Avatr 06 Unveiled in China as Yet Another Model 3 Rival

Changan’s Avatr 06 joins the long-list of China-badged EV saloons that are set to take on the popular Tesla Model 3.

There’s no doubt that the Tesla Model 3 is one of the most popular EV saloons out there, so much so that its success has prompted many Chinese automakers to make their own iterations. Joining the long-list of China-made EV saloons to topple down the Model 3 is the new Avatr 06 by state-owned Chinese automaker Changan Automobile.

They say it takes a whole village to raise a child, or in this case, a car model. And that's exactly what Avatr did for its new all-electric, as it has collaborated with renowned tech giants such as CATL and Huawei, which, no surprise, are the second and third largest shareholders for the EV marque, with the biggest one being its parent company, Changan.

First things first, this EV saloon shares the same CHN platform used on the Avatr 07, which is jointly developed by Changan, CATL, and Huawei. Available in both battery EV (BEV) and range-extender EV (REEV) forms, the former version of the Avatr 06 closely resembles the Avatr 07, as it gets the same single-motor RWD and dual-motor AWD powertrain setups as said EV crossover, rated at 338 HP (252 kW) and 590 HP (440 kW), respectively.

Regardless of powertrain options, the Avatr 06 gets a single battery spec comprising a CATL-sourced 82-kWh LFP unit that grants the saloon up to 650 KM of EV range, at least according to the less-realistic CLTC standards.

In terms of design, the Avatr 06 is a sleek midsize EV saloon that features the same Avatr 2.0 design language as the Avatr 07. Aside from its low-slung, four-door saloon bodystyle, the 06 truly resembles the 07, as it gets the same dual-stack LED DRLs at the front, sleek LED taillights, a windowless rear panel, digital side-view cameras instead of physical side mirrors, hidden door handles, and many more.

Measuring 4,855 MM long, 1,960 MM wide, 1,450 MM tall, and with a wheelbase of 2,940 MM, the Avatr 06 is noticeably larger than the Tesla Model 3 that it aims to beat, thus putting it in the same category as other sporty, China-badged midsize EV saloons such as the Zeekr 007.

Huawei’s contribution to the Avatr 06 project can be seen as we get inside, as the EV saloon is powered by the tech giant’s Harmony OS for its digital cockpit setup. Said tech giant is also in-charge of powering the Avatr 06’s safety features via its Huawei Qiankun safety suite, which works in-tandem with multiple radars, sensors, and even LiDAR to grant the 06 with tons of ADAS functions, as well as semi-autonomous driving capabilities.

The all-new Avatr 06 is set to hit the Chinese market later in early 2025, which is slightly delayed from its original target debut date of Q4 2024. With the new 06, both Avatr and Changan hope to increase their market share in this competitive Chinese EV scene, given that both the Avatr 11 and 12 EVs have failed to reach their initial sales targets this year.