Before any car launches in China, the automaker must apply to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). MIIT publishes a list of applications every month. Automakers are not happy about it as their not-yet-announced models can get exposed. We don’t mind.
The Changan Shenlan S7 is the second car from the brand, after the Shenlan SL03 sedan. Just like SL03, the S7 will offer two variants – pure EV and EREV (range extender, ICE is not connected to wheels, works only as a generator for battery). The car was referred to by the codename C673 during the Shenlan brand official launch in April.
The S7 is positioned as a mid-size SUV. The size is 4750/1930/1625mm (length, width, height), and the wheelbase is 2900mm. The curb weight is 1990 kg for EREV and 1950 kg for EV. 19-inch or 20-inch wheels are available.
The EV version will have 160 kW (215 hp) power, while the EREV version will have a 175 kW (235 hp) electric motor mated with 70kW 1.5L ICE. Maximum speed is 190 km/h.
Changan Shenlan is a new EV brand under the Changan company. The literary translation is “Deep Blue”, English name wasn’t announced yet. It is another collaboration between Changan New Energy, Huawei, and CATL. It was unveiled during the Changan Automobile Global Partner Conference in April 2022.
Shenlan is not the first joint project of Changan New Energy, CATL, and Huawei. In May Avatr 11 SUV was launched. Avatr brand is a former Changan-Nio JV. Later, Nio distanced itself from the JV because of financial problems. Right now, the two major shareholders of Avatr are Changan (39%) and CATL (28.99%). Huawei helps develop Avatr vehicles, but it hasn’t got any shares.
Previously in 2020, Huawei, Changan, and CATL jointly announced they team up to build high-end automotive brands.
Changan previously announced that the Shenlan lineup would comprise five electric vehicles. So three more are to be unveiled. The S7 is expected to go on sale in 2023, and we will keep an eye on it!
