Latest news with #Avatr
Business Times
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
Changan, Huawei and CATL's luxury EV brand Avatr to be distributed by Premium Automobiles in Singapore
[SINGAPORE] China luxury electric vehicle (EV) brand Avatr will be distributed and sold by Premium Automobiles in Singapore. Lee Hoe Lone, Premium Automobiles' managing director, told The Business Times that the brand will be officially launched in the Republic in late July or early August. The brand's first model, the Avatr 11 sport utility vehicle (SUV), will debut at the same time, with another SUV, the Avatr 07, to follow in 2025. The brand will occupy a temporary showroom at Premium Automobile's facility on 281 Alexandra Road until its permanent showroom, on the fourth level of the same facility, completes renovation. Positioned as a luxury EV brand and pitting itself against the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW, Avatr is the result of a partnership between major players in China's automotive, battery and technology industries. Founded in 2018, Avatr is majority-owned by China state automotive group Changan, with a minority stake held by Contemporary Amperex Technology Company Limited (CATL), the world's largest producer of EV batteries. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up China tech company Huawei does not own a stake in Avatr, but is a partner and key parts supplier in the project. It develops the Harmony operating system used in the vehicles as well as other components, including the electric motors. Like other China car brands, Avatr is seeking to boost its export numbers in the region, having debuted in Thailand and the Philippines last year. The brand said it plans to expand its presence to 50 countries and regions worldwide in 2025. Premium Automobiles, owned by businessman Hadi Tanaga, is now the representative to four China brands, including Geely-owned luxury brand Zeekr, Xpeng and Deepal – which is also a Changan brand, but targets the mainstream. Premium Automobiles was the former dealer for Audi in Singapore, but ceased that operation as the German luxury brand pivoted to direct sales. It currently provides Audi's after-sales services. Avatr is positioned in the premium EV space, a segment which now has numerous competitors in Singapore, including Tesla, Xpeng and IM Motors. Lee said that its larger, more upscale models – including the Avatr 11 – will rival luxury models such as those offered by BMW or Mercedes-Benz. The Avatr 11 is a large, luxury SUV that will compete with the BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV. No pricing has been revealed for the car yet, but two versions will be available: standard and long range. The smaller Avatr 07, which competes with the Tesla Model Y, will be introduced in the first quarter of 2026. Abroad, the brand offers two sedans – the Avatr 06 and Avatr 12 – though it is not clear if or when they will be available in Singapore. Avatr sold 73,606 vehicles in its home market in 2024 – a 133 per cent year-on-year increase.
Business Times
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
China flexes hard at the world's biggest car expo
[Shanghai] If scale equals significance, then the Shanghai motor show (official name: Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition) is indisputably the world's most important car event. Running from Apr 25 to May 2, the 2025 edition sprawls across 360,000 sq m, more than twice as large as Vivocity, with nearly a million visitors expected to trek through its halls. At the heart of this year's edition is a clear, striking narrative: the audacious rise of China's home-grown car brands. Many of them are fledgling by any standard – some are not even old enough to have started school – but at Shanghai it's clear that they are making bold, coordinated moves to expand at home and overseas, and fast. That marks a turning point. Not long ago, Chinese companies bought storied foreign brands like Volvo and MG to borrow their design talent and hard-won heritage, seeing it as a shortcut to credibility. But Shanghai 2025 makes it clear that Chinese automakers no longer aim to acquire prestige, instead betting on their own technology and design vision to carry their brands. Consider Avatr, a name unfamiliar to most outside of China for now. The brand launched its first model less than three years ago, but at Shanghai it is introducing its fourth car, the 06, a sleek four-door electric sedan developed to go head-to-head with the Tesla Model 3. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Its structure uses submarine-grade steel and aerospace aluminium, and Avatr claims it's the first car in the world to meet Euro NCAP's 2026 crash standards. It says that in its own 100 kmh collision test, the bodyshell showed no cabin intrusion, with all four doors remaining fully openable in the aftermath. Earlier this month, Avatr declared its intention to enter 50 new markets by year's end. Singapore is among them, and The Business Times understands that a local distributor has already been appointed. Zeekr is pushing forcefully into the premium segment. At the show, its CEO An Conghui presented two extremes of the brand's luxury ambitions. