In 2026, the competition for intelligence in Chinese automobiles has entered a rather subtle stage.

The Department of Equipment Industry I of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology disclosed that since 2026, the penetration rate of passenger cars equipped with L2-level combined driving assistance functions domestically has reached 70.5%, and the penetration rate of NOA functions has reached 34.2%.

For today's car buyers, assisted driving is changing from a bonus feature on high-spec models to an increasingly common basic capability.

The industry is already preparing for the next stage. At the end of 2025, the first two L3-level conditional autonomous driving models obtained access permission, conducting pilots on designated roads under limited conditions in Beijing and Chongqing. Meanwhile, many new cars emphasized reserving sensing, computing, power supply, steering, and braking redundancy for L3 when released. Hardware is ready, but it does not mean consumers can use L3 now, but it indicates that automakers are investing in advance for the changes in regulations and liability boundaries.

More cameras, LiDAR, and chips are on the car, another question has become prominent: who is actually thinking for these cars?

From the supply side, intelligent driving capabilities are not as dispersed as the number of models. Besides automakers self-developing, Huawei Qankun, Momenta, and Horizon Robotics have entered different brands from complete systems, hardware software, and computing platforms, becoming important support for traditional automakers' intelligent implementation.

The "2025 Urban NOA Car Assistance Driving Research Report" released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers shows that in the first 11 months of 2025, domestic urban NOA passenger car sales were about 3.129 million, among which about 679,000 used third-party cooperative solutions; in this part of the market, Momenta and Huawei HI Mode combined accounted for about 80%. Horizon Robotics covers a wider range of models from chips and computing foundations. This not only shows that intelligent driving functions are rapidly popularizing, but also shows that underlying capabilities are still concentrated in a few suppliers and OEMs with self-developed capabilities.

For traditional automotive enterprises, purchasing mature solutions is natural. For the past few decades, automakers have always been organized parts through the global supply chain, then complete vehicle definition, integration, and manufacturing. It is just that when vehicle experience starts to be continuously rewritten by algorithms, the suppliers no longer control just a parts, but also data, iteration speed, and part of product definition rights.

This makes Changan's choice worth discussion.

First, at the end of 2025, the 30 millionth Changan China brand vehicle rolled off the production line. Changan's huge product and user base welcomed a new stage. After becoming a "new central enterprise", Changan is still promoting the goal proposed in 2017: transform into a smart low-carbon mobility technology company.

Second, intelligent driving under Changan is not a single route. Avatr and some Deepal models use Huawei Qankun solutions. Deepal L06 was jointly developed by Changan, Deepal, and Horizon Robotics. Qiyuan E07 was an earlier mass production landing point for Changan's full-stack self-developed high-level assistance driving.

Open cooperation can quickly make up for product capabilities, but a large automaker that hopes to become a technology company still needs to establish its own core capabilities.

Therefore, when Tianzhu Pilot entered the 150,000-200,000 yuan new energy SUV market with Changan Qiyuan Q06, what is worth looking at is not just what functions this car added. Changan also needs to verify a harder thing: whether self-developed intelligent driving can enter mainstream prices, and run its own data loop relying on a large enough mass production scale.

Q06, What to Compete for More in the Family SUV Market

Buying a new energy SUV for 150,000-200,000 yuan, consumers already have very few choices to lack. Leapmotor C11, Deepal S07, BYD Seal 06 and other products are all competing for family users with increasingly comprehensive requirements. Space must be large, range must be enough, comfort configurations cannot be missing, assisted driving is gradually becoming an item to compare when purchasing a car.

Changan Qiyuan Q06 started pre-sales on the evening of September 4, launching 9 models, pre-sales price 149,900-191,900 yuan, covering pure electric and extended-range two power sources. This price range is hard to decide victory and defeat by relying on a single configuration again. Users valuing space also need to compare comfort, people caring about range will calculate replenishment time, whether assisted driving is easy to use needs to be judged after truly driving.

Q06's product combination carries this ambition. 4,837 mm vehicle length and 2,940 mm wheelbase, first respond to family car space needs; pure electric and extended-range two routes, let users with different charging conditions and travel radius have choices. High-spec pure electric models use total power 330 kW rear dual motor scheme, 800V high-voltage platform and 6C fast charging extend competition to driving and replenishment experience. Front double wishbone, rear five-link suspension, and zero-pressure seats, rear entertainment screen and cold/heat refrigerator, continue to make up parts family users can perceive directly.

These configurations do not need to come one by one to win. They put together, show Q06 wants to fight for space and cost-performance users, also wants Qiyuan to have more performance, comfort and technology identity. Same price products more and more comprehensive, Q06 must make consumers remember specific differences.

And as the first mass production car equipped with Tianzhu Pilot, Qiyuan Q06 provides a perceptible entry point in intelligent assisted driving through Tianzhu Pilot - drivers can express temporary driving intentions to the vehicle using natural language.

Changan Automobile Chief Intelligent Driving Technology Officer Tao Ji compares it to a driver who needs occasional communication. For example, users hope to change lanes less on a road, or express their lane preferences on familiar commuting routes. A few gears in traditional settings are hard to cover these needs.

Interactive navigation connects end-to-end driving through multi-modal understanding, making the way of expressing intentions more natural. Tao Ji also talks about World Model, Mind Model and Ontological Model, involving road environments, intentions of other traffic participants, and the vehicle's own motion boundaries. These still belong to some continued exploration technical directions. For current Q06, a more realistic task is to solidify the already open interaction capabilities and driving assistance experience.

The technological feel in family cars, finally falls on how to use it every day, whether it can reduce operation burden. Whether users are willing to use it continuously is more persuasive than how many commands can be demonstrated on the launch event.

And according to Changan's disclosure at the communication meeting, Q06 pre-sales orders reached 11,000 units in two hours, Ultra version accounting for 53%, rear dual motor version accounting for about 30%. This is a positive early signal, indicating that new technology and new power schemes are receiving attention.

From the test drive experience of Auto Talk, Q06 is very competitive in handling, comfort configurations, and assisted driving experience. The real test is whether these advantages can remain consistent in daily use.

A Large Automaker, Why Still Do It Yourself

For Q06, "self-developed" itself will not automatically become a selling point. Its value depends on whether Changan can implement its product ideas on the car, and continuously improve during the user's car usage process.

Changan Automobile Executive Vice President and Changan Brand Business Unit General Manager Yang Dayong said on site: "The reason is simple, just two words, brand." He subsequently added: "We hope that whether it is Changan Qiyuan, or Changan Automobile, or Changan Brand products, the core technology of products must come from Changan's own hands."

This is not a temporary impulse. Changan released "Beidou Tianzhu" plan in 2018, and launched "Beidou Tianzhu 2.0" again in 2025, clearly adopting "self-development + cooperation co-creation" two routes. Previously full-stack self-developed high-level assistance driving has already been mass produced on Qiyuan E07, Tianzhu Pilot continues to push this route to products with larger coverage.

Therefore, currently it seems, Tianzhu Pilot does not mean Changan giving up cooperation with Huawei, Horizon Robotics and other enterprises. Different brands, prices and product positioning can choose different solutions; Changan needs to fill in, is its own ability to define functions, find problems and decide iteration order. Interactive navigation is a specific attempt: it comes from Changan's judgment on how users use vehicles, and also requires algorithms and vehicle engineering to complete together.

Communication meeting scene, besides brand and intelligent driving persons in charge, product, R&D, cockpit, manufacturing and service persons in charge also take turns answering questions. A driving assistance system installed into mass production car, has to go through vehicle definition, engineering development, production filling, verification and after-sales, far more than algorithm department completes a model training once.

Changan Automobile Vice President, Chief Cybersecurity Officer, Chief Digital Officer, simultaneously serving Changan Technology Director, President He Gang, explained this from vehicle engineering perspective. Intelligent driving problems occur, reason may be in perception and decision, also may come from steering, braking or power. He asked on site: "Is it eyes having problems, brain having problems, or legs having problems?"

For users, these finally manifest as whether the vehicle drives smoothly, actions conform to expectations. For R&D team, it is to put vehicle data, algorithms and actuators together to analyze. After finding problems, then collect relevant cases, train models, after verification push new version. He Gang said: "Only when you find problems, you can improve yourself quickly."

According to He Gang's introduction, Changan has already included cross-city generalization testing into development system, conducting road tests in 45 cities, and through simulation, real cars and virtual-real fusion verification polished system. This is the disclosure at Changan's communication meeting, finally still has to be tested by long-term use of different cities and different users.

Changan also launches Tianzhu Pilot Assurance Package, providing relevant compensation and exclusive services, specific guarantee subject to terms. Currently open is still L2 level assisted driving, drivers need to bear corresponding responsibility; enterprises then have to catch problems exposed during user use. He Gang's expression is: "We will take the responsibility for the whole result, take responsibility, including the subsequent continuous use period."

Self-developed also faces investment and return. Changan Automobile 2026 semi-annual report shows, first half year net profit attributable to parent company 817 million yuan, down year by year 64.32%. This financial report information placed here meaning is very direct: Technology must enter mainstream products and obtain user recognition, long-term investment has more stable foundation. Q06 undertakes is this mass production scale verification.

Driving Out of China, What Gates Does Tianzhu Pilot Still Pass

Going global is still a hot topic at technical communication meeting, but before discussing Tianzhu Pilot going global, need to first look where Changan has already sold cars.

Changan's "Hai Na Bai Chuan" plan divides global market into five major regions. As of April 2025, Changan disclosed built 9 overseas factories, global channel outlets exceeded 9,000, Thailand new energy vehicle base also entered production stage. Sales aspect, Changan overseas sales grew from 249,000 vehicles in 2022 to 637,300 vehicles in 2025, first half of 2026 exported 455,000 vehicles. Overseas has become an important source for Changan to expand scale.

Channel, factory and sales spread out, intelligent driving must keep up with products going out speed. System that works well in China, change a country whether still work well? This is Auto Talk on site chasing Changan's question, involving local roads, regulations, data processing, and adaptation work brought by left/right steering traffic environment changes.

He Gang gave a very specific example: Brazil, Mexico some roads' speed bumps, raise different requirements for recognition and deceleration. Some areas network conditions are limited, traffic signs, road participants and driving habits also different from domestic. These differences need vehicles learn and verify locally again.

Changan Brazil Factory

Intelligent driving going global cannot just rely on changing interface language, also cannot take domestic performance directly as overseas experience guarantee. Local roads data comes from where, how discover new problems, after update how verify, need a method that can operate continuously.

Talking about local computing power, He Gang said on site: "You want to do globalized business, you should build local computing power centers in these corresponding regions globally." Changan proposes data loop in local areas, its consideration includes both adapting to local roads, also meeting data processing legal requirements.

Overseas data compliance does not equal all data one by one prohibited cross-border. Most markets allow cross-border transmission meeting conditions, but enterprises need to explain collection purpose and scope, data recipients, and what mechanism provide protection.

For example, EU GDPR requires purpose restriction and data minimization, personal data transmission to third countries also need meet corresponding conditions. Vehicle location, driving habits, in-vehicle voice once able to associate personal, cannot because train model need infinitely collect. Saudi Arabia, UAE and Brazil specific rules different, similarly require enterprises establish legal paths for personal data cross-border transmission for individuals, cannot default all back to headquarters.

Local computing power, data loop and verification system will increase short-term investment, also determine whether system can truly adapt to local roads. According to He Gang's judgment at communication meeting, overseas highway navigation may first spread than urban capabilities, UAE then may become early attempt urban navigation market. This is still promotion direction, specific landing follows local testing and regulation conditions.

Make Technology Become Reason for Buying Car

Back to Q06, Tianzhu Pilot gives it added confidence, first is a more distinct intelligent experience. Space, replenishment and comfort constitute product foundation, driving assistance and natural language interaction then provide new identity.

Changan has many years vehicle R&D, manufacturing and service accumulation, can handle intelligence problems from whole vehicle angle; self-development makes product definition and software iteration distance shorter. Next need to prove, whether these capabilities can cooperate well on Q06, let users drive smoothly every day, after update also feel specific improvement.

If Q06 can establish such reputation, Qiyuan harvested will exceed one new car heat. Changan can use mass production tested capabilities to more models, let R&D accumulation get reuse, also let brand gradually form clearer technology tags.

Q06 worth looking forward to place, lies at that it brings Changan's whole vehicle experience and self-developed intelligent driving to main family able to consider price point. When Tianzhu Pilot from test drive fresh sense, change into daily car use willing open, used smooth function, it gives Q06 added confidence, will truly become consumers buying car reason.

Volume increased, but profits did not follow.

Against the backdrop of the domestic automotive market decline and overseas boom, every traditional listed auto company stands at a crossroads, though everyone's feeling is different.

In this context, Changan Automobile, upgraded to a central automotive SOE, delivered its first semi-annual report after promotion, and the financial data does not look good.

01

In H1 2026, Changan Automobile's revenue was 65.634 billion yuan, down 9.71% year-on-year; net profit attributable to shareholders was 817 million yuan, down 64.32% year-on-year; net profit excluding non-recurring gains and losses was only 251 million yuan, plummeting 83.01% year-on-year. Gross margin was 14.5%, slightly down 0.08 percentage points year-on-year.

On the surface, this is a report card with declining revenue, profit, and gross margin. But carefully reviewing this semi-annual report reveals the situation is not as simple as it appears.

In the first half, Changan Automobile recorded a net exchange loss of about 230 million yuan, while last year's same period had a net exchange gain of about 1.356 billion yuan. One in and one out, the difference is 1.586 billion yuan. This is also an objective reality faced by all listed Chinese automotive companies.

Affected by this, Changan Automobile's financial expenses changed from a net gain of 1.957 billion yuan in the first half of last year to a net expense of 69 million yuan now, a difference as high as 2.026 billion yuan.

Changan Automobile also admitted in the semi-annual report: "After deducting the impact of exchange gains, the net profit attributable to shareholders of the listed company increased by 12% year-on-year." In other words, more than 64% of the decline in net profit was largely caused by exchange rate fluctuations.

[Image Source: Changan Automobile Announcement]

Apart from exchange losses, Changan Automobile accrued about 456 million yuan in asset impairment provisions in the first half, among which inventory price decline provisions reached 468 million yuan, while last year's same period was only 59 million yuan. If this impairment is deducted, the net profit for the first half could reach 1.273 billion yuan.

The combination of these two non-recurring factors is the real driver behind the sharp decline in this automotive central enterprise's profits.

Changan Automobile mentioned at the performance explanation meeting that, affected by the overall industry downturn in the first half, market demand continued to weaken. The company went all out to stabilize operations and grab sales volume. Although the half-year results were below expectations due to the general environment, it still stabilized the core business.

But in the view of AutosKline, guarding the core business itself has already consumed a large amount of resources.

02

In the first half, Changan Automobile's total sales volume was 1.1189 million units, down 17.44% year-on-year. Among them, new energy vehicle sales were 414,200 units, down 8.3% year-on-year.

But excluding the gap of about 70,000 units from the Lumin model which stopped production this year, the new energy sales actually grew by about 11% year-on-year. This means the sales growth of other products is just enough to fill the exit of old products.

[Image Source: Changan Automobile Announcement]

In this view, the contraction of fuel vehicles is the more troublesome problem.

Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers shows that the domestic fuel vehicle market contracted by 27.8% year-on-year in the first half. Changan Automobile's main fuel models such as CS75 PLUS, sales volume dropped nearly 40% year-on-year.

Looking by brand, the situation is more differentiated.

