Changan‘s premium electric brand Avatr will open pre-orders in Australia before the end of 2026, with first deliveries of the 07L SUV due early next year.
Andrew Haurissa, Head of Brand and Marketing at Changan Group Australia, confirmed the plans in an interview with Auto Trader NZ published on Thursday.
“Based on the timing of those releases, with delivery early next year, you’ll probably get announcements on multi-franchise dealer appointments before the end of the year,” Haurissa told Autotalk.
The dealers will be existing multi-franchise groups, not stand-alone Avatr stores. New Zealand is likely to follow.
“Most likely, no confirmed dates, but our Australian rollout is normally followed by a New Zealand rollout,” Haurissa said.
Changan has not chosen a New Zealand distributor.
“It is still being discussed at the moment, but we’re talking with multiple entities. We haven’t conclusively made a decision,” he said.
Separate From Deepal
Avatr will be run directly by Changan Group Australia, the carmaker’s local operation.
Changan’s electric brand Deepal is sold in Australia through distributor Inchcape.
“AVATR sits above Deepal within the Changan Group. It’s actually a joint venture with CATL, so we have to launch that separately,” Haurissa said.
Changan holds 40.99% of Avatr and CATL about 14.1%, according to CarExpert.
Huawei is not a shareholder but supplies driver-assistance and cabin technology.
Inchcape said in August that there were “no plans for Changan to take over the distribution of Deepal vehicles in Australia from Inchcape.”
Deepal registered 481 vehicles in Australia in 2025, and 816 in the first seven months of 2026, according to Drive and CarExpert.
“Australia is an important market for AVATR. Australian customers are sophisticated, discerning and increasingly open to brands that challenge traditional automotive conventions,” said Bryan Guan, General Manager of Changan Group Australia.
Haurissa previously led marketing for Australia and New Zealand at Geely’s premium brand Zeekr, which he joined in April 2024, according to GoAuto.
A Year in the Making
Zhao Fei, General Manager of China Changan Automobile Group, first disclosed the plan to Australian journalists at the IAA motor show in Munich a year ago.
“We have a plan to bring Avatr to the Australian market,” Zhao said at the time, according to Drive.
“Last week I went to the Chengdu consulate of Australia and I talked to the consulate head,” he added.
Drive reported then that the first cars were expected in showrooms in 2026.
A camouflaged right-hand-drive Avatr 07 was spotted testing in Point Cook, Melbourne, in May, CarExpert reported.
In August, Changan job advertisements in Australia referred to an “Avatr/Changan sales and service network,” according to carsales.
A right-hand-drive Avatr 06T wagon was photographed in Sydney the same month. Another camouflaged 07 was seen in Canberra in September.
The 07L SUV
The 07L went on sale in China on August 8.
After launch discounts it costs 219,900 yuan ($32,800) to 269,900 yuan ($40,200), against list prices from 229,900 yuan ($34,200). The five-seat SUV is 4,910 mm long, with a 2,990 mm wheelbase.
It uses an 800-volt architecture and an 89.33-kilowatt-hour lithium iron phosphate battery from CATL.
The rear-wheel-drive version has a 305-kilowatt motor and a range of 725 km on China’s CLTC cycle.
The tri-motor version produces 712 kilowatts, reaches 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and is rated at 650 km.
In China, every version comes with a LiDAR sensor and Huawei’s ADS 5 driver-assistance system.
Australian specifications, range and pricing will be confirmed before launch, Autotalk reported.
Australian cars will use Meridian audio instead of the Huawei system fitted in China, according to Autotalk.
The 07L will compete with the Zeekr 7X and BYD‘s Denza brand.
Zeekr sold 2,120 vehicles in Australia in August, according to VFACTS data reported by carsales. It passed 10,000 local deliveries in August, about 19 months after its launch.
Overseas Push
Avatr began selling outside China in 2024. It says it is now present in more than 40 countries and regions.
Thailand is its main right-hand-drive market. Avatr started building right-hand-drive 07s for Thailand last January.
It entered the Philippines in June through distributor Auto iCon.
Chairman Wang Hui said in April that Avatr aims for 800,000 global sales by 2030, with overseas markets accounting for more than 40% of revenue.
Avatr has said it will enter Europe in 2026. Changan’s design chief Klaus Zyciora told electrive in December that Avatr models would reach Europe by 2027.
The overseas expansion comes as sales weaken at home.
Avatr’s deliveries fell 53% to about 27,600 in the first half of 2026, according to Sina, citing its Hong Kong IPO filing. It delivered 8,082 vehicles in August.
The company refiled for a Hong Kong listing on July 1.
