First, the Chinese brands vied for Australian buyers in the budget ute and small SUV segments. Now, they’re taking on established premium brands.
Chinese automotive giant Changan is launching the premium Avatr brand in Australia, with the large Avatr 07L electric SUV to lead the charge.
It follows the 2024 launch of Geely’s premium Zeekr brand, and the 2025 launch of BYD’s posh Denza offshoot, with another Chinese luxury brand – FAW’s Hongqi – due to arrive in the coming months.
The Avatr 07L will be available for pre-order before the end of 2026, with first customer deliveries targeted for the first half of 2027.
Avatr was established in 2018 and started producing its first vehicles in 2022, and has launched a new model each year since – all with either pure-electric (EV) or extended-range electric (EREV) powertrains.
It entered its first right-hand drive market, Thailand, late in 2024.
The 07L was revealed earlier this year as a long-wheelbase version of the 07, which has a sleeker, more coupe-style rear-end. The 07, 07L and 11 coupe-SUV are all currently built in right-hand drive, with the sleek 06T wagon also spied in RHD guise.
The company hasn’t detailed pricing or specifications for the 07L, apart from the fact it uses an 800V electrical architecture.
The five-seat large SUV measures 4910mm long, 1980mm wide and 1650mm tall on a 2990mm wheelbase.
In China, it’s offered exclusively with an 89.33kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery sourced from CATL.
Rear-wheel drive variants have a single 305kW/435Nm electric motor and offer 725km of CLTC range and a 0-100km/h time of 5.9 seconds.
The all-wheel drive 07L uses one 210kW/246Nm electric motor up front plus two 251kW/375Nm motors at the rear for total system outputs of 712kW and 996Nm. It has a 0-100km/h time of 3.7 seconds and offers 650km of CLTC range.
The 07L features double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension, with Continuous Damping Control standard and ‘Magic Carpet’ air suspension optional. It rides on either 20- or 21-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, there’s a pillar-to-pillar 35.4-inch digital display and a 15.6-inch central touchscreen, as well as a panoramic glass roof, 16-speaker 960W Huawei sound system, and heated, ventilated, massaging and power-adjustable front seats.
Available features include digital rear-view mirrors, a smart in-vehicle cooler/warmer, and a 25-speaker Huawei Superior sound system with a 2080W amplifier.
A full suite of active safety and driver-assistance technology is standard, with Chinese-market 07Ls using a LiDAR unit among their array of three radars, 11 high-definition cameras, and 12 ultrasonic sensors.
Australian-market 07Ls will swap Huawei sound systems for Meridian units, with further specification details to be announced closer to launch.
The 07L will also come with Avatr OS, which the brand says is localised for Australia “with the local experience designed around Australian customers, digital services and market requirements”.
Avatr says it’ll offer “emotive luxury, intelligent technology and progressive design”.
“Australia is entering an important new era of automotive choice. Customers are increasingly looking for vehicles that combine premium design, advanced technology, electrification, performance and compelling ownership experiences,” the company explains in its release under the headline, ‘Why Australia. Why Now’.
“At the same time, the traditional definition of luxury is evolving. The next generation of premium customers expects more than a badge. They expect innovation, individuality and experience. This is where Avatr sees an opportunity.
“Australia will be one of the markets where Avatr’s vision of Emotive Luxury comes to life.”
Changan has a 40.99 per cent stake in Avatr, with battery giant CATL being the second largest shareholder with a 14.1 per cent stake.
The luxury brand counts Huawei as a “strategic partner”, supplying advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and in-car technology.
Avatr made no mention of its Huawei connection in its press release. The Australian Government banned Huawei from supplying 5G mobile network infrastructure in 2018 due to national security concerns, though other products from the Chinese tech giant are available here.
The luxury brand has been busily expanding its global presence. Its design studio is based in Germany, with Nader Faghihzadeh serving as its design boss since 2019 after 17 years at BMW.
Previous job listings on LinkedIn have indicated Changan may also launch its namesake, mass-market brand here. The small Changan Nevo Q05/E06 electric SUV has already been confirmed for right-hand drive markets such as Thailand and the UK.
Technically, there are already Changan vehicles offered here under the Deepal brand, which also sells the E07 from the Changan Nevo sub-brand. However, Deepal is currently distributed by Inchcape, which also handles Subaru and Foton here.
“We can confirm there are no plans for Changan to take over the distribution of Deepal vehicles in Australia from Inchcape,” a spokesperson for Inchcape Australia told .
“Inchcape remains focused on continuing to grow Deepal’s presence in the Australian market, supported by Changan as Deepal’s parent company.
“We cannot comment on the specific terms of our commercial agreements, but our focus remains firmly on continuing to grow Deepal’s presence in Australia,” the Inchcape Australia spokesperson said when asked when the company’s existing distributorship arrangement will expire. It was appointed by Deepal in September 2024.
Since then, the Deepal brand has gotten off to a sluggish start. The Deepal S05 has been repeatedly delayed, leaving just the E07 and the S07 – the latter of which is still being offered in model year 2024 (MY24) guise.
While Avatr and Deepal are only young brands, they fall under the umbrella of a company with a long history.
Founded in 1862 as a military supplier, Changan started producing off-roaders in the 1950s, before it began manufacturing civilian vehicles – Suzuki models built under license – in 1984.
State-owned Changan subsequently established joint ventures with Suzuki, Ford and Mazda, though only the latter two survive today. The Changan Mazda joint venture produces not only vehicles for the Chinese market, but the new Mazda 6e and CX-6e EVs offered in Australia.