Changan Qiyuan delivered 173,800 units in the first half, achieved profitability in a single quarter in the second quarter, becoming the first brand in Changan Automobile's new energy sector to achieve self-sustaining growth. At the same time, Deepal Automobile delivered 164,200 units, a year-on-year growth of 14.6%, overseas sales 35,800 units, skyrocketing by 141%.

Avatr, which was highly expected internally by Changan Automobile, became the group's financial bleeding point. It delivered only 31,500 units in the first half, a year-on-year plunge of 46.74%. Cumulative losses over 4 years of establishment exceeded 13.2 billion yuan, to the point where Zhu Huarong proposed an integration plan for Avatr and Deepal Automobile in April this year for cost reduction and efficiency improvement.

[Image Source: Avatr Prospectus]

The Changan fuel vehicle main lineup, as the main force of fuel cars, delivered about 329,800 units cumulatively in the first half. Affected by the overall contraction of the fuel vehicle market, sales continued to be under pressure. The highlight lies in the performance of hybrid models.

AutosKline believes that in the process of switching from old to new drivers of momentum, Changan Automobile is experiencing a period of transition. The profit pool of fuel vehicles is quickly drying up, and although the scale of new energy business is expanding, profitability has not caught up yet.

03

In comparison, the overseas market became a highlight for Changan Automobile in the first half, just like most listed auto companies.

In the first half of this year, Changan Automobile's overseas sales were 455,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 51.9%; overseas income was 21.942 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 78.77%, with the share of total revenue rising from 16.89% to 33.43%. Overseas gross margin was 20.13%, far higher than the 11.67% of domestic business.

Changan Automobile's overseas strategy is named "Embrace All Waters". It was upgraded to version 2.0 in April this year, establishing the four principles of "Long-term, Localization, Systematization, and ESG Integration". The goal is to achieve overseas sales of 1.5 to 1.8 million units by 2030.

In the first half, its Brazil factory officially started production, the Thailand factory's 20,000th vehicle came off the line, and the overseas sales network has expanded to 129 countries and regions. However, the two subsidiaries responsible for exports encountered increased revenue but not increased profit.

Chongqing Xingzhi Technology revenue was 10.905 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 85%, net profit 165 million yuan, down 65% year-on-year; Changan International Sales Service revenue was 4.316 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 25.6%, net profit 137 million yuan, down 58% year-on-year; overseas gross margin also decreased by 2.1 percentage points year-on-year.

04

The costs of overseas channel construction, brand promotion, and localized operations are being incurred in advance, and profits are naturally eroded. More importantly, the larger the export scale, the greater the exchange rate risk exposure.

According to foreign currency monetary items disclosed in the semi-annual report, as of June 30, Changan Automobile's foreign currency assets totaled about 7.967 billion yuan, foreign currency liabilities about 3.356 billion yuan, net foreign currency exposure about 4.612 billion yuan.

As Changan Automobile stated in the semi-annual report, if the Renminbi appreciates or depreciates by 5% against the US dollar, it will increase or decrease net profit by about 66.1935 million yuan as a result.

Although Changan Automobile has already carried out forward foreign exchange hedging business, the amount sold for hedging in the first half was about 372 million yuan. Relative to over 4.6 billion yuan of net exposure, the coverage ratio is less than 10%, making it difficult to effectively hedge exchange rate fluctuation impact.

05

In addition, from the end of the first half to the release of the latest August sales data, Changan Automobile's overall situation has not improved.

Total sales for the first 8 months of this year were 1.4772 million units, down 17.92% year-on-year. The decline rate is still expanding compared to the first half. Independent brands' sales for the first 8 months were down 20.18% year-on-year, compared to 19.91% in the first half. The decline is also expanding.

The only comforting thing is new energy. Changan Automobile's August new energy single-month sales broke through 100,000 units, a year-on-year growth of 12.98%, and new energy penetration rate broke through 51%.

[Image Source: Changan Automobile Announcement]

From accumulated data, new energy's first 8 months cumulative sales were 589,500 units. The year-on-year decline has narrowed from 8.3% in the first half to 5.03%. Qiyuan, Deepal and other brands continued to scale up, becoming main drivers.

But if placed under the group's overall performance, this result is obviously not enough.

At the beginning of the year, the group set an annual sales target of 3.3 million units. The completion rate for the first 8 months was less than 45%. In the remaining 4 months, monthly average needs to exceed 450,000 units to meet the target. In the current market environment, this is an impossible mission.

06

For such reality, perhaps Changan Automobile itself is also hard to feel satisfied.

At the semi-annual performance explanation meeting on August 31, facing online investor questions, Changan Automobile management's answer left people bewildered.

When investors asked about HEV model sales, Changan Automobile answered how advanced the Blue Whale Ultra Engine hybrid technology is; when asked about second-half performance outlook, the official answer was "Will continue to deeply promote three major plans" and "Persist in value orientation, volume and profit balanced operating principle"; when asked about capacity utilization rate, it only said "See disclosed relevant reports", turning to explain how to improve operational efficiency.

Behind these answers to non-questions, reflects Changan Automobile's caution and avoidance when communicating with investors under operational pressure. No matter how grand the enterprise high-level strategy is depicted, it cannot cover the reality of operational difficulties.

In the first half, Changan Automobile's three core strategies - Smart "Beidou Tianshu", New Energy "Shangri-La", and Overseas "Embrace All Waters", all made progress in technology and scale. But between strategy and profit, there are multiple variables such as product, market, cost, exchange rate, etc.

R&D investment has not yet converted to significant profit contribution. New energy brands are still continuously losing money. Fuel vehicle base accelerates contraction. Export business volume increases but profit does not.

07

After the semi-annual report release, multiple mainstream brokerages' judgment on Changan Automobile was highly consistent. They believe its short-term performance is dragged by exchange rate and other non-recurring factors, but the medium-to-long term logic of overseas expansion, new energy loss reduction, and smart technology remains unchanged.

CITIC Securities believes Q2 product structure continued to optimize, overseas sales hit a quarterly high. At the same time, based on domestic demand pressure, it lowered the full-year earnings forecast. Guoyuan Securities values Tianshu Smart Driving completion from hardware to complete solution loop.

However, institutions' prediction for full-year net profit ranges from 2 billion yuan to 5.6 billion yuan, divergence is quite large. Most research reports also warned of domestic demand continuing to bear pressure, industry competition intensifying, overseas trade barriers and exchange rate fluctuation, etc. risks.

For this semi-annual report, capital market feedback was relatively flat. On the first trading day after the semi-annual report release (August 31), Changan Automobile micro-dropped 0.42%. In that week, its stock price only micro-grew 0.28%, closing at 7.12 yuan. The stock price being nearly zero fluctuation might be because the profit performance forecast released in July already released most negative news in advance.

But if the time line is lengthened, since this year, Changan Automobile stock price has fallen from 11.74 yuan at year start to 7.11 yuan at noon close on September 10, a decline of 39.44%.

Views of AutosKline:

Changan Automobile's semi-annual report is a typical answer sheet for a traditional auto giant experiencing pain during key transition period.

Exchange losses and asset impairment amplified the profit decline. But even excluding these factors, fuel vehicle base contraction, new energy not yet profitable, overseas expansion investment period triple pressure superposition is the truly structural problem to face.

Beidou Tianshu, Shangri-La, Embrace All Waters, these strategy names are loud enough. Technical level also indeed let outside world see this central enterprise's strength. But Changan Automobile needs to prove not only owning advanced technology, but more is products can sell well, money can earn.

Text is original by AutosKline, content reference materials from listed company announcements and industry public information (related companies and institutions should be responsible for the authenticity of truth); some parts from Internet images, copyright belongs to original owner.

This account article, without authorization, cannot reprint, violators will be prosecuted. At the same time, article content does not constitute investment advice to anyone! Stock market risk is high, investment must be cautious!

 According to media reports, Wang Hui, Vice President of Changan Automobile and Chairman of Avatr Technology, will shift his focus to Changan Automobile's globalization and has already started to be responsible for Southeast Asian and Central & South American business.

Chen Zhuo, promoted to Vice President of Changan Automobile this June, will take on more responsibility for Avatr.

 

Public records show that Wang Hui graduated from Wuhan University of Technology majoring in Material Forming and Control Engineering, joined Changan Automobile in July 2003. He has held various positions including the Process Planning Institute of the Process Technology Department of the Research General Institute, Chief of the Strategic Planning Division of the Strategic Planning Department, Director of the New Business Coordination Project Group, Office Director of the Company, and so on. In the 2010s, he was transferred to Changan Mazda Engine Co., Ltd., successively serving as Executive Vice President and Party Secretary. In September 2022, he was promoted to Vice President of Changan Automobile upon the President's nomination, becoming a core member of the young transformation of the enterprise management layer.

 

From 2023 to 2025, Wang Hui served as General Manager of the Overseas Business Development Department of Changan Automobile and General Manager of the Southeast Asia Division, promoting the construction of the Thailand factory and the implementation of the globalization strategy, proposing a localization rate target of over 80% for the Thailand factory.

 

After assuming the chairmanship of Avatr Technology, Wang Hui led the promotion of strategic cooperation with Huawei and CATL, establishing a new integrated development model of "one team, one goal, one strategy, one successful move", and led the investment affairs in Huawei Yinwang Company. In November 2025, Wang Hui promoted the announcement of the upgrade of the cooperation model with Huawei, launching the HI PLUS joint co-creation model, extending the scope of cooperation from pure technology supply to user insights, product definition, product development, integrated marketing, team co-building and other full value chain links. At the same time, the globalization layout principle of "no overseas without domestic, no overseas without first-class, no long-term without value" was proposed, promoting Avatr to enter 34 national markets and planning to expand to 46-50 countries in 2026.

 

In the first half of this year, although Changan Automobile's revenue decreased by 9.71% and net profit attributable to the parent company also declined by 64.32%, overseas business grew rapidly. Among them, overseas sales reached 455,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 51.9%; overseas revenue was 21.942 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 78.77%, accounting proportion of total revenue rose from 16.89% to 33.43%. Overseas gross margin was 20.13%, far higher than the 11.67% of domestic business.

 

It is worth noting that although Avatr had the backing of three giants, Changan, Huawei, and CATL, its development was not smooth in recent years.

From 2022 to 2025, Avatr accumulated losses exceeding 13.2 billion yuan.

In the first half of 2026, Avatr delivered approximately 27,619 units year-to-date, a year-on-year decline of 51.3%, completing only 12.6% of the full-year target of 220,000 units set at the beginning of the year.

 

The listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange was also fraught with twists and turns. In November 2025, Avatr submitted a listing application to the HKEX for the first time, but due to failing to complete the listing hearing within the specified time, it automatically expired on May 27, 2026. On June 30 this year, Avatr resubmitted the listing application to the HKEX, currently in the review process stage, with no clear listing schedule.

Source: Car Observation

  

The moment the press conference ended, people around started placing orders

After Changan Auto released its Tianshu Pilot technology, Qiyuan Q06 simultaneously opened pre-sale orders, with a reservation price starting from 147,900 yuan. There are 7 pure electric versions and 2 extended-range versions, totaling 9 models.

Due to its strong performance in various aspects, it instantly switched to a high-volume order mode.

Where there is popularity, there are controversies. Someone asked an interesting question: Is this car the Changan version of the Xiaomi YU7?

This plainly reflects the questioning many new cars faced in the past year: Does Car A look like Car B? Is it a rushed product?

This is also the reason why Changan released the Tianshu Pilot technology before the Qiyuan Q06 pre-sale.

The strongest trump card of Qiyuan Q06 is three words — Full Self-Development. Tianshu Pilot, Tianshu Cockpit, Tianshu Chassis, three major "Tian Series" technologies gathered on one car for the first time, all developed by Changan from the ground up, representing a total release of Changan Auto's over a decade of intelligent accumulation.

In this issue, we will use four I Ching hexagrams, with Qiyuan Q06 as a product case, to excavate Changan Auto's core competitiveness in the Chinese and global markets.

Qian Hexagram: Single-segment End-to-End, Grasping the Core of Intelligent Driving

Qiyuan Q06 debuts with Tianshu Pilot Ultra, the first single-segment end-to-end intelligent driving system self-developed by a central state-owned enterprise.

What is a single-segment end-to-end? It's not engineers writing rules line by line, but the system watching over 20 million real driving videos and learning how to drive itself. Lane changes are smooth, cornering is stable, acceleration and deceleration are like an experienced driver, because it learned from real humans how to drive.

The hardware specs are tough too: 560 TOPS computing chip, 256-line LiDAR, LiDAR standard on all trims. In low light, backlight, rain, or fog, the machine sees clearer than humans. Achieving "identification earlier than humans" relies on 10Hz high-frequency inference and active LiDAR detection, so even in bad weather, it's not panic.

In terms of features, Highway NCA and City NCA are fully connected, usable from city areas to highways. Over 400 parking scenarios, including narrow spots, dead-end roads, diagonal spots, all handled in one move. 31 active safety functions monitor throughout, the system reacts before humans in emergency situations.

The most amazing is Interactive Pilot. Users just say "Lane change overtake", "Turn right at next intersection", the system understands instantly, also responds to continuous composite commands. Not making people adapt to the car, but the car adapts to people.

Why can these be done? It's the accumulation of full self-development technology. Not bought black boxes, not supplier solutions. It was polished and researched night and day by Changan's 7500 engineers.

The Qian Hexagram says "Heaven moves vigorously, the gentleman strives unceasingly". If you cannot master core technology yourself, you will always be choked by others.

Kun Hexagram: 2940mm Wheelbase plus 800V Fast Charging, Good Cars Make People Feel Secure

No matter how strong the intelligent driving is, the car is ultimately for people to sit in. In this aspect, Qiyuan Q06 goes the extra mile.

Wheelbase 2940mm, longest in its class, space efficiency 91.7%. Exterior doesn't look bulky, interior is very spacious. Rear seatback 145-degree infinite electric adjustment, all seats feature ventilation, heating, and massage. 1.3 meters interior net height, 479mm pure flat corridor, three people in rear seats don't hit legs or shoulders squeezed, dubbed the "Comfort Rear Seat King", not an exaggeration.

In terms of cockpit comfort, 15.6-inch 2.5K HD entertainment screen, sky screen with electric sunshade, instantly becomes a mobile cinema. The "Light Rail Passing Through Building" style electric sunshade, operation feels particularly ceremonial, just swipe lightly to open.

The chassis uses Tianshu Chassis, front double wishbone rear multi-link, luxury car level configuration. Class debut dual-motor rear drive, plus torque vector control, left and right wheel torque independent output. Makes Qiyuan Q06 not slip in rain, not float at high speed, not drift in turns, stable to drive, comfortable to sit.

Range and recharging are equally important, 800V Silicon Carbide platform plus 6C fast charging, fastest "one kilometer per second", charge 5 minutes, range 200 km. CATL battery cells, pure electric 700 km, extended range combined 1600 km, whether city commute or long distance travel, range anxiety basically non-existent.

"The greatness of technology lies not only in being advanced but also in being popularized". Kun Hexagram says "Virtuousness carries all things". Vehicle design is sufficiently generous, large space, stable chassis, long range, so a family can travel safely without worry, enjoying pleasure.

Ji Ji Hexagram: Not a Rushed Car, 15 Years of Ultimate Polishing

Many brands making intelligent driving cars wish to launch dozens of models a year, "Honest Car Making" Changan Auto does not do this.