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING Ambition runs equally high at Zeekr, a four-year-old nameplate from the Geely group. While Avatr targets the mass-market electric vehicle crowd, Zeekr is pushing forcefully into the premium segment. At the show, its chief executive officer An Conghui presented two extremes of the brand's luxury ambitions. To his left stood an opulent reinterpretation of the Zeekr 009 Grand, a four-seat electric multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) fitted with a 43-inch rear screen and ornamented with at least 3 grams of 24-karat gold. BT estimates that if launched here, it could command a price near S$900,000 at today's Certificate of Entitlement levels. To An's right was another bold statement, the 9X, a hybrid sport utility vehicle (SUV) of grand proportions that Chinese netizens have dubbed the country's own Rolls-Royce Cullinan. The design team, led by former Bentley styling chief Stefan Sielaff, sees the comparison as apt. 'I would even add one word,' Sielaff told a media gathering at a Zeekr conference a day before the show. 'The word is 'better'.' With 885 horsepower from twin electric motors and a 0-100 kmh time of three seconds, the 9X leans heavily on performance, but is more striking for its physical presence. With its squared-off stance, huge upright grille and clean surfacing, it projects the sort of gravitas and authority that a car would need to take on Range Rovers or the Bentley Bentayga, which Sielaff had a hand in designing. With its squared-off stance, huge upright grille and clean surfacing, the Zeekr 9X projects the sort of gravitas and authority that a car would need to take on Range Rovers or the Bentley Bentayga. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING Above all, the yacht-inspired 9X telegraphs Zeekr's intention to penetrate the luxury arena, where margins are fatter. That's a space BYD also covets, having already become China's runaway leader in the mass market for electric and hybrid cars. The Denza Z is a low-slung, two-seat concept aimed squarely at Porsche's 911. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING BYD used Shanghai to showcase its aspirations through Denza, its upmarket label. On display was the Denza Z, a low-slung, two-seat concept aimed squarely at Porsche's 911. While Denza didn't release details, the Z will likely follow the Chinese car industry playbook to a tee: deliver more performance and more tech at a lower price. BYD's even pricier Yangwang marque revealed the U8L, a stretched version of its technology-laden flagship SUV. While the basic U8's ability to perform tank turns and float across rivers has earned it online fame, that hasn't yet translated into volume. Yangwang only sold 524 cars in China during the first quarter of the year, showing that prestige can be a tricky business. Hongqi's styling is overseen by Giles Taylor, whose last job was head of design at Rolls-Royce. Its Shanghai line-up includes a hybrid version of the HS9 SUV. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING For now, the brand most closely aligned with traditional luxury values remains Hongqi, a nameplate that once symbolised Chinese pride by building cars for minister-level officials. Its styling is overseen by Giles Taylor, whose last job was head of design at Rolls-Royce, and its Shanghai line-up includes hybrid versions of the HS9 SUV and H9 sedan, along with the Guoya, a stately limousine aimed at the wealthy elite. BT understands Hongqi is in final talks with a distributor here, and estimates its luxury models will start at around S$700,000, rising to S$1.4 million for the Guoya. Given the pricing, it would be wise for Hongqi to appoint a dealership with a database of customers who can afford Rolls-Royces. Deepal is using the show as a chance to collect pre-launch sales of the upcoming S09, a six-seat SUV that starts from just under 240,000 yuan in China. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING But sales volume keeps the lights on more than prestige, and Shanghai had its share of rising stars, such as Deepal, a newer brand under state-owned Changan that Premium Automobiles launched in Singapore in March. It took Deepal 14 months to sell its first 100,000 cars, but it now comfortably moves more than 20,000 units a month. The company is using Shanghai as a chance to collect pre-launch sales of the upcoming S09, a six-seat SUV that starts from just under 240,000 yuan (S$43,234) in China, looking to build on momentum. Leapmotor, a startup that appointed Cycle & Carriage its distributor in Singapore, is seeing similar sales growth. Its March tally in China was 37,095 cars, a 154.7 per cent year-on-year increase, enough to propel it to fifth place on domestic sales charts for 'new energy' vehicles, meaning full electrics or plug-ins. Deepal, which only released its first car in 2022, broke into the top 10. That kind of rapid ascent suggests that success isn't built on nostalgia, but on carmakers' ability to woo domestic buyers with a combination of efficiency, technology and style. If those attributes resonate overseas, legacy car companies will be studying Shanghai carefully, where all three are on full display.
