A tip of the Changan innovation iceberg
WHEN you think about the presence of Changan Auto in the Philippines, the first models that probably come to mind are cars like the Alsvin and the CS35 Plus. After all, these two vehicles serve as the flag-bearers of the brand due to their sheer affordability and practicality. While you may think of Changan as yet another Chinese automaker wanting to sell its vehicles in the Philippines, there’s more to the brand than what you’ve only seen at face value, as we recently discovered on a trip to Chongqing, China, the home city of the brand.
A lot bigger than you think
Changan Auto is one of China’s biggest automotive brands, whether state-owned or not (though it is state-owned). The automaker regularly enters the top 5 bestselling brands in China and is helped by the fact that it has such a broad range of vehicles. What you’re seeing in the Philippines is just the tip of the Changan Auto innovation iceberg because to experience the brand in full, you also have to explore the brand in its many facets.
A trip to one of Changan Auto’s dealerships is enough to make you feel amazed at the sheer scale of the brand. Unlike most developed markets around the world, sedans haven’t fallen out of favor with Chinese car buyers. Thus, you’ll see a lot of overlapping sedans, from the Eado to the Raeton and the Uni-V sports sedan that’s giving the Empow in China some stiff competition. Of course, there are also the crossover SUVs we’ve become accustomed to in the Philippines, such as the CS35 Plus, CS55 Plus, Uni-T, and Uni-K, but the next range of vehicles you’re about to see will make you realize that Changan hasn’t reached its full potential yet in our market.
A solid electrified reputation
To understand what Changan is capable of, you have to dive into its broad range of electric vehicles, ranging from plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) to pure electric vehicles (EVs), and there’s one to suit every taste, need, and price range. For the mainstream market, there’s Changan’s
Deepal brand, which only makes PHEVs and EVs. The model I was keen to try out was the Deepal S7, a sleekly styled electric crossover that has the highest chance of being offered in the Philippines.
What I can tell you right now about the Deepal S7 is that Changan is at its element when it comes to making EVs. The Deepal S7 rides on a bespoke EV platform that allows for similar packaging freedom that you can only experience in other groundup EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 I recently reviewed. Unlike the Ioniq 5, the Deepal S7 will be a lot more affordable, as it will be priced somewhere between P1.9 million to P2.5 million — more than a million less than its South Korean rival.
Wait till you see Avatr
But if you want to see what Changan is indeed capable of as a brand, its pinnacle can be explored through the Avatr brand. Avatr is Changan’s electric luxury brand, building upon what the brand is capable of when it comes to making premium vehicles. The Chinese automotive industry built its identity around the EV, and what a perfect industry for the nation to focus heavily on since this is where vehicles in the coming decades are headed.
Just like other EV brands from China, Avatr is free from the constraints of having a legacy and identity built around the internal combustion engine (ICE). As a result, the brand is free to be innovative as opposed to maintaining such a legacy. This has resulted in innovations not just in how a car is built and developed, but also in the retail experience. An Avatr showroom looks more like a modern retail space for buying a new smartphone or laptop, while the operation of the vehicle is based on the concept of software operation and tech that augments the driving experience.
This is achieved through the car’s screens and infotainment systems, which are all powered by Huawei’s HarmonyOS, while the electric motors, called DriveONE, are also made by the tech giant. The lithium-ion batteries of both the Avatr 11 and 12 use a CTP (cell-to-pack) construction and are made by CATL — single-handedly the biggest battery supplier in the world. Likewise, the advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) of the Avatr 11 and 12 are made by Huawei and consist of a plethora of sensors and Lidars that provide a complete surround view of the vehicle to enable highly autonomous driving features on the road.
Avatr’s future in the Philippines, however,
is still uncertain. What is certain is that Europe will be the premium brand’s first market expansion. Sleek design, cutting-edge technology, as well as luxury EVs that drive and perform as well as they look, are ingredients that will attract buyers who are looking for a vehicle that is beyond what the established mainstream brands are capable of.
An innovative future for Changan Auto Philippines
Avatr, along with Deepal and the entire Changan brand itself, forms a large automotive company that’s rapidly evolving and global in reach as the automotive industry is at a crossroads. While the company currently makes well-engineered ICE-powered vehicles in the here and now, PHEVs and EVs are indeed where the brand is at its finest. The automotive group’s experimental and risk-taking approach has helped it create vehicles that challenge the status quo — especially as the Chinese automotive industry has built an industry of its own around EVs and the materials needed for such vehicles.
What you’re seeing in the Philippines is just the tip of the Changan innovation iceberg — one that’s only a taste of what the brand is truly capable of. Under its new local partner Inchcape and its joint venture partner CATS Group of Companies, Changan is in an agile position to be more free to innovate and ready to explore new segments. As the brand enters 2024, expect to see a lot of new developments and models — especially innovative and exciting ones that exceed expectations and can challenge the automotive status quo.