In 2009, Changan established an intelligent research department, at that time most people didn't know what intelligent driving was. After 15 years, the intelligent team grew from 0 to 7500 people, investment over 60 billion. The first L3 autonomous driving official license plate in the country was taken by Changan, the only national key laboratory focusing on intelligent vehicle safety technology in the country was built by Changan.

This mass production of Tianshu Pilot Ultra on board, behind it is over 400,000 virtual simulation scenario trainings, cumulative verified mileage about 1.45 billion km. Changan executives personally served as "drivers", driving Qiyuan Q06 across dozens of cities nationwide, elevated merging, narrow road pedestrian-vehicle mixed traffic, polishing scenario by scenario.

To ensure users drive worry-free, Changan Auto also specially designed "Tianshu Pilot Peace of Mind Package", accident loss compensation, premium hike compensation, total loss replacement compensation, new and old users buying before end of 2026 all get free for one year. Full scenario protection, full process service, all users available.

Changan used 15 years to polish the sword extremely, only then do we have the today's complete intelligent driving solution composed of single-segment end-to-end, City NCA, over 400 parking scenarios together.

This is something rushed cars simply cannot do.

Ji Ji Hexagram water on fire, rice already cooked. Changan's intelligent driving feast, brewed for 15 years, verifies an old saying, good food is not afraid of being late.

Da You Hexagram: Full Stack Self-Development is the Root, Deep Roots Allow Leaves to Flourish

Someone asked, why can Qiyuan Q06 bring the pre-sale price down to 147,900?

The answer is still the previous three words: Full Self-Development.

Tianshu Pilot from chip to algorithm to chassis, all Changan does itself, not bought black boxes, not supplier patchwork solutions, it is written line by line by code by 7500 engineers.

Because of self-development, costs are controllable. 560 TOPS computing, 256 line LiDAR, 800V Silicon Carbide, 6C Fast Charging, dual-motor rear drive, full aluminum front double wishbone rear multi-link, these things put together, others need to sell for 300,000, Changan can sell for 147,900.

Because of self-development, iteration is fast enough, OTA upgrades don't need to wait for supplier schedules, Changan calls the shots.

Because of self-development, safety guarantee, the only National Key Laboratory for Intelligent Vehicle Safety in the country is Changan's own, Tianshu Intelligent Experiment Center is also Changan's own.

Tianshu Pilot divided into four gradients — Pro, Max, Ultra, Ultimate, LiDAR standard on all trims, single-segment end-to-end on all trims. Not luxury goods made for a few, but to let everyone use them.

Da You Hexagram says "Fire in the sky, light shines everywhere", full stack self-development is that fire, illuminating the road where 140,000 price range can also enjoy high-level intelligent driving.

Conclusion: Deeply Planted Roots, Branches and Leaves Can Reach Far

Full stack self-development root has been planted down, Changan's branches and leaves start to stretch outwards.

In 2025, Changan's annual overseas sales 637,000 vehicles, YoY growth 18.9%, exports accounted for 21.9% of total sales. First half of 2026, overseas delivery 402,000 vehicles, YoY sharp increase 35.1%, overseas business proportion in total sales has been raised to about 33.6%. Overseas business gross margin maintained above 20%, became Changan's high profitability second growth curve.

Thailand Rayong Factory 20,000th vehicle roll out, Brazil Anapolis Factory completed and production. Sales channels cover 129 countries and regions, global layout 93 factories. Changan plans to land Tianshu Pilot's Highway NCA solution overseas first next year.

From Chongqing to the world, from full stack self-development to global layout, Changan walks a path of "Deep Roots Flourishing Leaves".

Changan Auto Group Chairman Zhu Horong said at the press conference: "Core technology must be grasped in one's own hands, central state-owned enterprises must shoulder the banner of national competitiveness, new quality productive forces, technology self-reliance and self-strengthening."

Qiyuan Q06 is this flag. 147,900, single-segment end-to-end, 256 line LiDAR, 800V fast charging, dual-motor rear drive -, this car is not a substitute for anyone, it is Changan showing the sword polished for 15 years, pointing to the global.

Sword is drawn, the road to going global is illuminated.

In the past two years, the choice of intelligent assisted driving solutions by automotive companies has triggered a massive discussion in the industry regarding the "Soul Theory"—but this has not stopped most automotive companies from seizing market opportunities. They continue to choose mainstream suppliers' intelligent driving systems and smart cockpits to improve their products' competitiveness. Obviously, establishing an intelligent driving system requires evolution from "consciousness" to "pragmatism," and it cannot be achieved overnight, as this involves R&D investments in the range of tens of billions. Now, a new Central SOE has finally taken a substantive step, and that is Changan Automobile.

On September 4th at the 6th Changan Tech Ecosystem Conference, the release of Changan Tianshu Leading technology and the pre-sale launch of Changan Qiyuan Q06 were officially held, which can be considered a closed-loop response to the "Soul Theory" of that year. In the subsequent media communication session, Changan Automobile Executive Vice President Yang Dayong directly pointed out the core of Changan's intelligent driving self-research: "From the beginning of creating the Changan brand and Qiyuan brand until now, what we were waiting for was Tianshu Leading. Changan Qiyuan models will be equipped with, and only equipped with, Changan's self-developed Tianshu Leading intelligent driving assistance system in the future. The core reason comes down to two words: Brand."

Objectively speaking, in this era where almost every car company talks about "end-to-end," there are not many companies that have truly implemented mass production with a fully self-developed one-piece end-to-end approach. However, Changan is an exception among them. With cumulative sales breaking through 30 million units, persisting in intelligent R&D for over a decade, and investing over 60 billion into the intelligent sector, Changan's firmly chosen path of full-stack self-research still holds relatively high value today.

Of course, if this path is simply labeled as "computing power competition" and "scenario coverage," it is actually looking at Changan's decision too simply. Firmly choosing such a capital-intensive route and releasing a product with superior intelligent driving levels without setting a high threshold, the strategic significance behind Changan's intelligent driving self-research is worth deep discussion.

Changan Intelligent Driving Self-Research Understands the "Coase Boundary"

Even though intelligent driving is a topic that mainstream car companies must face, the matter of "whether to self-research" is understood differently by everyone. Facing fierce market competition, thinking about your own "Coase Boundary" in advance is perhaps the more reasonable answer to this question. The Coase Theory holds that when market transaction costs are higher than internal organization costs, enterprises choose to "do it themselves" rather than "buy from others." In other words, how much an enterprise should do depends on the cost comparison between building in-house and outsourcing.

Theoretically, the current Chinese intelligent driving market has a fairly mature supplier ecosystem. Any of Huawei, Momenta, or Horizon could allow Changan to take a shortcut in intelligent driving; Changan has the condition for "plug and play" in this field. Transferring R&D costs to the supply chain and focusing on vehicle manufacturing and brand marketing is also a choice for many car companies.

Surprisingly, Changan did not do this. So what was its choice? Since establishing an intelligent R&D team in 2009, Changan has persisted on the self-research route, building an intelligent R&D team of over 7,500 people and constructing the only National Key Laboratory in China focusing on intelligent vehicle safety technology. It can be seen that Changan's investment in this area is huge.

"Why must we insist on self-research? Without self-research capability, it is difficult for the brand to clearly explain to consumers: Why should users choose us? What differentiated experience can we provide? Consumers are not just buying a car, but an affirmation of the brand, which is also an important part of our brand's new quality productive forces." Yang Dayong stated.

Then, why take the detour instead of the shortcut? In our exclusive interview, Changan Automobile Vice President He Gang provided an explanation. He mainly mentioned four points: First, only self-research allows for deep understanding of user needs and polishing products with real data; Second, only self-research possesses complete system analysis capabilities. When vehicle anomalies occur, problems can be located at the whole vehicle level. If only doing the intelligent driving single module, the whole picture of the vehicle cannot be seen; Third, only self-research can achieve rapid iterative optimization. After problems are found, data can be quickly collected, models trained, and simulations verified; Fourth, only self-research can back up safety and responsibility. As an OEM, it must be responsible for the final result of the whole vehicle.

From these perspectives, Changan's decision logic is very clear. When intelligent driving technology becomes a "core differentiated element" of automotive products, market transaction costs will exceed internal organization costs. Outsourcing intelligent driving solutions may look like a "shortcut" on the surface, but hidden costs are very high. Apart from negotiation costs, coordination costs, and iteration costs, the core thing belongs to others, making it difficult to form a true technical barrier. For a car company of Changan's scale, "borrowing the path" is not a long-term plan.

Besides the underlying considerations at the strategic level, the long-term value of the self-research route is more reflected in the core advantages of the technical architecture. Changan Automobile Chief Intelligent Driving Technology Officer Tao Ji broke down Tianshu Leading's "one-piece end-to-end" into three layers: First is the World Model. Driving is a dynamic game task; the vehicle needs to truly "read" the intentions of other traffic participants and play games with them; Second is the Body Model, incorporating vehicle dynamics and chassis capabilities into the large model to understand the "boundaries of muscle capability"; Third is the Multimodal Large Model, allowing the system to understand natural language instructions like "follow that grey sedan in front" and accurately map them to specific vehicles in 3D physical space. The three eventually share a backbone of a basic large model in the cloud. This is also the most essential difference between Tianshu Leading and "outsourced solutions."

Changan chose to self-develop Tianshu Leading. This system forms a deep coupled system-level synergy with the SDA Tianshu Central Ring Network Architecture, Tianshu Chassis, and Tianshu Cockpit 2.0. This synergy cannot be achieved by any outsourced solution. Yang Dayong stated at the communication meeting: "According to Changan's planning, whether it is Changan Automobile or Changan Qiyuan Brand, Changan brand models will be equipped with, and only equipped with, Changan's self-developed Tianshu Leading intelligent driving assistance system. So far, we have no intention to introduce other suppliers to provide intelligent driving assistance overall solutions for the Changan Brand. The core reason comes down to two words: Brand." Changan wants to clarify "why choose us" to consumers through this way and further shape brand recognition. From a long-term perspective, this is a very visionary move to enhance brand competitiveness.

Changan's ambition goes beyond self-research and self-use. He Gang revealed: "When Tianshu Leading was originally planned, it was to build a global intelligent platform, hoping to provide it to all car factories and industries related to intelligent robots, such as robots, flying cars, etc. Currently, besides our product brands, external car factories are also communicating with us. Some strategic agreements will be released recently, and next year, some models in vehicles outside the Changan family will be equipped." This means Changan's role positioning in the intelligent driving field is extending from "Client" to "Solution Provider."

Behind Qiyuan Q06 Pricing is a Downward Marginal Cost Curve

At the 6th Changan Tech Ecosystem Conference, Qiyuan Q06 started pre-sales. The pre-sale price starting from 147,900 RMB was quite unexpected, especially since this is a vehicle fully equipped with LiDAR and carrying the Tianshu Leading intelligent driving system. If adding the 800V Silicon Carbide High Voltage Platform, 6C Fast Charging, front double wishbone rear multi-link full aluminum suspension, etc., it is clearly a pricing exceeding industry norms.

Now the industry is heavily competitive, and breaking existing price anchors while improving value experience is not easy. Now Changan has done this with this new car. Why? After all, its marginal cost curve is moving downward. The cost structure of outsourced solutions is "linear," making the upfront investment look acceptable. However, in reality, for every car sold, the car company needs to pay a fixed licensing fee or hardware premium to Tier 1.

To put it bluntly, no matter how much car companies want to reduce costs, there is a supplier's profit floor controlling it. Self-research solutions are different. The cost structure of self-research solutions is "steep then flat," meaning huge upfront investment, but the marginal cost keeps decreasing. For example, Changan's upfront R&D investment is a fixed cost. Once mass production is completed, the "intelligent driving marginal cost" for every additional car is only chip, sensor, and other hardware material costs.

Beyond self-research, Changan has further confidence in cost reduction. Hesai's official website mentioned that it has obtained exclusive mass production projects for multiple Changan brands, with planned orders exceeding 1.5 million units. This scale of centralized procurement means Changan has more bargaining space on the hardware side. Therefore, behind Yang Dayong saying "this car must make money," is a problem calculated in advance. On one hand, self-research amortizes fixed costs; on the other hand, centralized procurement suppresses hardware costs. Under dual-wheel drive, Changan dares to break norms with Qiyuan Q06 and re-calibrate the value of this level of vehicle. Qiyuan Brand's actual sales also prove the correctness of Changan's strategy in recent years.

"Qiyuan's global sales broke 45,000 in August. After Q06 is out, I believe the number will increase further. Moreover, this number was achieved under the difficult situation of guaranteeing Q05 supply now, with tens of thousands of Q05 orders still not delivered. Plus Q06, I personally think Qiyuan's average monthly sales might have a chance to reach around 60,000 units, and the total sales this year should be around 400,000 units." For Changan Qiyuan's current achievements and next goals, Yang Dayong believes there is more confidence and optimism with the support of Tianshu Leading.

In the interview, Changan Qiyuan General Manager Li Rui revealed that Q06 pre-sales reached 11,000 units in two hours last night. Among the two major configuration gradients, one is Tianshu Leading Pro, the other is Tianshu Leading Ultra. The percentage of customers choosing Tianshu Leading Ultra reached 53%. Most customers chose the 700 km range, and they have a higher focus on intelligent driving assistance. Especially Changan Automobile's inaugural dual-motor rear-drive data, the users who chose it account for about 33%. This means the willingness of initial users to pay for intelligent driving is not low, and it also shows that although car companies have huge investment in self-research, the outbreak of market demand will allow car companies to quickly welcome the return period.

Gaining User Trust, Central SOE Identity is an "Open Card"

To take root in the intelligent driving track, "safety" is the story that must be told well. However, various intelligent driving safety accidents that occurred in the industry in the past did not leave people with a good impression. The trust deficit consumers have in intelligent driving is a problem every car company must face. Changan's advantage lies in its ability to tell the story well and its strength to implement the story. Of course, here is an "open card," which is the Central SOE identity.

In economics, there is a concept called "Credible Commitment." When one party can make an irrevocable commitment, transaction costs can be reduced, and trust efficiency improved. As a Central SOE, Changan has a very high cost to breach commitments. This "dare not mess around" constraint actually makes it easier for people to generate trust. At the launch event, Changan repeatedly emphasized "Assisted Driving is not Autonomous Driving" and "No Exaggeration, No Misleading." Its statement on intelligent driving safety issues carries the characteristics of "Credible Commitment."

This "dare not mess around" constraint is also reflected very specifically in Changan's R&D system. He Gang revealed at the communication meeting that Changan has officially included intelligent driving "generalization testing" into the development test system. 500 engineers cover 45 cities nationwide for road tests. After each version iteration, engineers receive differentiated map tasks for on-site testing. The backend statistics takeover times and other key data in real-time. This mechanism ensures Tianshu Leading will not only stay at "works well in Chongqing," but truly possesses "can work nationwide" generalization capabilities.

In addition, there are a few key points that can indirectly reflect the trustworthiness of Changan's intelligent driving. Changan is the first car company in China to obtain official formal license plates for Level 3 autonomous driving and is also one of the first Central SOEs to obtain Level 4 Robotaxi test licenses. Behind these two licenses are the strict audits of ministries such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Public Security, carrying the meaning of "Official Certification" in itself. Changan also deeply participated in the formulation of ADS GTR International Regulations—the world's first unified technical regulations for autonomous driving—and led the formulation of multiple national standards such as "Automated Driving Classification of Automobiles." Currently, Changan has deeply participated in formulating over 270 international, national, and industry standards, including over 60 in the intelligent field. It can be seen that Changan's strength in intelligent driving is very hardcore.

