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Chinese car brands are expanding into the prestige market dominated by BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Next on the list for Australia is Avatr, from the same company as Deepal.
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The latest in a new wave of Chinese prestige-car makers setting their sights on the likes of Lexus is Avatr, now confirmed for Australian showrooms.
Avatr sells electric and range-extender hybrid cars under the partial ownership of Changan, one of the largest auto manufacturers in China, which also counts the Deepal electric and range-extender brand in its stable.
Details of the Avatr rollout for Australia are yet to be confirmed, including arrival timing, but it is believed the first cars could be in local showrooms next year.
It is likely to be distributed in Australia by Inchcape, the importer of Peugeot, Subaru and now Deepal vehicles locally, which works with Changan in a variety of other markets around the world.
"We have a plan to bring Avatr to the Australian market," Zhao Fei, General Manager of China Changan Automobile Group, told select Australian media, including Drive, through a translator at the Munich motor show.
"Last week I went to the Chengdu consulate of Australia and I talked to the consulate head, it's a lady, and we are talking about how we are going to bring our Changan business after business to the Australian market. Please stay tuned."
Fei – one of the highest-ranking global executives in the Changan group – did not specify timing for Avatr's Australian launch, nor for its widely-expected European rollout.
Avatr used the Munich motor show to display the 06 mid-size sedan, 012 flagship sedan – a special edition of the 12 sedan – and 07 mid-size-to-large SUV, with the slightly-larger 11 SUV not present.
An Avatr 12 was included in a line-up of Changan vehicles available for Australian journalists to Drive on a media preview in China earlier this year, when the brand was still only under consideration for local showrooms.
"Inchcape has no announcements to make at this time regarding the distribution of Avatr in Australia," an Inchcape Australia spokesperson told Drive.
"We will continue to explore product opportunities that deliver value for Australian consumers. Changan’s innovation and global growth is inspiring, and we’re proud to be part of that journey."
In China, the Avatr 12 is priced from 269,900 Chinese yuan for the least expensive range-extender variant, rising up to 429,900 yuan for the ‘Royal Edition’ – equivalent to between about $AU59,000 and $AU94,000.
Given the Deepal S07 costs $53,900 plus on-road costs in Australia, or about 190,000 yuan for an equivalent variant in China, the Avatr 12 could range from about $75,000 to $130,000 plus on-road costs.
It is slightly larger than an MG IM5 ($60,990 to $80,990 drive-away), and much bigger than a Tesla Model 3 ($54,900 to $80,900 plus on-roads) or BYD Seal ($46,990 to $61,990 plus on-roads).
The Avatr vehicle on display in Munich was the 012, a 700,000 Chinese yuan ($AU153,000) limited edition styled in partnership with fashion designer Kim Jones – pushing the price close to Germany's BMW i5 eDrive 40 ($155,900) and Mercedes-Benz EQE300 ($133,600).
Among the Chinese luxury marques Avatr will fight is MG's IM sub-brand, plus BYD's upcoming 'premium' division Denza, which is expected to eventually offer the Z9 GT electric wagon locally, after starting with SUVs.
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
