New Avancier Spy Photos Exposed, This Could Be Honda's First Battle in Intelligent Transformation

After eight years, the Avancier is finally getting an updated model.

From Japanese streets to domestic road tests, the new Avancier camouflage vehicles have been photographed multiple times. The length approaches 5 meters, square and tough lines replace the current coupe styling, hidden door handles appear on Honda SUVs for the first time, full-width taillights, 20-inch wheels, thicker front end, overall temperament changes from the homey nice guy of the past to a rugged flagship. Netizens nicknamed it the Japanese Range Rover.

But styling is just the surface. After seeing all the currently leaked information, the biggest judgment is: This is not just a model upgrade, but truly the first battle of Honda's intelligent transformation in the Chinese market.

From the spy photos, the most intuitive change for the new Avancier is completely abandoning the current coupe styling, turning towards a square and tough line style. The front end is wide and heavy, side lines are straight, the roof no longer slopes backward, netizens nicknamed it the Japanese Range Rover.

But the essence of the styling change is not an adjustment in aesthetic preference, but a reconstruction of product logic. The direct benefit of the box design is a significant improvement in rear headroom and trunk neatness, which is more practical for family users than looks.

In terms of size, the new car length is expected to be close to 5 meters, wheelbase extends from current 2820mm to about 2920mm, directly jumping from traditional mid-size SUVs to the large mid-size SUV camp. More noteworthy is the change in seat layout. The current Avancier only has five seats, the new model will add six and seven-seat options, the six-seat version has two independent seats in the second row, leaving an aisle in the middle to facilitate entering and exiting the third row. From big five seats to six or seven, the Avancier is turning from a subject specialist into an all-rounder.

If the changes in styling and size are within expectations, then the intelligent upgrade is the most noteworthy part of the new Avancier.

On September 28, 2026, Hideyuki Igarashi, General Manager of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. (China), Investment Co., stated explicitly in media exchanges: Honda has selected Momenta and Huawei as core partners in the field of intelligence. Momenta's pilot-assist driving technology and Huawei's HarmonyOS Cockpit will be introduced successively from the 2027 model year.

This means the new Avancier is likely to become the first model in Honda China equipped with Huawei HarmonyOS Cockpit and Momenta high-level intelligent driving. According to current information, the new car will come standard with LiDAR across all trims, paired with 5 high-definition cameras and 4 millimeter-wave radars, supporting highway NOA and city assist driving functions. Regarding the cockpit, Huawei HarmonyOS system will bring an integrated wide-screen design, the main center console screen and passenger entertainment screen are made into a linked screen, plus full LCD instrument cluster and HUD head-up display, tech atmosphere directly maxed out.

This combination, placed among joint venture brands, is rare in terms of aggressiveness. In the past, the most common complaint from Avancier owners was system lag and simple functions. This time Honda chose to directly access the Huawei ecosystem, equivalent to switching to a mature Chinese solution, fixing the biggest shortcoming of intelligence all at once.

More importantly, Honda partnering with both Huawei and Momenta simultaneously is a deep reform behind R&D decision-making power. Hiroji Ito, Executive Deputy General Manager of Honda China, frankly stated that in the past Honda failed to respond quickly to changes in the Chinese market. The core of this reform is to reverse the model of concentrating R&D decision-making power at the Japan headquarters. For models facing the Chinese market, technical route selection and product definition have all been handed over to local teams for decision-making, and product development cycle is shortened by nearly half compared to the past.

Hiroji Ito also stated that the significance of the Chinese market is long beyond sales, it is also an important market for promoting electrification and intelligence reform. From global synchronization to China-defined, this transformation means far more than just a single model for a Japanese auto enterprise.

The significance of the new Avancier goes beyond the Chinese market.

According to Honda's 2026 Global Business Briefing, the Avancier has been upgraded from a China-special model to a global strategic model. The Rayong factory in Thailand is building production lines, left and right-hand drive versions are being developed synchronously, production will start in Thailand in early 2027, focusing on the Southeast Asian seven-seat SUV market. The new car is planned to make its global debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in January 2027.

A special model that once only sold in the Chinese market is now exporting globally in reverse, which is not common in Honda's history. It illustrates one thing: Honda not only recognizes the R&D capabilities of the Chinese team, but also recognizes the product definition standards verified by the Chinese market.

From a larger perspective, the new Avancier represents a new paradigm for joint venture brands in the Chinese market: no longer adhering to the mental set of global synchronization, but defining products with Chinese teams, core technology provided by Chinese suppliers, Chinese standards participating in global competition. The success of this model is valuable for Honda, for the joint venture camp, and for the entire Chinese automotive supply chain.

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The new Avancier is expected to officially launch in 2027. There is more than a year from now until launch. Regarding the actual fuel consumption of the hybrid version, the space experience of the six-seat and seven-seat versions, and the collaborative performance of the HarmonyOS cockpit and Momenta intelligent driving, all require vehicle verification.

But the direction is already clear. From being teased about system lag and conservative design to presenting the HarmonyOS cockpit, Momenta intelligent driving, three seat layouts, and 5th Generation Hybrid, the new Avancier proves one thing through a thorough self-revolution: On this track of intelligence, Honda chooses to use Chinese solutions, serve the Chinese market, and participate in global competition.

Whether this battle can be won, the answer is in 2027. But at least from the current information, Honda has taken the most critical step in transformation. The direction is right, the rest is time.