Besides, the Qiyuan Brand has not only focused on the domestic market but repeatedly emphasized "Domestic and Overseas Global One Game." In August 2026, Changan Automobile's overseas deliveries reached 92,400 units, up 78.6% year-on-year, achieving year-on-year growth for 7 consecutive months; With the completion of the Brazil Factory production and the 20,000th whole vehicle rolling off the line from the Thailand Rayong Factory, Changan's localized production network continues to deepen, and the overseas market is becoming one of its core growth pillars. He Gang's judgment on overseas intelligent driving implementation is that Highway NCA will spread quickly, but Urban is not that easy. After personally visiting multiple countries, he believes that the UAE road conditions are clear, lane lines are neat, and driving behavior is good, which might be the best overseas market for layout Urban NCA. Senior management is not aggressive, cautious and rhythmic attitude, which is very rare in the industry.

Trial of multi-form consumer markets has already become an important idea for Changan Automobile after core technology support, because for a time-honored car company, the "sense of crisis" always exists.

Yang Dayong analyzed: "There are currently about 120+ automotive brands in China, among which there are about 50-60 with certain sales scale that can enter the rising list. Among these 50-60 brands, the truly active ones, which contribute about 80% of China's auto market sales, are about 25, belonging to 10 to 15 OEMs. According to the '80/20 Rule' deduction, by 2030 or a future point in time, the ones that may finally survive are just these 20+ brands. From over 120 reducing to 20+ means the Chinese market will eliminate about 100 brands in the next few years, inevitably followed by extremely fierce even brutal competition." According to his judgment, before 2030, competition in China's auto market will still be in a white-hot stage. Changan Automobile is confident to be among those 20+ brands and can persist in walking for a long time, and this requires enterprises to build unique competitive advantages in brand power, product power, marketing power, and other aspects.

Conclusion

Tianshu Leading launch, redefined the marginal cost curve of intelligent driving with full-stack self-research and scale effect; Qiyuan Q06, with a pre-sale price starting from 147,900 RMB, reshaped the value anchor of intelligent driving models; Plus the Central SOE identity trust endorsement, management's control of industry rhythm, and constructed differentiated brand cognition, Changan is building a differentiated brand cognition system, every step is walked solidly and clearly.

Industry competition will only become more fierce, and Changan's answer sheet about the "Soul Theory" has been written clearly enough. This is not only a business choice for a car company to gain market recognition through technical self-research, but also a strategic layout for a new Central SOE to carry the banner of core technology independence and controllability in the automotive intelligence wave. From self-research and self-use to open empowerment, from the domestic market to the global stage, Changan's strategic layout ultimately points to the core discourse power of China's automotive industry in the global intelligent competition.

September 4, at the Changan Technology Ecosystem Conference, Changan Tianshu Pilot Technology was launched alongside the Origin Q06 presale. Booking prices range from 147,900 to 189,900 yuan, with two powertrains (pure electric and range-extended) totaling nine models.

The Origin Q06 comes standard with Changan's in-house Tianshu Pilot Intelligent Driving, 256-line LiDAR, 560 TOPS computing power directly downgraded to the 150k level. 800V high-voltage platform plus 6C ultra-fast charging, charging power from 30% to 80% takes as little as 9 minutes.

Over the past three years, Origin relied on the Q05 to carry sales. Behind the August sales volume of nearly 46,000 units lies a product structure where a single car supports half the business. What Q06 aims to do is pack Changan Group's best-kept technology into the mainstream price range, allowing Origin to upgrade from a sales supporter to a technology supporter, and serve as the market verifier and technology popularization pioneer for Changan's systematic technology downgrading.

Perhaps the path of Changan's technology equality can be summarized in eight words: Origin Verification, Matrix Charge.

Put the best technology into the 150k level

First look at the most counter-intuitive move of this presale: the selection point for technology first fitment.

Tianshu Pilot is Changan's in-house end-to-end assisted driving solution, divided into Pro, Max, Ultra three tiers, computing power ranges from 100+ TOPS all the way to 500+ TOPS. The Ultra version is equipped with VLM Vision Language Large Model, capable of interactive assisted driving. This system did not choose to launch first on other brands within the group, but was first fitted to the Origin Q06 starting at 147,900 yuan, achieving standard equipment across the entire series.

The intensity of hardware downgrading at this price point is rare. 256-line LiDAR, 27 sensing hardware, 560 TOPS computing power. This configuration last year was for models in the 300k price range.

Technical depth is also backed: relying on over 20 million lines of human driving data training, identifying obstacles 2 seconds earlier than human eyes in low light scenarios; Tianshu Center's simulation capability covers 400,000 scenarios.

Functionally, end-to-end pilot assistance covers highways and urban areas, supporting 3km long-distance memory parking and 100m track backward driving, AEB daylight maximum support 135km/h stationary braking.

Changan lacks no technology in the laboratory, but lacks the decisiveness to deliver technology to mass-production vehicles on time. Tianshu Pilot choosing Origin instead of higher-end brands for first fitment is itself a statement: what Changan wants is not a technology showcase, but a technology harvesting machine.

Three-electric systems also follow flagship standards. Pure electric version based on 800V silicon carbide high-voltage platform, 6C ultra-fast charging, CLTC range 602km and 700km two tiers, battery 66.02kWh and 80.02kWh, single motor 225kW and 245kW two power levels, dual motor four-wheel drive integrated 330kW. Range-extended version equipped with 28kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, pure electric range 200km, integrated range over 1,600km, system power 270kW. Pure electric and range-extended dual power displayed side by side, offsetting the two ends of anxiety for 150k level users at once.

Chassis and cabin also have no weak points. Front double wishbone rear five-link full aluminum suspension, 4837/1970/1670mm body, 2940mm wheelbase, official claims space yield rate 91.7%. Rear row 145-degree zero-pressure stepless adjustment plus 28-point massage, 196L front trunk, 236 LED bulbs' smile headlights and 274 bulb star ring taillights. Configuration density is built according to 200k level standards.

Rich Roles, From Sales Support to Technology Support

The significance of Q06 to Origin must be seen from the reverse of this sales report card.

August, Changan Origin delivered 45,885 units, year-on-year growth 103.1%. Same door brother Deep Blue cars 28,659 units, Avatr 8,082 units. Origin one brand's delivery volume, more than the sum of Deep Blue plus Avatr, sits firmly first in Changan system.

But behind the prosperity lies a structural problem. Origin's sales heavily rely on one car, the Q05. July Q05 delivered 18,871 units, consecutive 4 months reigned champion of compact SUV, supporting half of Origin's business. Sales supported by one car is essentially betting brand fate on a single hit. The more successful Q05 is, the greater Origin's product structure risk. Once demand fluctuates in this price range, or Q05 enters the end of product cycle, Origin's growth curve will lose speed, this situation is not lacking cases among top brands.

Q06's task is to dispel such potential risks, find another growth curve for Origin or Changan.

147.9k to 189.9k price range, exactly fills Origin's gap in 150k-200k level. Existing product line supports 100k level home sedan, connects down to 200k level SUV, Q06 fills the most mainstream, highest volume golden price range in the middle.

Greater significance for Changan. Among Origin, Deep Blue, Avatr three passenger car brands, Origin is the most reliable base. Deep Blue monthly sales 28k, Avatr 8k vehicles, high-end story sounds good, but obviously didn't support scale. Changan New Energy August delivery 105,000 units, year-on-year growth 22.7%, penetration rate near 50%, every sold two Changan vehicles one is new energy. Half the pressure of this big market is on Origin's shoulders.

Origin Product Promotion Director Qiu Bei's statement is: Origin is striving to converge towards Million Origin, this year has continuously for many months firmly ranked in China New Energy Brand Sales Top Ten. Q06 is the decisive move on this million road.

150k Price Range, The Most Ruthless Meat Grinder

But must pour a basin of cold water. The 150k level mid-size SUV market Q06 enters, is the segment with highest industry supply density, most brutal price war, most picky consumers.

Supply density first look at a set of background. August narrow-sense passenger car retail expected 1.58 million units, month-on-month growth 8.1%, big market slightly warm, but warmth didn't fall to 150k level. This price range squeezes all camps' main forces: domestic brands volume models, joint venture brands counter-attack forces, new forces' low-price product lines, all in same track close combat, mid-size SUV segment monthly new car supply long-term oversupply.

Consumer pickiness degree is also highest in industry. 150k level buyers spoiled by years of configuration arms race out of picking and choosing habit: range not standing on 600km step out, fast charging power low out, no LiDAR out, seat function not enough complete out. Any item absence, configuration party directly vote with feet.

Specific to Q06, pressure comes from three dimensions.

Range and recharging arms race. Same level mainstream models range already generally stood on 600km, flash charging technology is rapidly probing down from flagship models. Q06's 700km and 6C fast charging only squeezed into first echelon, yet to constitute generation difference advantage. 9 minute recharging experience indeed leads, but when industry overall recharging level all climbing, this lead window won't be too wide.

Intelligent driving equality race accelerating. Many car companies all pushing LiDAR and end-to-end solutions to 150k level, Tianshu Pilot's first fit dividend window, optimistic estimate only few months. Qiu Bei said Q06 urban smooth degree especially good, already possessed first-class driving intelligence ability, this words established, but first-class not equal unique, few months later same level intelligent driving configuration will rapidly level out.

Range-extended and pure electric civil war. Q06 itself provides range-extended and pure electric two sets of power, this is both demand coverage, also shows 150k level users to pure electric recharging still have anxiety. Range-extended version integrated range over 1,600km, obviously prepared for anxious crowd Plan B.

So in 150k level, no technology moat, only technology time difference. Changan's real exam question is, Tianshu Pilot's iteration speed can it beat competitor's follow speed, here need to put a question mark. Changan's R&D system once turned to agile iteration, scale effect will appear, otherwise Q06 is another pile material car, piled even thicker, only configuration table victory.

Origin Verification, Matrix Charge

Pull perspective to Changan Group level, Q06's true value fully emerges: it is Tianshu Pilot's scale verification field, after verification passes, technology will along Changan's brand matrix downwards compatible, upwards harvest.

Logic chain is like this. New technology mass production cost curve, needs scale to flatten. Origin is Changan system inside volume capability strongest brand, Q06 monthly sales once站稳，256 line LiDAR and computing platform procurement cost will be quickly diluted, then downcast Deep Blue and Avatr marginal cost tends to zero. First use sales largest brand run technology mature, bring cost down, then use high-end brand collect brand premium, this is a complete system arithmetic.

Traditional car company technology path usually flagship brand first, mainstream brand follow, Changan reverse walk, let volume brand first verify. Seemingly technology courtesy, actually cost calculation. On Avatr first fit, technology premium will be diluted by high-end pricing, consumers only say this car originally should have; on Origin first fit, same technology becomes dimension reduction surprise, scale effect directly converted to supply chain bargaining power.

Matrix charge imagination space can be unfolded. Deep Blue focus on young tech sports, weak point exactly in intelligent driving narrative, Tianshu Pilot downcast after, intelligent driving ability and sports positioning form complement, Deep Blue product story immediately complete. Avatr already positioning high-end smart, wait technology mature after mount Ultra version, VLM vision language large model interactive ability can support higher pricing. Further out, Changan main brand huge fuel car base, also can undertake mature version scheme do stock upgrade, give old car owner a replace car technology reason. One fish multiple eat, one technology base feed full four brands.

But opposing perspective also worth attention. Multiple brands share technology exists dilution risk. Tianshu Pilot if simultaneously appears on 140k Origin and 300k Avatr, high-end brand technology exclusivity narrative is dismantled by self, recent certain new force brand co-creation partner brand and technology effect diluted sales halved is case. Industry technology downcast do well companies, commonality is technology layering and brand layering bite very tight, same base, different gradient, consumer perceived differentiation still clear. Changan's test is downcast rhythm and gradient design, cannot urge success.

Also one inescapable transmission risk: Origin Q06 if verification fails, matrix charge becomes matrix chain reaction. One brand's reputation accident, will along shared technology base transmit to whole system. This means Q06 only allow success, Changan bets system reputation also on.

Looking deeper, Origin verification, Matrix Charge's true significance, is to transform Changan's R&D system from cost center to profit center. Past enterprise technology R&D was budget driven, invest how much money produce how much results, results then slowly find spot, R&D expense in financial report is pure expenditure item. Changan now doing attempt, is to let market capacity largest brand act as technology first spot, use sales raise technology, then use technology feed back whole system. If this flywheel can turn up, is truly Changan car making logic reconstruction.

Three Year Promise, Origin's Coming of Age Ceremony

From August 2023 launch count, Origin just full three years. Three years from 0 to monthly sales 45,000 units, Jan to July global cumulative delivery breakthrough 210,000 units, in central enterprise new energy sequence live into number one player. Q06 is its coming of age ceremony, also Changan Shangri-La plan one last exam.

In front of Million target, Q06 is decisive variable. Monthly sales 45,000 units base, Q06 needs monthly average contribute 8,000 to 10,000 units, to support Million target required slope. This number in 150k level not impossible, but requires product reputation, delivery rhythm cannot appear flaw.

Overseas is second battlefield. Q05 already entered Thailand, Uzbekistan, about to land Europe multiple markets. Changan August overseas delivery 92,400 units, year-on-year growth 78.6%, continuous 7 months large growth. Qiu Bei summarizes this play as No Overseas No Changan. Q06's 800V and 6C fast charging in global market are hard currency, overseas pricing space than domestic wider, matrix overseas is this system next chapter.

Back to initial question. Origin Q06 surface is a new car presale, actually is Changan's central enterprise car making logic one time self reconstruction. Central enterprise lacks no technology, lacks always is send technology to mass production vehicle, let market test courage. This step walk correctly, Origin only then qualification talk Million target, Changan only then qualification talk system victory.

And Changan Origin Q06 presale release 2 hours, cumulative orders breakthrough 11,079 units, obviously first step is eye-catching.

At the Changan Mazda booth in Hall 3 of the Chengdu Auto Show, crowds were gathering. Mazda fans are focused on a "Mazda with LiDAR", and the MAZDA EZ-60 LiDAR Edition has officially started pre-sales.

As a brand with driving control genes deeply ingrained in people's hearts, Mazda still wants to be the "Driver's Car" in the smart driving era. Not competing for the best in smart driving, just doing what's right in smart driving, letting more people own good cars.

When competitors are competing on "count of cities opened for urban NOA" and "smart driving takeover rate", Mazda's approach appears somewhat "out of sync", but also exceptionally "Mazda-like".

Not Competing for the Best, Only Competing for the Right

"Now the whole industry is racing on smart driving parameters, computing power, and radar quantity, almost becoming standard equipment in the Chinese market." Facing this follow-up from "Auto Talk", Minoru Fujihashi, Vice President of Auto Marketing & Sales and General Manager of the Sales Branch of Changan Mazda, answered straight to the point.

Minoru Fujihashi pointed to the MX-5 on the booth and said: "It condenses Mazda's brand core: pursuit of driving pleasure, beauty of design, handling texture, riding comfort, and globally unified quality and safety standards." In his view, whether it is EZ-60 or EZ-6, both are models that integrate this brand DNA. "Users generally recognize their driving comfort, handling texture, and reassuring safety performance."

"For Mazda, the driving fun of 'Human-Machine Integration', driving pleasure and safety, is the unchanged fundamental." Fujihashi emphasized, "Smart driving is not a replacement for driving, but an upgrade and empowerment based on this."

