than a traditional plug-in hybrid, meaning its 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine is used only to recharge the battery or provide power to the electric motor, rather than drive the wheels themselves.Providing the shove instead are dual electric motors, one at each axle, delivering a total 240kW and four-wheel drive.It was initially thought the Hunter could arrive in Australia as a Deepal, but in the months since its refreshed launch, Changan itself has set up an Australian office and is currently recruiting staff for a factory-backed operation of its own.Meanwhile, Mazda has delved deeper into its partnership with Changan in China to deliver two crucial electric models, the 6e and CX-6e.Given the popularity of electrified utes in Australia – with the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha, Ford Ranger Stormtrak and the soon-to-launch Chery Stockman all competing for sales – there will no doubt be all three hands in the air to launch the Hunter, though a renaming might now be on the cards in Australia, given the JAC Hunter exists here.The current BT-50, developed in partnership with Isuzu, launched in 2020, meaning a replacement could feasibly be due as early as 2027.One thing we do know is it won't be a Mazda solo project, with the brand on record as not developing its own ute."Mazda does not produce trucks on its own," the brand has previously told CarsGuide.

Chinese players in Australia look to get even more aggressive as the country's automotive giants try to offset sales slumps in their own market with an aggressive export strategy to help shift excess metal.That's the latest analysis from automotive experts, who point to falling profits or soaring losses in China's saturated new-car market.To put the market there into perspective, there are now more than 130 brands, and there were more than 500 new models launched in the first six months of 2026 alone.“Such an aggressive rollout of new products was far beyond what the market was able to accommodate,” said Fu Bingfeng, secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, at an industry forum in July.New analysis from the US's Automotive News details the challenges facing some of the now-biggest car brands in the world. Many are booming in Australia, but it's a different story in their home market, where oversupply is crippling sales.According to the US site, July marked the seventh consecutive month of market decline in China, with sales down 24 per cent compared to the same period last year. The July result was even more stark, with month on month sales down 25 per cent.Several auto giants have released their six-month financial results, with Geely benefiting from a massive 158 per cent increase in exports to protect profits, which still dropped two per cent. BAIC, which partners with Hyundai on the Elexio, reported a net loss of 1.65 billion yuan (345m), while GAC is forecasting a potential full-year loss of 4.6 billion yuan ($958m).Changan, which will soon launch in Australia, and already has a footprint here through Deepal, says its first-half profit could slip by 68 per cent, while Great Wall Motor reports a similar, though slightly smaller, figure.Domestic pressure is fuelling an export boom, with a total 5.35 million vehicles shipped overseas from January to July, up more than 70 per cent on the same period last year.The export boom will likely increase competition and sharpen prices in Australia, which will be good news for consumers, and the opposite for legacy OEMs battling ever increasing Chinese headwinds.

Another Chinese brand is coming to Australia, and it spells bad news for one local favourite.Changan Automotive has gone on a hiring spree in Australia, with several job ads appearing on LinkedIn during the past several months, as it prepares to launch Down Under.It is one of China’s biggest automotive groups, and is of a similar scale to Chery or SAIC, the latter the owner of MG.Changan is also state-owned and has a range of brands that will be familiar to Australians.It launched the Deepal brand via local distributor Inchcape in 2025 and has joint ventures with several carmakers.The arrival of Changan spells bad news for Mazda, which has a partnership with the giant and relies on it to source its new range of electric cars, including the recently launched Mazda 6e sedan and incoming CX-6e SUV.These vehicles use Changan’s platforms, but have been styled and tweaked by Mazda.Changan versions of the vehicles would be expected to be cheaper than the Mazdas and more premium Deepal versions on sale in Australia.Changan also has the more tech-focused Avatr brand in its stable.There is no timeline yet for when Changan will launch, but it appears to be quite advanced with its hirings. This points to a likely early 2027 launch date.Changan has given no insight into what vehicles might be brought to Australia, but we can look to the UK for some ideas.The company confirmed it would be selling the small E06 electric SUV in the UK, a fellow right-hand drive market.It is related to the Deepal S05 compact electric SUV and a future Mazda spin-off, which are slated for an Australian launch.The company also sells utes in South Africa, including the range-extender hybrid dual cab called the Hunter K50. It would likely be called simply the K50 in Australia as Hunter is already used by JAC. Changan has also trademarked the K50 name here.There is also its range of Nevo branded vehicles, which includes a range of extended range hybrids and electric cars in several sedan and SUV sizes.More information will come to light once Changan officially confirms its arrival to Australia.