Avatr, the Chinese automotive joint venture between Changan, CATL, and Huawei that sounds like a misspelled Avatar but isn’t, revealed the second EV in its portfolio yesterday in Munich, Germany, marking the automaker’s entry into the European market.
Dubbed the Avatr 12 (pronounced “one two”), the sleek four-door coupe looks like a sedan but actually has a hatchback at the rear and a so-called Halo Display on the hood, which is a black panel LED display that enables the vehicle to communicate with people outside the vehicle, the company claims.
Measuring 197.6 inches (5,020 millimeters) long, 78.7 in (1,999 mm) wide, and 57.4 in (1,460 mm) high, the Avatr 12 has a wheelbase of 119.2 in (3,030 mm) and is available with two powertrain options, both using CATL cell-to-pack ternary lithium-ion battery packs.
The rear-wheel drive variant is set in motion by a 230-kilowatt (313 horsepower) electric motor, while the all-wheel drive version comes with a Huawei dual-motor setup that puts out 425 kW (578 hp). Both models draw juice from a 94.5-kilowatt-hour battery that enables a driving range between 403 miles (650 kilometers) and 434 miles (700 km), but the press release doesn’t mention what test cycle was used to come up with these figures, be it WLTP or CLTC.
Similar to the Polestar 5, the four-door coupe-ish hatchback doesn’t have a rear window and instead comes with a video camera that provides a live feed to a digital rearview mirror.
“In a world where products are mere objects, Avatr is a friend – a mirror to your aspirations, a vessel for your essence, and a partner for your journey,” said Nader Faghihzadeh, Chief Design Officer.
Avatr 12: The rear with ambient light and the large glass roof (but no rear window)
Inside, the Chinese EV features an extended dashboard with floating elements that – Avatr says – resembles a smooth spaceship with expansive wings extending between the front doors. There’s a wide-band screen that spans the width of the dashboard and acts as a so-called digital window, while the central touchscreen is where all the apps and settings can be found.
Above, an electrochromic glass roof can be switched between states to make it opaque or transparent at the flick of a switch, and there are invisible air vents, as well as zero-gravity seats.
On the safety front, the Avatr 12 comes with no fewer than 29 sensors, including three Lidar sensors and a high-performance central computer that make up the Huawei Advanced Driving System (ADS) 2.0 assistance suite.
Avatr was founded in 2018 and its first model – the 11 (pronounced “one one”) crossover EV – debuted in China in 2022.