Behind this statement is Changan Mazda's calm review of the industry's trend of "stacking computing power, competing radars, racing on parameters". Fujihashi believes: "Whether it is smart driving or human driving, the most primary thing for a car is still safety. Every decision of smart driving ultimately relies on excellent mechanical quality, a good chassis, good handling, to be executed safely. Good smart driving is not letting smart driving drive for you, but letting smart driving make driving safer for you."

The core logic of this smart driving philosophy is clear and restrained: not competing for the "best" in parameters, but competing for the "right" in user experience.

Double Experience Without Discount

What is the core positioning of the EZ-60 LiDAR Edition? The answer given by Fujihashi is "Double Experience Without Discount". "When users drive themselves, they can feel handling fun comparable to fuel cars, the car moves as they wish; in scenarios like high-speed long-distance, urban commuting congestion, the LiDAR smart driving system can provide reliable assistance, reducing driving burden."

This is exactly the core difference between Mazda and other brands. "Many brands' smart driving ideas turn the car into a simple commuter tool, turning users from 'drivers' into 'passengers'; but Mazda's idea is, whether personally controlling or enabling smart driving assistance, users can always feel smooth, controllable driving texture."

Since the launch of EZ-60 in September 2025, it has successively won the sales champion of joint venture new energy medium SUVs for 7 consecutive months. In terms of design, its signature 9 air duct aerodynamic design deeply integrates "Kodo" aesthetics and aerodynamics, successively winning German iF, Red Dot, American IDA and other 8 global top design awards. In terms of handling, after undergoing road tests in 9 countries globally, totaling 9 million kilometers, it was evaluated by owners as "The EV that feels most like a gas car when driven".

In terms of safety, 7-horizontal 5-vertical cage body paired with 86.5% high-strength steel proportion, passed the industry's first full-vehicle collision, rollover, immersion triple limit challenge, winning TOP Safety Top Safety Certification.

The arrival of the EZ-60 LiDAR Edition is exactly to complete the puzzle of advanced intelligent driving assistance on this solid foundation.

LiDAR On Board But Not Showing Off Skills

The EZ-60 LiDAR Edition takes one LiDAR as the core perception base, paired with 11 HD cameras and 12 ultrasonic radars, achieving full-scenario capability upgrades from driving, parking, and active safety three dimensions.

In terms of driving assistance, the new car achieves full coverage of highway and urban pilot navigation. Highway pilot supports autonomous lane changing, obstacle avoidance, on/off ramps within 0-130km/h speed range; urban pilot covers 0-80km/h main road scenarios, benefiting from end-to-end technical architecture, system response is faster, decisions more coherent. Cutting-in scenarios recognized at millisecond level, smooth avoidance, construction sections and illegally parked vehicles can achieve continuous S-shaped avoidance, intersection green light 0.8 second quick start. Class-exclusive "Cruise Companion" function, select target vehicle can stably follow the car.

Parking scenarios are also comprehensively upgraded, covering over 300 types of parking spaces. New "Door Close Parking" function, narrow parking spaces can get off and automatically complete parking; supports memory parking.

In terms of active safety, EZ-60 LiDAR Edition carries 25 active safety functions. Front stationary vehicles can be braked to stop up to 110km/h speed, longitudinal pedestrians up to 90km/h braking stop, suddenly appearing pedestrians, crossing vehicles within 50km/h speed can be effectively handled. AEB and AES braking yielding integrated, emergency braking and steering avoidance can be triggered synchronously under dangerous conditions.

In terms of hardware configuration, the new car carries 3nm automotive grade flagship intelligent cockpit chip. Fujihashi specially emphasized a detail: "Smart driving status visualization real-time sync, transparent interaction without taking over driving, users can take control anytime." The system will tell you in advance what it wants to do, will not wrest the steering wheel from you.

A "Listening to Advice" Adjustment

This pre-sale, EZ-60 LiDAR Edition launched "10 yuan deposit, daily expansion 100 yuan, up to 3600 yuan deduction" pre-sale rights.

Talking about this welfare strength adjustment, Fujihashi frankly said: "Last year Shanghai pre-sale we also launched expansion money activity, user feedback was very good, but there are also many users saying 6-month waiting cycle is too long. This time we absorbed past experience, end of September new car will launch, pre-sale cycle about 1 month, so we took the daily expansion amount from 10 yuan to 100 yuan."

From 10 yuan to 100 yuan, rose 10 times; from 6 months to 1 month, cycle significantly shortened. This is a pragmatic adjustment based on user feedback. "Let early-ordered users truly enjoy the benefits." Fujihashi said.

As the strategic fulcrum and export center of Mazda's global electrification, Changan Mazda has become the first domestic joint venture new energy vehicle enterprise to simultaneously obtain EU, UK, Australia three major markets full-vehicle certification.

Fujihashi introduced, EZ-6 began exporting from last year, first landed European market, this year will expand to Australia, Thailand and other regions; EZ-60 export work is also progressing steadily, this year second half will successively land Australia, Southeast Asia and European market. Currently Mazda EZ-6 (Overseas version Mazda 6e) has been exported to over 20 countries and regions globally.

"These two models from R&D beginning were global car positioning, China is the core market, at the same time facing global sales." Fujihashi said, "Changan Mazda Nanjing Factory is Mazda global new energy model R&D and manufacturing base."

Conclusion:

Amid the noise of the Chengdu Auto Show, Changan Mazda's booth has a special temperament. When almost all brands are competing on parameters, stacking hardware, this century-old brand chose a "special" road – not competing for "Best", only competing for "Right".

This is not conservative, but a kind of sobriety. In the interview with Fujihashi, heard is not resistance to smart driving, but is "who smart driving serves" deep thinking. Smart driving is not making driver become passenger, but making driving safer, easier; Smart driving is not replacing control, but empowering control.

Some cars are for looking at parameters, while some cars, are for experiencing. EZ-60 LiDAR Edition is exactly belonging to the latter!

On August 11, Changan Qiyuan officially announced that its brand-new Q05 model has successfully crossed the 100,000-unit cumulative sales milestone. During July, the model's single-month delivery reached 18,871 units, not only stably sitting on the top of the compact SUV sales list for 4 consecutive months, but also winning the title of cumulative sales champion for compact pure electric SUVs in the first half of 2026. In this highly competitive "Red Ocean battlefield" of 100,000-level pure electric SUVs, a model with a starting price of only 79,900 yuan, what strength does it rely on to achieve explosive sales growth in a short period?

Sales Password: Price Anchor + Technology Equalization + Channel Penetration

The reason why Qiyuan Q05 achieved a sales explosion lies in its precise alignment with the core demand of family users "pursuing high cost-performance and balancing practicality". Its official guide price is set in the range of 79,900 to 99,900 yuan, precisely anchoring the commuter car consumption track with the largest scale. However, this is by no means relying solely on a low-price strategy to drive sales - all models in the series are equipped with CATL battery cells and Jinzhongzhao battery, and have 3C fast charging capability, requiring only 15 minutes to complete charging from 30% to 80%; while the top-level 405 Laser Ultra version priced at 99,900 yuan, has pioneered a new era, becoming the world's first model with a price controlled within 90,000 yuan, equipped with LiDAR, while also supporting highway pilot assist and automatic parking functions.

Especially highlighted is the core competitiveness at the channel level. Changan Automobile has built over 19,000 sales and service outlets globally. Relying on this grand layout, Qiyuan Q05 effectively penetrated into third and fourth-tier markets, precisely delivering "high cost-performance" to the largest consumer group. Focusing on the Thailand market, Q05 order volume broke through 3,000 vehicles strongly in less than half a month after launch; looking at Uzbekistan, it is planned to start the CKD local production process next year.

Same-Level Advantages: Range Not Falsely Stated, Smart Driving Willingly Provided

Compared to same-level competitors such as BYD Yuan UP, Leapmotor B10, Galaxy E5, the advantages of Qiyuan Q05 are very distinct.

First is "Range Equalization" - offering two CLTC range versions of 405km and 506km, actual range achievement rate in normal temperature cities is about 85%-90%, the reputation of exceeding stated ranges spreads quickly in the user community.

Second is "Smart Driving Willingly Given" - providing LiDAR + Highway NOA in the 90,000 yuan level, this is almost unique in the same level.

Third is "Big Factory Endorsement" - CATL Battery + Changan Manufacturing + Lifetime Warranty Commitment, dissipating consumers' concerns about "battery safety" of low-price electric cars.

How to Steadily Sit as Sales Champion: Fill Shortcomings, Defend Price

To make Q05 turn from "Hit" to "Sustained Popularity", Changan Qiyuan needs to continue to exert effort in three aspects.

First is chassis upgrade, ASAP downgrading multi-link independent suspension to mid and low trim models, eliminating user concerns "Low Price = Cheap Chassis".

Second is intelligence iteration, speeding up car machine OTA update frequency, enriching voice interaction and scenario-based applications, catching up with the software experience of top new EV forces.

Third is defending the price floor, in the background of competitors lowering prices to follow suit, Q05's 79,900 yuan entry price is the moat, once price increases or configuration decreases, sales advantage might quickly dissolve.

Sales Heat: Can It Continue to Sell Well?

Predicting Q05's sales cycle, CheguLuo believes at least it can maintain high heat for 6-12 months.

Reasons are three: First is 100,000-level pure electric SUV market demand is rigid, family commuting, ride-hailing, county market triple demand superposition, basic foundation is solid;

Second is Q05's "Price Anchor" effect has formed, competitors find it difficult in short term to provide equivalent configuration at equal price;

Third is In July, Changan Qiyuan's global delivery reached 39,841 units, AQ series year-on-year growth 103%, brand momentum is on an upward channel.

However, potential risks cannot be ignored. Leapmotor B10 with 99,800 yuan friendly starting price, powerfully equips 800V high voltage platform, LiDAR, and achieves 540km range; BYD Yuan Plus relies on deep brand influence, continuously exerting competitive pressure; at the same time, Galaxy E5, Neta X etc. competitors are also continuously upgrading configuration, adding effort. If Q05 cannot achieve continuous and efficient iteration upgrade, after 12 months, its sales are likely to fall into a decline dilemma.

Purchase Suggestion: 100,000 Yuan Commuting Blind Buy, Northern Users Need Caution

For family consumer groups with budget set around 100,000 yuan and car usage scenarios focusing on daily urban commuting, Qiyuan Q05 is undoubtedly a quality choice worth considering. Among them, 506Max version priced at 99,900 yuan, realized both long range capability and equipped with all-around smart driving configuration, can be called an example of cost-performance.

If budget is precisely controlled within 80,000 yuan, 405Air can fully fit the actual needs of basic commuting. However, consumers in northern severe cold areas need to pay more attention - Lithium Iron Phosphate battery range shrinkage in winter reaches 30%-35%, when temperature drops to -20°C, actual range ability is nearly halved, if there is long-distance travel planning, it is better to prioritize plug-in hybrid models or models equipped with ternary lithium batteries.

Concluding Remarks:

Changan Qiyuan Q05 successfully crossed the 100,000-unit sales threshold, powerfully verifying the unchanging law of China's new energy vehicle market "Where people's hearts lie, victory can be won" - the key to sales success does not lie in high price, but lies in precisely meeting user needs. 79,900 yuan starting friendly pricing, CATL battery built safety barrier, LiDAR technology popular application, jointly forged Q05's "National Benchmark" status in the 100,000-level pure electric SUV field.

Gasgoo Automotive News August 11, Changan Qiyuan announced, its new Q05 cumulative sales officially exceeded 100,000 units. In July, this model delivered 18,871 units in a single month, ranking first in compact SUV sales for 4 consecutive months, and also won the cumulative sales champion for compact pure electric SUVs in the first half of 2026.

As Changan Qiyuan's main model, the new Q05 is positioned in the 100,000-level pure electric SUV category, with an official starting price of 79,900 yuan. All trims are equipped with CATL battery cells and Golden Shield battery as standard, supporting 3C fast charging, allowing fast energy replenishment to be completed in 15 minutes. The high-spec version is equipped with LiDAR and features a 4nm automotive-grade smart cockpit.

Image source: Changan Qiyuan

In overseas markets, the new Q05 is also accelerating expansion. Previously, this model was launched in Thailand, with orders exceeding 3,000 units in less than half a month after launch. In June, the new car landed in Uzbekistan, completing market expansion from Southeast Asia to Central Asia. Changan will also continue to deepen cooperation with Uzbekistan's local partners, planning to achieve new Q05 CKD local production according to plan next year. At the same time, the car will subsequently enter the markets of Indonesia, South and Central America, and Europe.

Changan Automobile has currently established 79 subsidiaries, 76 factories, and over 19,000 sales and service outlets globally, with nearly 120,000 professional service personnel, and its products are exported to 115 countries and regions.

In July, Changan Qiyuan delivered 39,841 units globally, with the AQ series growing by 103% year-on-year. The new Q05 has become the landmark model for the Qiyuan brand moving from the "Product Launch Period" to the "Sales Realization Period".

In 2026, the automotive season is halfway through, and the Chinese auto market has completed the first half amidst price wars and weak demand. While most players are still calculating how to extricate themselves from the quagmire of "trading price for volume," Changan Automobile's revealed half-year performance report demonstrates the strategic resolve and tactical flexibility of a new central state-owned automotive enterprise.

The Real Rise of the Third Pole

Looking at Changan's performance in the first half of the year, the most exciting news is undoubtedly the "unrivaled" performance of the overseas market.

402,000 units delivered overseas, a year-on-year growth of 35.1%, accounting for a share of the overall sales jumping to 33.6%. Compared to the overseas target of 750,000 units for the full year, the 53.6% completion rate makes this performance report highly valuable. In the highly competitive stock market, the overseas sector proved the foresight of Changan's internationalization strategy with high growth, becoming the strongest engine pulling the overall market.

This is not simple product export, but the qualitative change of the "Inclusive Sea" Plan from 1.0 to 2.0. The Brazil Anapolis Factory completed construction and began production in March, with an initial annual production capacity of 90,000 units; the Thailand Rayong Factory is in production, and the Deepal S05 Right-Hand Drive version officially went off the line — Changan is upgrading its overseas map from "Trade Export" to "Industrial Overseas Expansion".

More importantly, the profit logic. When the domestic car market is deeply trapped in the price war, the profit structure of the overseas market is enough to make any rational investor excited. The value of overseas business is not only reflected in sales numbers, but more significantly in the substantial improvement of Changan's global brand value. In strategic areas such as Southeast Asia and South America, Changan is accelerating the transformation from a Chinese brand to a global brand with localized production + regional customized product combinations.

New Energy Structure Adjustment, Gathering Momentum to Wait

New energy deliveries reached 456,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 5.2%. Against the backdrop of the overall market contraction, this growth rate is remarkably solid.

In the sub-brand matrix, Changan Qiyuan's breakout and Deepal's stability are equally impressive. Qiyuan delivered 173,800 units cumulatively in the first half of the year, with the AQ series growing by 102.6% year-on-year, with the Q05 continuing to dominate the compact SUV market. On Deepal's performance report of 164,200 units, overseas deliveries of 35,800 units surged 141% year-on-year. Leading the industry in overseas growth rate is the best proof of Deepal's brand power.

Avatr's performance in the first half of the year was moderate, but the real highlight is in the second half. The Avatr 07L will be the first batch to be equipped with Huawei Qiankun ADS 5, and new flagship stores will cover more than 20 cities this year — for this premiumization card, Changan plays calmly and steadily.

