Huawei, CATL and Changan reveal the Avatr 12 at IAA Mobility 2023

Avatr 12 is an all-electric hatchback with a futuristic-looking exterior developed by CATL, Changan and Huawei. At its roots, Avatr was a joint venture porject between Changan New Energy and Nio, but Nio's shares were then acquired by CATL and other shareholders. And after kicking off production of the Avatr 11 SUV last month, the company is now revealing its sporty hatchback as well.

The vehicle makes its debut during this year's IAA Mobility in Munich and is offered in two configurations. The entry-level option comes with a rear-mounted single motor with 313 hp, while the beefed-up version outputs 578 hp and drives all wheels.

The interesting bit about this car is that it doesn't have a rear window and instead has a panoramic glass roof spanning from front to back, so vision is somewhat limited. That's why the Avatr 12 relies on a rear camera. Speaking of, there are no side-view mirrors either, they are replaced with more cameras.

The interior is something else. It has a yoke-like closed steering wheel with a gear lever behind it, leaving the center console clean. It has a couple of cup holders, a wireless charger and enough space to store things.

The most interesting part of the interior is the screens, though. There's one centered screen above the console, sitting a bit lower so it doesn't block the long screen that spans across the dashboard. It serves as an instrument cluster and it's fully customizable. Two additional small displays sit on both sides, streaming from the side-view cameras.

Even though Huawei isn't a shareholder in the company, it has made a big contribution to the model development. It supplies the Avatr cars with electric motors, the HarmonyOS infotainment system and other parts. Similarly to the Luxeed S7 and AITO M9. It has also worked on the CHN platform developed by the three companies.

Mass production starts tomorrow, September 6 and availability will likely be limited to China at first, if it ever goes on sale overseas.

Source (in Chinese)