On June 20, spy shots of a new mid-size sedan Changan Qiyuan A07 were exposed. Changan is a state-owned automaker, and Qiyuan (启源) is their entry-level series focusing on EVs and EREVs. The A7 is Qiyuan’s first car and will be officially released in July.
MIIT previously revealed the Qiyuan A07 during the homologation consulting, so we already know some details about the upcoming car. It will sit on Changan’s EPA1 platform (not to confuse with Geely’s EPA platform, which Lotus Eletre uses) and offer two versions: all-electric and range-extended (EREV).
The EV will feature a 190 kW (258 HP) electric motor (model XTDM27) and an NMC battery from CATL; the capacity wasn’t revealed yet.
The EREV version will be powered by a 160 kW electric motor and a 1.5L Atkinson four-cylinder ICE engine (model JL473QJ) that works as a generator for battery with a maximum power of 70 kW (95 HP). This is, by the way, the same setup as in Deepal SL03. CATL also supplies the battery for the EREV version, which will have a capacity of 28.9 kWh, suitable for a 170 km battery range.
The dimensions are (L/W/H) 4905/1910/1480 mm, respectively, and the wheelbase is 2900mm. So the car is bigger than Model 3, whose length is 4694 mm. A07 has hidden door handles that pop out on demand and low-drag rims, giving the vehicle a sporty look.
The top speed is limited to 172km/h. The car will have radar, 360° cameras, and massage seats, equipped with 18/19-inch wheels.
Following the A07, Changan will also launch A05 and A06 compact sedans, which are expected to debut in Q4 officially. Aside from Qiyuan, Changan Automobile also owns Deepal (Shenlan) and Avatr brands with CATL.
Editor’s comment
The price of A07 is estimated to be around 200,000 yuan (29,000 USD), and it will compete with other 200k-level electric sedans – usual suspects are Xpeng P7i, BYD Seal, Tesla Model 3, VW ID.7 or Deepal SL03.
Interestingly, Qiyuan was supposed to be positioned under Deepal (Shenlan) brand. However, as the price war is raging in China, Deepal moved from above the 200k level to the 150k yuan level, so I expect folks at Changan HQ are puzzled over the pricing strategy for Qiyuan.
However, as Changan is not a private company, revenue is not their primary goal. That means they can always go lower when it comes to a price war, and the A07 final cost may be surprising and add more oil into the already boiling Chinese 200k EV sedan market.
Moreover, A07 and SL03 will most likely suffer some cannibalization of each other’s sales, so Changan would need to address it.