Changan's new energy overall target completion rate for the first half of the year is 32.5%. Seemingly leaving room, it actually lays the groundwork for the technical explosion in the second half. The Blue Whale Super Engine Hybrid technology has achieved city fuel consumption of 2.98L per 100km, with thermal efficiency near 45%; the self-developed "Tianzhu Pilot" Advanced Driver Assistance System was officially launched at the Chongqing Auto Show. The accelerated transmission of technology from the R&D end to the product end will be concentrated in the second half.

Self-Developed is the Best Trump Card

If Changan's first half is broken down, technical breakthroughs are the most worthy of emphasis.

At the Beijing Auto Show in March, the "Tianzhu Intelligence" brand was officially launched, and the "Tianzhu Pilot" Advanced Driver Assistance System made a stunning debut. This is not simple feature stacking, but the concentrated embodiment of Changan's "Full-Stack Controllable" strategy in the core track of intelligence. Industry-leading features like Tire Blowout Stabilization prove the balance capability of the technical team between underlying algorithms and engineering implementation.

The mass production deployment of the Blue Whale Super Engine Hybrid is another trump card on the electrification track. The launch of the 4th Generation Eado and CS75 PLUS marks Changan's leap from following to leading in hybrid technology. In the current booming plug-in hybrid market, this system's balance between energy efficiency and performance will form sustained competitiveness in the terminal market.

In the Second Half, Others Endure the Harsh Winter, Changan Waits for the Wind

The structural optimization of the first half has laid a springboard for the strategic focus in the second half.

The product offensive is already clear. Changan Qiyuan Q06 will be the first to be equipped with the "Tianzhu Pilot" system for mass production — this will be a milestone event for Changan's self-developed smart driving technology to go to the market on a large scale. The dense launches of more than a dozen new and facelift models will form full coverage of the mainstream price range from the product end.

The overseas offensive continues to increase. Thailand and Brazil factories are ramping up capacity, and the "Inclusive Sea" 2.0 strategy's localized layout will move from planning to substantial operation. From "Going Out" to "Going In", Changan's deep cultivation in the overseas market is entering the harvest period.

The technical offensive is gathering momentum. The technical dividends of intelligence and electrification will be more fully released in new models in the second half. With the "Tianzhu" and "Blue Whale" dual-engine drive, Changan is completing the conversion from technical reserves to market momentum.

Auto Review: Some question the overall target completion rate, ignoring the industry scale's 23.8% decline; some amplify the slowdown in new energy growth, but didn't see the technical barriers behind Blue Whale Hybrid and "Tianzhu" Smart Driving.

The goal set by Changan Automobile Chairman Zhu Huarong of 5 million units by 2030 and Global TOP 10 is destined to be a marathon. The rhythm adjustment, structure optimization, overseas breakthrough, and technical accumulation of the first half — all these work that may not seem so "sexy" is actually accumulating energy for the sprint in the second half.

For the Chinese automotive market in 2026, the elimination rounds have begun. For Changan, this automotive new central SOE that has completed an identity shift, the value of the first half is never about how much it sprinted, but about finding the right direction and solidifying its internal foundation in a great transformation. The starting gun for the second half has fired, and the triple momentum of technology, products, and globalization is converting into real market momentum.

True masters are good at adjusting posture against headwinds and finding the optimal route amidst changes. Judging from the layout of the first half, Changan's second half of 2026 is even more worth looking forward to.

Changan's July performance report, which stabilized the baseline of 200,000 units, still fails to bring any sense of ease.

On August 2nd, Changan Automobile disclosed July delivery data.The group delivered 207,100 units that month, roughly flat compared to the same period last year.Among them, overseas deliveries reached 82,300 units, a significant year-on-year increase of 79.1%, with six consecutive months of positive growth; New energy deliveries hit 96,500 units, a year-on-year increase of 28.8%, with penetration rate approaching 47%. The remaining domestic fuel vehicle segment is quietly shrinking.

Looking back at the first half of the year, sales-wise, cumulative deliveries reached 1.1956 million units, with only 36.2% completion of the annual target of 3.3 million units. In the past three years, the proportion of first-half sales remained stable above 46%, but this year it is at least 10 percentage points lower. For the remaining 5 months, an average of 420,000 units must be sold monthly to meet the target. Compared to the peak season of the second half of 2025, Changan's single-month peak was only around 280,000 units. This means the monthly average target for the second half needs to be nearly 50% higher than the best-selling month of last year to meet the target.

On the profit side, the attributable net profit for shareholders in the first half is expected to be between 740 million and 970 million yuan, a year-on-year decline of 58% to 68%; the net profit from the main business dropped significantly by 78% to 85%, remaining only between 230 million and 330 million yuan. Calculated by total sales volume, the non-deductible net profit per car sold is less than 30 yuan.

Changan officials attribute the reasons to exchange rate losses and raw material price hikes, but the structure is also dragging them down.

The signal on the profit side is even heavier. The earnings forecast shows that the attributable net profit for shareholders in the first half is expected to be between 740 million and 970 million yuan, a year-on-year decline of 58% to 68%; the net profit from the main business dropped significantly by 78% to 85%, remaining only between 230 million and 330 million yuan. Calculated by total sales volume, the non-deductible net profit per car sold is less than 30 yuan. Changan officials attribute the reasons to exchange rate losses and raw material price hikes, but the structure is also dragging them down.

First, the new energy sector's growth rate is lower than the industry average.In the first half of the year, new energy deliveries were 456,000 units, a year-on-year increase of only 5.2%. During the same period, Geely Auto's new energy sales increased by 9.6% year-on-year, Chery Auto's new energy sales increased by 34.2% year-on-year, while Changan clearly lagged behind. Looking at the product structure, the Qiyuan brand relies heavily on the Q05 model, selling 72,000 units in half a year, while other models such as Q07, A07, E07, etc., saw declining sales with negligible contributions; Avatr accumulated deliveries of less than 28,000 units in the first half of the year, halving year-on-year, losing 13.2 billion yuan over the four years from 2022 to 2025, and in the first half of 2026 no car model achieved monthly sales over 10,000; Deepal relies on S05 and L06, with the high-end SUV Deepal S09 monthly sales dropping to over 200 units.

Secondly, there is pressure on the fuel vehicle side.The CS75 fuel version's sales in the first half of the year dropped by more than 30%. Although the Eado managed to maintain its position on the sedan list, it relied on continuous price cuts. Several older models saw sales drop to zero. Changan actively stopped production of the Lumin priced below 50,000 yuan, an entry and exit resulting in a gap of 70,000 units.

Fortunately, the overseas side was a bright spot in the first half of the year. The situation of domestic fuel vehicle contraction and weak new energy growth is difficult to fully support with overseas legs alone. Overseas deliveries in the first half of the year reached 402,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 35.1%. Compared to Changan's own announced 2026 overseas annual sales target, the completion rate has already exceeded 53%. However, the situation of domestic fuel vehicle contraction and weak new energy growth is difficult to support solely by overseas markets.

Currently, Changan has dispatched four vice-president level executives to lead the overseas expansion. Factories in Thailand and Brazil have been put into production successively. In the second half of the year, models such as Qiyuan Q05 and Deepal S05 will be launched in multiple locations in Southeast Asia and Europe. However, overseas markets are still in the investment phase of channels and capacity, short-term profit returns are limited, and exchange rate fluctuations continue to erode book data.

Facing multiple pressures such as weak domestic business and unbalanced multi-brand operations, Changan launched the most drastic reform in recent years in April. Deepal and Avatr backend integration aims to reduce R&D and supply chain costs by 20% to 30%. The overall product lineup was cut from 63 models to 36 models, no longer pursuing scale without profit.

As Tan Benhong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd., stated frankly at the mid-year communication meeting:"We have not yet fully mastered the operational capabilities of multiple brands."

The variables for the second half lie in the new vehicles.

Deepal S05 will be launched on August 6th, with a pre-sale price of 119,900 to 151,900 yuan, equipped with Tianshu Pilot + LiDAR; Changan Qiyuan Q06 comes standard with the Tianshu Pilot Intelligent Driving system across all trims, planned for launch in September, focusing on the 200,000 yuan class medium-large SUV market; Avatr 07L is positioned as a smart beauty family luxury SUV, expected to launch in the third quarter, providing both extended-range and pure electric dual power, the first batch equipped with Huawei Qiankun ADS 5 intelligent driving system, targeting the family market above 220,000 yuan.

A new vehicle list scheduled until the end of the year carries all of Changan's expectations for shifting from stability maintenance to an offensive push. Whether the integration can release system capabilities and whether the new vehicles can become blockbusters are the two key questions to break the stagnation in the second half of the year.

Source: Car Observation

Facing an increasingly competitive new energy market, Changan Qiyuan maintained a steady rhythm in July: delivered 39,841 vehicles in July, AQ series increased by 103% year-on-year, continuously holding the top sales position among new energy vehicle brands of central state-owned enterprises. Together with brands such as Geely Galaxy and Leapmotor, it forms the backbone of the mainstream camp in China's new energy market.

The steady growth of Changan Qiyuan in July is the result of both product strength and user reputation. From the continuous hot sales of the main models of the Changan Qiyuan AQ series, to the global debut of the Changan Qiyuan Q06, to the Changan Qiyuan new Q05 accelerating towards the overseas market, the label of "SOE New Energy" is transforming from brand endorsement to a tangible quality perception in users' minds.

Global Flagship Product Changan Qiyuan New Q05 Leads, Champion Matrix Collaborates

As the first global flagship product of Changan Qiyuan, Changan Qiyuan new Q05 leverages "CATL Batteries, Premium Frame, Ultra-Comfort" and other cross-class advantages, cumulative sales exceeded 100,000 units, continuously leading the compact SUV sub-market. In overseas markets, after launching in Thailand and Uzbekistan, Changan Qiyuan new Q05 further landed in Ethiopia, accelerating the formation of an overseas layout linking Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and African markets.

While Changan Qiyuan new Q05 exerts global momentum, the AQ series saw a 103% year-on-year increase in July, forming a synergistic growth "Champion Matrix". Among them, Changan Qiyuan A06 is positioned as the "King of Fully-Configured New Energy Family Sedans", with cross-class configurations such as 145° Electric Zero-Pressure Rear Seat, 800V 6C Fast Charging, etc., holding the sales champion of medium-to-large new energy sedans within 200,000 RMB; Changan Qiyuan Q07 satisfies family travel needs with "Space King" strength, cumulative sales have exceeded 100,000 units since launch, maintaining leading position in the mid-size plug-in hybrid SUV market.

Changan Qiyuan Q06 Global Debut, Defining New Standards for Mid-size SUVs with "Flowing Light Aesthetics"

On July 15, the all-new mid-size SUV Changan Qiyuan Q06 completed its global debut in Shanghai. This model, led by the world-class design master Klaus team, breaks the traditional mid-size SUV dull impression with its unique "Flowing Light Aesthetics" design. Inside the cabin, the "Flowing Light into Cabin" concept creates a high-quality immersive space, integrating technology and comfort.

In the field of intelligent driving, Changan Qiyuan Q06 is equipped with the Tianshu Pilot Ultra Intelligent Driving System, possessing end-to-end urban pilot capabilities, making vehicle control closer to the driving texture of veteran drivers. The chassis adopts luxury-grade chassis suspension with all-aluminum front double wishbones + rear multi-link and the only dual-motor rear-wheel drive layout in the class, balancing comfort and driving fun.

Conclusion 

Steady sales and a complete product matrix form the core foundation of growth. In the future, Changan Qiyuan will continue to rely on the strength of Changan Automobile's central state-owned enterprise system, with a more competitive product matrix and global layout, to continuously meet users' expectations for high-quality new energy travel.

Facing a fiercely competitive new energy market, Changan Qiyuan maintained a steady pace in July: July deliveries reached 39,841 units, AQ series year-on-year growth reached 103%, consistently holding the top spot in sales of SOE new energy vehicle brands. Together with brands like Geely Galaxy and Leapmotor, it forms the backbone of the mainstream camp of China's new energy market.

Changan Qiyuan's sustained growth in July is the result of the combined effect of product strength and user reputation. From the continued strong sales of Changan Qiyuan AQ series main models, to the global debut of Changan Qiyuan Q06, to Changan Qiyuan's new Q05 accelerating towards the overseas market, the tag of "SOE New Energy" is changing from brand endorsement to tangible quality recognition in users' hearts.

Global Flagship Changan Qiyuan New Q05 Leads, Champion Matrix Synergizes

As Changan Qiyuan's first global flagship product, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 leverages "Full CATL Power, Premium Dimensions, Ultra Comfort" crossover advantages, with cumulative sales exceeding 100,000 units, continuously leading the compact SUV sub-market. In the overseas market, following launches in Thailand and Uzbekistan, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 further landed in Ethiopia, accelerating the overseas formation of Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Africa market linkages.

While Changan Qiyuan New Q05 exerts force globally, the AQ series increased by 103% year-on-year in July, forming a synergistic growth "Champion Matrix". Among them, Changan Qiyuan A06 is positioned as the "New Energy Family Sedan Fully Loaded King", with crossover configurations such as 145° Electric Zero-Pressure Rear Seat, 800V 6C Fast Charging, etc., consistently holding the sales champion position for mid-to-large new energy sedans within 200,000; Changan Qiyuan Q07 satisfies family user travel needs with the strength of "Space King", cumulative sales have exceeded 100,000 units since launch, maintaining leadership in the mid-size PHEV SUV market.

Changan Qiyuan Q06 Global Debut, Defining New Standards for Mid-size SUVs with "Flowing Light Aesthetics"

On July 15, the brand-new mid-size SUV Changan Qiyuan Q06 completed its global debut in Shanghai. This model, led by the team of world-renowned design master Klaus, broke the traditional dull impression of mid-size SUVs with its original "Flowing Light Aesthetics" design. Inside the cabin, the concept of "Flowing Light Entering Cabin" creates a high-quality immersive space, integrating technology and comfort.

In the field of intelligent driving, Changan Qiyuan Q06 is equipped with the Tianshu Pilot Ultra Intelligent Driving System, possessing end-to-end city pilot capabilities, making vehicle control closer to the driving feel of experienced drivers. The chassis adopts a luxury car-level chassis suspension with all-aluminum front double wishbones + rear five-link, and the dual-motor rear-drive layout unique to its class, balancing comfort and driving fun.

Conclusion

Steady sales and a perfect product matrix constitute the core foundation of growth. In the future, Changan Qiyuan will continue to rely on Changan Automobile's SOE system strength, with a more competitive product matrix and global layout, continuously meeting users' expectations for high-quality new energy travel.

Editor's Note: The tuition fee for transformation has already been paid; Changan calls this move "Highland Pace Adjustment"; whether the market is willing to wait for its acceleration in the second half depends on the pedal pressure of the Q06 entering the race, whether it is really more responsive than the PPT.

In late July, Changan Automobile released two key signals in succession: on one hand, the semi-annual performance forecast disclosed in mid-July — vehicle sales in the first half were 1.1189 million (down 17.44% year-on-year), net profit attributable to the parent company was only 740 million to 970 million yuan (down 57.66%—67.70% year-on-year), and deducting non-recurring net profit was 230 million to 330 million yuan (down 77.65%—84.42% year-on-year);

On the other hand, on July 23, an announcement of 5.267 billion yuan private placement was approved by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, funds will be invested in new energy models and digital intelligence platforms (4.217 billion yuan) and the global R&D center (1.05 billion yuan).

