Avatr, a high-end brand created by a team of Chinese industrial giants, just showed off the updated Avatr 12. The brand is a group effort between battery maker CATL, car giant Changan, and tech wizard Huawei. The company has recently sent images and details of the refreshed model to the Chinese MIIT for approval – these filings tell us a lot about what is coming next for this sleek machine. The big headline is power. Lots of it.
The new Avatr 12 (first unveiled in 2023) lineup includes a monster battery version with three motors. It also adds a version that uses a gas engine to help charge the battery, showing that Avatr wants to grab more buyers in the crowded Chinese EV market. The company plans to sell these new models for a price between RMB 300,000 and RMB 320,000. That converts to about $42,900 to $45,700. It’s not the usual bargain we are used to, but for what you get, that price tag looks very aggressive.
The new Avatr 12 will be available in a Tri-Motor All-Wheel Drive version. This setup puts one motor in the front and two motors in the back. The front motor pushes out 210 kW (281 hp). The back is even wilder – each of the two rear motors makes 251 kW (337 hp).
When you add all that up, the system creates a massive 712 kW – that’s 955 horsepower. That amount of power puts this family hauler in the same league as many supercars. It is a stunning figure for a car you can drive to the shops. Avatr clearly wants to make a statement with this machine.
Not everyone is ready to go fully electric yet, and Avatr knows this. The company is introducing a new Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) version. This car runs on electricity, but it carries a 1.5-liter turbo gas engine, which acts like a generator to charge the battery when it gets low. The gas engine makes 115 kW just for charging.
The EREV gets its power sent to the rear wheels. This version uses a rear dual-motor system similar to the fast version – it has separate motors for the rear left and rear right wheels. Each one produces 200 kW (268 hp). A 52 kWh LFP battery pack from CATL stores the energy. On battery power alone, this version can travel 162 miles based on WLTC standards.
If you prefer to skip the gas tank entirely, the standard battery electric versions are still there. Aside from the crazy tri-motor monster, there is a Dual-Motor Rear-Wheel Drive option. It uses the same split rear motor setup with 251 kW (337 hp) on each rear wheel. 674 horsepower is still a lot of power for everyday driving. It seems Avatr is moving away from single-motor setups for this update, focusing purely on performance.
The design of the Avatr 12 stays mostly the same, which is a good thing. It keeps the cool “fastback” shape that looks like a mix between a sedan and an SUV. The car measures 197.6 inches long, 78.7 inches wide, and sits about 57.9 inches high. The wheelbase is still a massive 118.9 inches, meaning lots of legroom inside.
One major update is on the roof – the new model gets an upgraded LiDAR system. This laser sensor helps the car “see” the world for its self-driving features. It likely uses Huawei’s latest tech. Avatr also put two more LiDAR sensors on the front fenders.
The back of the car keeps one of its weirdest features – just like in the Polestar 4, there is no glass to look out of in the back. You have to rely on cameras. It looks futuristic, but it might take some getting used to. A spoiler pops up from the trunk lid to let everyone around know that you’re going a tad too fast. Below that, single-strip taillights finish off the sharp new look.