The Independent
21-03-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Changan Deepal S07 and S05 models heading to the UK
The latest Chinese brand to head to the UK has a distinctive UK flavour, thanks to over 100 research and development engineers working in Birmingham on a range of new cars that are heading to the UK in 2025. Changan Deepal is part of the Changan group that has been making cars in China for over 40 years, selling over 26 million cars in that time. As well as Deepal and Changan cars, it also makes Avatr models and has joint ventures in China with Ford and Mazda. The UK R&D base isn't Changan's only European base, a styling studio in Turin has been responsible for the look of the new cars that are coming to the UK and Europe. First to arrive will be the Changan Deepal S07, another all-electric SUV rival to the Tesla Model Y and in a similar vein to other new arrivals from China, the Xpeng G6 and BYD Sealion 7. At 4,750mm long it's almost exactly the same size as its main rivals. The Deepal S07 will arrive in the UK in the summer at a price of £39,995 with an 80kWh battery promising a maximum range of 295 miles, shy of what the more expensive Tesla and BYD offer, but more than the similarly-priced Xpeng. Fast charging isn't especially fast at 93kW, meaning it'll take 35 minutes to get from 30 to 80 per cent charge. The 214bhp electric motor powers the rear wheels and gets the S07 from zero to 60mph in 7.6 seconds. Simplicity is key for Deepal buyers so there will be just one version of the S07 that will come fully loaded. There's a 15.6-inch touchscreen inside – the same size as rivals – which also features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, unlike the Tesla Model Y. There's also a touchscreen in the back for passengers to control the air-con and rear sun blinds. An augmented-reality head-up display is standard along with a 360-degree camera and a large 1.9-meter-long panoramic sunroof. The usual full suite of driver assistance and safety systems are all on board, too, with level two autonomous driving tech. There's a full five-star Euro NCAP rating, too. Changan says that the interior of the Deepal S07 offers an 'exclusive yacht-style ambience' with premium materials and 'breathable' front seats. There are, apparently, 28 storage compartments inside the car, too. Right-hand drive cars will be arriving in the UK in June and will be sold through a network of traditional dealers – Changan expects to have 60 dealers across the country by the end of the year. Hot on the heels of the S07 will be the slightly smaller (4,600mm long) Changan Deepal S05 B-SUV, again all-electric but likely to do battle with the likes of the Kia EV3. In total, Changan expects to have a range of eight new models on sale in the UK by the 2027, including all-electric and plug-in hybrid cars. European production is also planned for Changan, with the UK on the list of possibilities for a factory, according to Leevon Tian, managing director of Changan Europe.
Asharq Al-Awsat
21-02-2025
- Automotive
- Asharq Al-Awsat
China's SAIC, Huawei to Partner in Developing New Smart EVs
Chinese automaker SAIC Motor said on Friday it would partner with tech company Huawei to develop new "globally competitive" smart electric vehicles. The tie-up sees yet another state-owned automaker betting on partnerships with Huawei, which has risen to prominence as a supplier of smart driving technologies, to boost EV sales, Reuters reported. "The strategic cooperation between SAIC and Huawei will further leverage their respective advantages and promote China's automotive industry to a new level in the intelligent era," SAIC said in the statement. The deal signed on Friday provides for the two companies to cooperate strategically on manufacturing, supply chain management and sales services, SAIC said in a statement, without revealing the marquee of the co-developed lineup. The state-owned automaker reported a decline of 20% last year in overall vehicle sales, amid a brutal price war and bruising competition in the world's largest auto market. Its venture with Volkswagen saw sales down 5.5% while SAIC-GM's sales slumped 56.5%. SAIC, hit with the EU's steepest extra tariffs of 35.3%, also suffered a slide of 14% in overseas shipments in 2024. The deal adds to Huawei's expanding partnerships with state-owned automakers such as Changan, Dongfeng and BAIC Motor. Changan set up a joint venture with Huawei and battery maker CATL in 2022 to make Avatr EVs, the sales of which more than doubled in 2024 on the year. Dongfeng-backed Seres more than tripled its annual sales of Aito-branded cars in 2024, with the best-selling models equipped with Huawei's advanced driver assistance systems and sold in the tech firm's showrooms nationwide. Huawei and BAIC launched their first EV under the joint brand Stelato in August.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
China's SAIC, Huawei to partner in developing new smart EVs
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese automaker SAIC Motor said on Friday it would partner with tech company Huawei to develop new "globally competitive" smart electric vehicles. The tie-up sees yet another state-owned automaker betting on partnerships with Huawei, which has risen to prominence as a supplier of smart driving technologies, to boost EV sales. "The strategic cooperation between SAIC and Huawei will further leverage their respective advantages and promote China's automotive industry to a new level in the intelligent era," SAIC said in the statement. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The deal signed on Friday provides for the two companies to cooperate strategically on manufacturing, supply chain management and sales services, SAIC said in a statement, without revealing the marquee of the co-developed lineup. The state-owned automaker reported a decline of 20% last year in overall vehicle sales, amid a brutal price war and bruising competition in the world's largest auto market. Its venture with Volkswagen saw sales down 5.5% while SAIC-GM's sales slumped 56.5%. SAIC, hit with the EU's steepest extra tariffs of 35.3%, also suffered a slide of 14% in overseas shipments in 2024. The deal adds to Huawei's expanding partnerships with state-owned automakers such as Changan, Dongfeng and BAIC Motor. Changan set up a joint venture with Huawei and battery maker CATL in 2022 to make Avatr EVs, the sales of which more than doubled in 2024 on the year. Dongfeng-backed Seres more than tripled its annual sales of Aito-branded cars in 2024, with the best-selling models equipped with Huawei's advanced driver assistance systems and sold in the tech firm's showrooms nationwide. Huawei and BAIC launched their first EV under the joint brand Stelato in August.