In this contrast of cold and heat, this central state-owned enterprise (SOE) auto company, approaching the 3 million vehicle level in annual sales, is actively removing the "scale halo". At the mid-year media communication meeting, Tan Benhong, deputy secretary of the Party Committee and director of Changan Automobile Group, stated this contrast very frankly: "In the first half of the year, the group proactively cut off low-margin inefficient products, no longer solely pursuing scale increments without profit." He used a marathon metaphor — "Running a marathon at high altitude, the pace for the first 5 kilometers and the last 5 kilometers must be different; blind acceleration will only deplete strength."

"Discarding" 70,000 vehicles: Not that they can't be sold, but don't want to sell them

At least one part of Changan's decline this round was cut by their own hand.

In April this year, the "1445" global strategy was implemented, compressing the product series from 63 models to 36 models. The most eye-catching move was halting production of Lumin — a micro electric car priced below 50,000 yuan, which was the volume leader last year, accounting for an empty gap of about 70,000 units in the first half alone. "The profit margin for low-end micro electric vehicles is extremely narrow, and enterprises no longer solely pursue scale increments without profit." Tan Benhong did not beat around the bush at the communication meeting: "After halting Lumin, the average price and profit margin of the new energy sector actually rose; excluding the reduction from Lumin, Changan's new energy sales actually grew 11.2% year-on-year in the first half."

China Auto Network consulted an insider close to Changan's internal team, who calculated a bill of account: "Lumin's peak monthly sales exceeded 10,000, but the gross profit per vehicle hovered for a long time between a few hundred yuan to a little over a thousand. Including channel rebates and capital occupation, sometimes selling one vehicle results in a loss. Rather than using it to rush the ranking list, it is better to give the production line to new energy like Qiyuan Q05 and Deepal S05 that can run through the gross profit." In his view, cutting Lumin is not admitting defeat, it is "exchanging ineffective scale for effective R&D bandwidth".

But proactively losing weight cannot explain everything. The fuel base is retreating even faster: CS75 fuel version fell more than 37% year-on-year in the first half, Eado relied on terminal price cuts to hold market share, CS55, UNI-T/K and other old SUVs weakened环比。New energy sales were 414,200 vehicles, a year-on-year decline of 8.3%, Qiyuan Q05 (about 72,000) and Deepal S05 (about 79,000) held up the market, Avatr sold only 27,600 vehicles in the first half, nearly halved year-on-year, cumulative losses over four years exceeded 13 billion yuan. Tan Benhong also admitted: "We have not yet fully mastered the operating ability of multiple brands."

External squeezing is equally real. The company attributes the primary cause of profit shrinkage to exchange rate losses + raw material price hikes: Overseas sales in the first half were 454,700 vehicles, up 51.87% year-on-year, overseas accounted for about 33.6% of the total; a slight fluctuation in exchange rates causes profit bleeding; lithium carbonate prices rebounded to 180,000 yuan/ton, storage chip unit prices jumped several times, the industry average profit margin was squeezed to around 3.4%. Securities Auto Analyst Li Qiang believes: "Changan's 'decline' is active + passive twisted together, but the active part accounts for a higher proportion than the market thinks — it chooses to step on the brakes at the 3 million vehicle high point itself, rather than waiting until the bottom of the slope to brake."

Betting on self-developed intelligent driving, refusing to be an "assembly plant"

Where money goes explains the problem better than the money itself.

This private placement was fully covered by cash from the controlling shareholder; even if the stock price was below the issuance price, it still locked for three years, and the market generally interpreted it as "Central SOE major shareholder backing confidence". The fundraising does not expand capacity, only invests in R&D: 4.217 billion yuan into new energy models and digital intelligence platforms, 1.05 billion yuan into the global R&D center. Corresponding to Changan's past five years of intelligent accumulation input exceeding 10 billion, team exceeding 7,500 people, 2026 single computing center smashing about 3 billion yuan rhythm.

Intelligent driving is the core landing point of this money. Tan Benhong threw a sharp judgment at the communication meeting: "If automakers give up intelligent driving self-research and only rely on external supply, essentially they are only retaining an assembly factory with a car chassis, without core technology barriers." He calls himself a "heavy intelligent driving user", driving Avatr 90% scenarios with intelligent driving, but emphasized Changan does not choose an aggressive route, "Focus core energy on raising the safety ceiling and polishing the experience".

The landing carrier is the "Tianshu Pilot" system — one-step end-to-end + multimodal large model, scheduled to go into mass production in Qiyuan Q06 this September. Executive Vice President Yang Dayong defined Q06 as the flagship of "Qiyuan fighting for intelligent driving in the second half of the year": "Tianshu Pilot Ultra is not piling on functions, but realizing Changan's digital intelligence promise to mainstream family users." And the "one brain, multiple bodies" in Tan Benhong's mouth is using the intelligent driving large model as the "brain", to radiate to robots, low-altitude travel and other "bodies", Changan Tianshu Intelligent Robot subsidiary is already on the table.

Forcing this logic to ask a new power intelligent driving director, he replied restrainedly: "If 7,500 people are intelligent driving + cockpit + tri-electric packed, single track concentration is not as good as Huawei Car BU (7,000—8,000 people full-time intelligent driving), XPeng (about 3,000 people intelligent driving team + 10 billion R&D). Changan's advantage is the whole vehicle sales base and central SOE financing channel, the disadvantage is C-end users have not yet established mindshare like 'XNGP' 'ADS' for 'Tianshu'. Whether Q06 can fight, depends on national availability and takeover rate, not the press conference PPT."

Organization side is also consolidating: Deepal and Avatr mid-to-back coordination, goal 1.5 million vehicle level mid-to-high-end cluster, cost reduction 20%—30%; four vice presidents focus on overseas, Thailand base has already scaled up production, Tan Benhong put a word "Future domestic and overseas 50/50 split". These actions short-term save no profit, but past "many children good fight" scattered shipping towards "zone complement" gather.

Changan's dual decline in volume and profit in the first half of 2026 is not a collapse narrative, but a central SOE at the 3 million vehicle level in "fuel retreat faster than new energy handover, low-end scale yielding to gross margin quality, intelligent driving heavy investment not yet at realization period" three cracks opened at the same time's active slow driving.

Tan Benhong cut off the 70,000 units of Lumin, exchanging for the bottom line of not using ineffective scale to dress up the financial statements; 5.267 billion private placement passed, exchanging for Tianshu intelligent driving and digital intelligence platform to run for 18 months of ammunition.

The three variables really to watch in the second half are very specific — Qiyuan Q06 Tianshu Pilot real takeover performance after mass production, whether Deepal/Qiyuan/Avatr three-brand internal consumption really reduced, whether overseas 450,000 vehicle sales base can offset the exchange rate backlash.

The tuition fee for transformation has already been paid, Changan calls this move "Highland Pace Adjustment"; whether the market is willing to wait for its acceleration in the second half depends on the pedal pressure of the Q06 entering the race, whether it is really more responsive than the PPT.

    On July 18, 2026, invited by the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), Changan Automobile, as the only invited Chinese automotive brand in Thailand, participated in the 2026 China-Thailand (Sichuan) Economic and Trade Investment Forum and the unveiling ceremony of the Investment Promotion Office of the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Chengdu at Chengdu. Changan Automobile Chairman Zhu Hairong attended and held talks with Thai Prime Minister Anutin. On the occasion of the 51st anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, under the blueprint of deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Thailand, Changan Automobile will continue to increase investment in the Thai market, introduce cutting-edge technologies and management systems, and contribute to Thailand's economic development. Changan Automobile Executive Vice President Wang Hui, Changan Automobile Southeast Asia Division General Manager Deng Zhitao, and others accompanied the activities.

    Mr. Zhu Hairong introduced Changan Automobile's three-year development achievements in Thailand to Thai Prime Minister Anutin, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Ainide, and Secretary-General of the Thailand Board of Investment Nali. He stated: "Since entering the Thai market in 2023, Changan Automobile has adhered to the 'In Thailand, For Thailand' development philosophy and continued to deepen its localization layout. To date, cumulative vehicle sales have exceeded 41,000 units, tax contributions have exceeded 1.6 billion Thai Baht, and over 1,900 local Thai employees have been absorbed, with a local talent rate approaching 90%. A total of 13 new energy vehicle models, including Deepal S05, Avatr 07, and Changan Qiyuan Q05, have been launched, comprehensively covering Thailand's mainstream market segments. The Rayong Plant, with a total investment of approximately 9 billion Thai Baht—Changan Automobile's first overseas new energy vehicle production base—has started production and operation. The Deepal S05 and Changan Qiyuan Q05 models not only achieve localized production supply but have also been exported to 18 countries including Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia. Linking over 40 Thai automotive parts supporting enterprises and introducing 10 core supporting enterprises to build factories in Thailand, we are promoting the common development of Thailand's new energy vehicle industry chain."

    "Thailand will be the Asia-Pacific Regional Headquarters and a major global production base for Changan Automobile." Mr. Zhu Hairong once again emphasized the significance of Thailand for Changan's global development and further shared the company's future plans in Thailand: "Planning to break 70,000 units in annual sales in the Thai market by 2030, ranking 2nd among Chinese brands and 4th in the industry; in terms of production capacity layout, start the feasibility study for Phase II expansion of the Rayong Plant in 2028; in terms of industrial investment, plan to establish a regional research and development center, achieving a localization rate exceeding 60% by 2028; in terms of talent building, by 2030, the Thai employee scale will reach 3,000 people, with a localization rate exceeding 90%."

    Prime Minister Anutin thanked Changan Automobile for its long-term investment in Thailand and expressed high recognition of Changan's choice of Thailand as Changan Group's first overseas vehicle production base. The Thai government believes that Changan Automobile is an important partner in promoting the development of Thailand's new energy vehicle industry, and emphasized that the government will provide strong support for enterprise development and achieving global strategic goals through relevant policies, helping Changan Automobile achieve the goal of ranking in the top 4 of global automotive brands in Thailand by 2030. In addition, Anutin also stated that Thailand will continue to improve the infrastructure construction of the automotive industry, and in addition to continuously improving logistics and transportation efficiency, it will also focus on strengthening industry talent training and research and development capability building.

    As a representative of invested enterprises invited in Thailand, Mr. Wu Xiaokang, Deputy General Manager of Changan Automobile's Southeast Asia Division, also shared Changan Automobile's investment practices in Thailand with Chinese enterprises attending the 2026 China-Thailand (Sichuan) Economic and Trade Investment Forum. He stated: "Chinese automotive brands have become the absolute main force in Thailand's new energy vehicle market, which cannot be separated from Thailand's strong policy support and open business environment. In addition, Thailand possesses excellent ASEAN automotive industry clusters, parts supply chains, and outstanding geographical advantages. Relying on the dividends of multiple free trade agreements, it can efficiently cover the global right-hand drive market, which is also an important reason for Changan Automobile's firm choice of Thailand as the Southeast Asia regional headquarters and first overseas new energy vehicle manufacturing base." He added, "Changan Automobile will adhere to the 'In Thailand, For Thailand, Rooted in Local' philosophy, continuously solidify the operation of the Asia-Pacific Regional Headquarters, strengthen resource layout, strive to become a benchmark overseas investment enterprise in Thailand, and join hands with Chinese enterprises in Thailand to win together and plan for long-term development."

    In April 2026, China Changan Automobile released the "1445" strategic framework at the Global Strategy Launch Conference and Global Partner Conference, deeply advancing the "Gathering Plan 2.0", targeting the goal of ranking in the global top 10 automakers by 2030. The new plan marks Changan's shift from "going global" to "taking root", from an export-oriented trade model to a systematic global operation covering manufacturing, trade, investment, services, and sustainable development. In Changan's global strategic blueprint, Southeast Asia is a strategic focus, and Thailand is also a global production and export hub.

    Changan Automobile has a history of 164 years and 45 years of automotive manufacturing accumulation, and is an important representative of China's automotive industry. The company has established a research and development, manufacturing, and marketing system covering the globe, forming a "Six Countries, Ten Locations" collaborative research and development pattern, with over 24,000 R&D personnel from 31 countries and regions. In 2025, Changan Automobile's global sales exceeded 2.913 million units, including 1.109 million new energy vehicles, 637,000 overseas sales, and 16,500 sales in the Thai market, all setting historical highs.

Global electrification is reconstructing the automotive industry division of labor system. The dividend of the single complete vehicle export model is gradually fading. Full-value-chain localized operational capability has become the core watershed for Chinese automakers participating in global market competition. Southeast Asia, relying on free trade agreement networks, mature automotive supporting foundations, and new energy policy support, has become the core battlefield for new energy vehicle capacity deployment for independent brands. As the core hub of the ASEAN automotive industry, Thailand continuously attracts domestic top automakers to establish manufacturing bases. Industrial cooperation has progressed from simple product trading to deep binding stages of supply chain co-construction, technology localization, and talent localization. The 2026 China-Thailand Sichuan Economic and Trade Investment Forum landed. Changan Automobile, as the only Chinese automaker invited to operate in Thailand, completed a high-level meeting with the Prime Minister of Thailand. Its three-year industrial landing results in Thailand and medium-to-long-term capacity R&D planning clearly show the underlying logic of the current top independent brand's globalization strategy, and also provide a typical sample for the industry to observe the outbound transformation of Chinese automakers.

Localized Capacity Forms a Closed Loop, Complete Industrial Landing Reshapes Regional Supply System

Since entering the Thai market in 2023, Changan Automobile has continuously promoted full-chain localized investment. With an investment of 9 billion Thai Baht, it built the Rayong overseas new energy complete vehicle factory, completing the complete loop of local supply for production and cross-border export. This changed the market pattern where Southeast Asian new energy complete vehicles relied on imports. As of now, the brand's cumulative sales of complete vehicles in Thailand have exceeded 41,000 units. 13 new energy models have been launched, covering local mainstream niche markets. 2 local mass-produced models have achieved export supply targeting 18 countries. Thailand has officially become the manufacturing hub for Changan to radiate the global right-hand drive market.

At the level of industrial synergy, the brand collaborates with over 40 local parts enterprises operating simultaneously, and simultaneously introduces 10 domestic core supporting enterprises to build factories in Thailand, making up for the shortcomings of Thailand's new energy three-electric systems supporting facilities, and promoting the transformation of the local traditional fuel vehicle industry chain towards electrification. Operational data intuitively reflects the value of industrial symbiosis, with cumulative tax contributions exceeding 1.6 billion Thai Baht, absorbing over 1,900 local jobs, and the talent localization rate is close to 90%. From an industry perspective, this model breaks out of the superficial layout of simply building factories for production. By driving the landing of upstream supporting industries, it helps the host country improve its new energy industry foundation, while reducing cross-border supply chain costs for automakers, forming a balanced mode of mutual empowerment between automakers and local industries, distinct from the lightweight layout of many overseas brands that only perform complete vehicle assembly.

Medium-to-Long Term Planning Anchors Regional Leader, R&D, Capacity, and Talent Three-Dimensional Investment Deeply Binds Industry

The medium-to-long term development plan released by the talks clearly conveys Changan's strategic orientation to deeply cultivate Southeast Asia rather than seeking short-term arbitrage. Goals in four dimensions—market, capacity, R&D, and talent—are implemented simultaneously to build a sustainable localized operation system. On the market side, it is planned to exceed 70,000 annual sales in Thailand by 2030, aiming for the second position among Chinese brands and the fourth position in the industry locally, continuously squeezing the market space for traditional foreign fuel vehicles and Japanese/Korean new energy brands. On the capacity side, the Rayong Factory Phase II expansion demonstration will be launched in 2028. Relying on the existing mature factory area, a larger manufacturing scale will be released to match the growing new energy consumption demand in ASEAN.

Localization of R&D and supply chain has become a core focus. The enterprise plans to land a Thailand regional R&D center, simultaneously setting a target for local parts procurement rate to exceed 60% by 2028, achieving technology adaptation to local road conditions and climate needs, and reducing overseas technology adaptation costs. In terms of talent, the plan is to expand the local employee scale to 3,000 by 2030, maintaining the proportion of local personnel in technical and management positions above 90%, building an autonomous and controllable local operation team. Analyzed from an industry perspective, this plan breaks the traditional mode where overseas automakers are dominated by expatriate operations. It reduces cross-border management costs through long-term talent cultivation. At the same time, it adapts to regional markets through local R&D, which is a characteristic feature of the improved maturity of independent brands' globalization.

Government-Enterprise Two-Way Synergy Builds Development Foundation, Southeast Asia Becomes Core Pivot of Chinese Automakers' Global Strategy

At the Thai government level, Changan is clearly regarded as the core partner for the country's new energy industry upgrade, committing to continuously improve the industrial infrastructure, logistics supporting, and talent cultivation systems, and issuing special policies to support enterprises in completing medium-to-long term market goals. The local government clearly recognizes the shortcomings of the local new energy industry. Relying on the complete three-electric manufacturing system of Chinese-owned automakers, it quickly makes up for the shortcomings of electrification transformation, and uses foreign production capacity to enhance the global export competitiveness of its own automotive industry.

The Changan Southeast Asia Division shared industry judgments at the economic and trade forum. Currently, Chinese new energy brands have mastered the dominant position in the Thai electric vehicle market. The export advantages brought by multiple free trade agreements fully cover the global right-hand drive market, which is the core logic for the brand to firmly root locally. From the perspective of top-level corporate strategy, the Thailand layout is the key landing carrier for Changan's 1445 Global Strategy and the Inclusive Plan 2.0. The brand has officially completed the transformation from export trade to an integrated system of manufacturing investment and service operation. Relying on the global collaborative R&D system of 6 countries and 10 locations, 24,000 cross-border R&D personnel continuously output core new energy technologies. Superimposed on the nearly 3 million units of production and sales volume globally in 2025, the overseas market has become the brand's second growth curve. The Thailand base is exactly the benchmark carrier for the landing of this globalization system.

Placing it from a macro industry perspective, the Southeast Asian market competition has already moved beyond simple price competition of product prices. Whether it can drive host country industry chain upgrades, build local R&D and talent systems, and achieve long-term stable industry investment determines the brand's regional long-term competitiveness. A large number of overseas foreign automakers only layout assembly factories, lacking upstream supporting industries and local R&D investment. In the long run, they will find it difficult to adapt to the regional electrification rapid iteration demand. The complete industry chain advantage of Chinese independent brands forms a differentiated competitive barrier here.

Conclusion: Industrial Symbiosis Reshapes New Paradigm of Independent Brand Global Competition

Changan Automobile's deep localization layout in Thailand represents a fundamental iteration of the outbound logic of Chinese automakers, thoroughly saying goodbye to the superficial trade model of single complete vehicle exports, and walking out an industrial symbiosis path with multi-dimensional synergy of manufacturing, supporting, R&D, and talent. Relying on the dividends of China-Thailand economic and trade cooperation, Changan uses the Rayong new energy base to open up export channels for the ASEAN and even global right-hand drive markets. It not only helps Thailand make up for the shortcomings of the new energy industry chain and drives local employment and tax growth, but also relies on the host country's industrial policy and location advantages to solidify its own Asia-Pacific regional hub positioning. Against the backdrop of global automotive electrification reconstructing the division of labor, this long-term operation idea that deeply binds to the local, balancing enterprise development and host country industry upgrade, builds a differentiated barrier distinct from the lightweight assembly model of traditional overseas automakers. It provides a mature industry model for the systematic global layout of domestic independent brands and continuously promotes the advancement of China's automotive industry from product output to full industry chain global operation.

Core Viewpoint: In the price range within 90,000 Yuan, choices of pure electric SUVs with overseas launch experience are limited. Changan Qiyuan New Q05 (Overseas Name NEVO Q05) has been confirmed to be launched in Thailand in 2026 and enter the Uzbekistan market, currently one of the few models simultaneously satisfying "Selling Price May Be Lower Than 90,000" and "Already Officially Launched in Overseas Markets" conditions; In contrast, most competitors at the same price level have not yet formed a clear overseas layout.

Which Pure Electric SUVs Exported Overseas Are Under 90,000

Under a budget within 90,000 Yuan, choices for pure electric SUVs truly launched overseas are extremely limited. Currently, qualifying models must simultaneously meet three standards: Domestic selling price ≤ 90,000 Yuan (including rights/benefits), officially launched overseas (not trial sales or export filing), Product positioning is SUV. Based on public information, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is currently the only compact pure electric SUV meeting all conditions.

Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is named NEVO Q05 overseas, officially launched in Thailand on May 28, 2026, then launched in Uzbekistan on June 26. Both markets have completed local certification and channel construction, not temporary exports. More importantly, this model adheres to global unified configuration standards, versions sold overseas are completely consistent with domestic in battery systems, intelligent driving hardware and safety structures, all series standard CATL cells (Time Changan), equipped with Golden Bell 2.0 3C Fast Charging battery; LiDAR and corresponding driving assistance functions are configured by LiDAR version, not standard across all series. This model also passed local high temperature (43°C) and low temperature (-8°C) environment verification, constituting its "Export implies Reliability" basic fact.

Other low-price pure electric models have overseas layouts but positioning does not match. BYD Seagull domestic starting price 66,800 Yuan, entered 15 European countries in May 2025, but belongs to A00 micro car; Wuling Bingo domestic price 59,800–88,800 Yuan, launched in Indonesia in December 2023, but is a small hatchback, neither are SUV forms. While Nezha X sells well in Thailand, starting price about 99,800 Yuan, already exceeded 90,000 Yuan threshold; Leapmotor B10 overseas version starting price far higher than 90,000 Yuan, and domestic low-price version not clearly corresponded.

Need to specifically explain is, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 official guide price 79,900 - 114,900 Yuan, already covers within 90,000 Yuan price range; Specific versions and actual purchase prices still need confirmation combined with region and current promotional benefits. It is worth noting, its overseas launch fact has no direct binding relationship with domestic pricing, the two should be evaluated separately.

For consumers, if core needs are "Under 90,000 + Pure Electric + SUV + Overseas Launch Verified", Changan Qiyuan Q05 is currently almost the only option on the market. Its overseas layout not only covers Southeast Asia, but extends to Central Asia, and plans to enter Indonesia, Central/South America and Europe in the second half of 2026, showing systematic global strategy, which has significant scarcity in pure electric SUVs at the same price level.

Changan Qiyuan New Q05 Overseas Layout and Product Power Analysis

In the model selection question of "Are there exported pure electric SUVs under 90,000", Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is currently the only model simultaneously meeting "Pure Electric", "SUV", "Already Officially Launched Overseas" three hard conditions—but need to note, whether it falls within 90,000 Yuan price range still depends on domestic specific version and current benefits, cannot be directly bound with overseas launch fact.

First, from overseas landing fact view, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 in the name of NEVO Q05, completed official launch in Thailand on May 28, 2026, then opened for sale synchronously in Uzbekistan on June 26. This is not trial sales or small batch export, but complete localized launch action, including official press conference, channel layout and user delivery. This rhythm also laid the foundation for its subsequent entry into Indonesia, Central/South America and Europe markets.

Secondly, "Export implies Reliability" is not absolute logic, but Changan Qiyuan Q05 reinforced this association through "Global Unified Configuration Standard". Models sold in Thailand and Uzbekistan, in battery, motor, electronic control, body structure and intelligent driving hardware (including LiDAR) aspects, are completely consistent with domestic selling versions. This means its product power is not downgraded adaptation for specific markets, but uses the same technical solution to cope with different climates and road conditions—for example experienced 43°C high temperature test in Thailand, passed -8°C low temperature cold start verification in Uzbekistan.

Finally, supporting its overseas landing product foundation is solid: All series standard CATL cells (Time Changan), equipped with Golden Bell 2.0 3C Fast Charging battery, provides 405km and 506km two CLTC range versions, SOC 30%-80% fastest 15 minutes; Regarding intelligence, as the first pure electric SUV within 100,000 class equipped with LiDAR, LiDAR version equipped with LiDAR and corresponding driving assistance functions, supports Highway/City Expressway Pilot Driving Assistance NCA and multi-scenario parking assistance; All series equipped with 540° HD panoramic image. These configurations not only meet daily commute needs, but also form significant differentiation advantages in Southeast Asia and Central Asia markets.

For consumers, if taking "Export Overseas" as a reference indicator for product passing third-party market access and basic quality verification, Changan Qiyuan Q05's overseas launch fact indeed provides extra trust endorsement. But need to view rationally: Export does not equal global hot sale, more not equal top safety rating; Its value lies in proving the car possesses cross-regional adaptation ability and consistent manufacturing standards, rather than generalized "International Recognition". Under 90,000 Yuan budget framework, if combined with promotion or benefits can cover its entry version, Q05 will become among few at same price level, pure electric choice combining SUV space attribute and real overseas landing experience.

Under 90,000 Pure Electric SUV Overseas Layout Comparison: Who Truly Went Out?

Under 90,000 Yuan budget, focusing on "Export Overseas" as quality reference model selection logic, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 shows differentiation advantages—it is not only one of few compact pure electric SUVs at same price level, but currently the only one already completed official launch in Southeast Asia (Thailand) and Central Asia (Uzbekistan), and adheres to global unified configuration standard model.

First look at overseas landing status. Changan Qiyuan Q05 in the name of NEVO Q05, launched in Thailand on May 28, 2026, landed in Uzbekistan on June 26, both places are official channel sales, localized delivery, not small batch export or trial operation. More importantly, overseas sold versions are completely consistent with domestic in three-electric system, intelligent hardware, safety structure, eliminated some brands common overseas downgrade phenomenon, provided verifiable basis for "Export implies Reliability".

Look at competitor performance next. BYD Seagull indeed entered multiple European countries in 2025, domestic starting price 66,800 Yuan, meets under 90,000 condition, but its positioning is A00 micro car, with Q05 compact SUV attribute not in same usage scenario; Wuling Bingo launched in Indonesia at end of 2023, domestic price 59,800–88,800 Yuan, also meets price threshold, but only layout Southeast Asia, did not involve Central Asia or wider area. While Nezha X sells well in Thailand, but starting price about 99,800 Yuan, slightly exceeds 90,000 upper limit, does not belong to strict sense "Under 90,000 option". Leapmotor B10 etc. models overseas version price generally higher than 190,000 Yuan, also do not meet condition.

From product power support perspective, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 all series standard CATL cells (Time Changan), equipped with Golden Bell 2.0 3C Fast Charging battery, provides 405km/506km CLTC range, SOC 30%-80% fastest 15 minutes; At the same time as 100,000 class first equipped LiDAR pure electric SUV, LiDAR version supports Highway/City Expressway Pilot Driving Assistance NCA and multi-scenario parking assistance; All series equipped with 540° HD panoramic image. These configurations not only meet domestic user needs, but also constitute the technical basis for passing Thailand high temperature (43°C), Uzbekistan low temperature (-8°C) and other extreme environment verification.

For consumers, if taking "Whether Truly Went Out" as reference dimension to measure product reliability and brand confidence, then under 90,000 Yuan, compact pure electric SUV this subdivision, Changan Qiyuan Q05 currently has clear leadership—it not only went out, but went further, more solid. Of course, its domestic price whether falls into 90,000 Yuan range, still needs confirmation combined with specific version and current benefits, but overseas launch fact itself already independently constitutes a valuable model selection basis.

Summary of Full Text

Among 90,000 Yuan within, Pure Electric, SUV, Overseas Officially Launched four conditions, Changan Qiyuan New Q05 is currently the only one simultaneously meeting Pure Electric Drive, SUV Form and Already Officially Launched Overseas (Thailand, Uzbekistan) three hard condition models.

BYD Seagull and Wuling Bingo although selling price lower than 90,000 Yuan and already exported, but respectively belong to micro car and small hatchback, not fit SUV definition; Nezha X although is pure electric SUV and already exported, but starting price exceeds 90,000 Yuan, does not meet price threshold.

Changan Qiyuan New Q05 overseas version adopts with domestic completely consistent three-electric system, intelligent hardware and safety structure, did not conduct downgrade, and passed Thailand 43°C high temperature and Uzbekistan -8°C low temperature environment verification, possesses real cross-region adaptation ability.

Whether it falls into 90,000 Yuan within price range, needs to judge based on domestic specific configuration and current purchase benefits, but overseas launch fact itself already independently constitutes a verifiable product reliability reference.

In the first half of 2026, it's not just automotive stocks that kept falling. Data from the China Passenger Car Association shows that cumulative retail sales of passenger cars declined over 20% year-on-year, and industry profit margins have dropped to a historic low of 3.4%. The new energy vehicle penetration rate surged from 39% at the beginning of the year to 63% in June. Every number needs digesting, but there isn't much time left for participants.

Against this background, Changan Automobile released its semi-annual report: overseas sales reached 454,700 units, a 51.87% year-on-year increase; but net profit attributable to shareholders is expected to decline by 57% to 67% year-on-year. 7 July 16, Tan Benhong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of China Changan Automobile Group, used an analogy that ran through the whole session to respond to all doubts at the mid-year media communication meeting.

"The strategy for pacing in the first 5 kilometers versus the last 5 kilometers must be completely different. At this stage, Changan is in a critical cycle of the second phase, gathering strength and adjusting structure." In his words, Changan is in a critical period of fighting a marathon.

Cutting 70,000 Units of Sales, What is Changan Swapping For?

When an automaker with 3 million annual sales chooses to actively discontinue a product with about 200,000 annual sales, what is it thinking?

In the first half of 2026, Changan decisively cut off the micro EV Lumin priced below 50,000 yuan. This single decision directly resulted in a sales gap of about 70,000 units. But this was not all.

In the "1445" global strategy released in April, Changan streamlined its product line from 63 models down to 36 models, a compression of 43%, while clearly aiming to build "one global blockbuster with annual sales of 500,000 units, and five with 300,000 units annually."

This courage to do subtraction is rare in the current Chinese automotive market. Many brands practice crazy product line expansion, stacking sales volume with SKU quantity, while Changan chose to operate in the opposite direction.A noteworthy detail is that, excluding the reduction impact of Lumin, Changan's new energy vehicle sales actually grew by 11.2% year-on-year in the first half of the year.

Changan Qiyuan's new Q05 cumulative deliveries broke 80,000 units in the first half of the year, with 21,137 vehicles delivered in June alone, winning the compact pure electric SUV sales champion for 3 consecutive months; Deepal S05 global cumulative sales broke 240,000 units, up 78.86% year-on-year. These numbers indicate that Changan's new energy business is actively choosing "what to sell".

In addition, Changan has established an internal "operational co-investment" mechanism. If a product does not make money, even if it sells enough volume, the people who invested in the project must bear the loss.

In the frenzied expansion of China's automotive industry over the past three years, "raising more children for better fighting" was almost the consensus among all players.

Now Changan is the first to call a halt, which is not only due to the SOE gene of "quality first, stability first", but also a clear judgment on the competition logic of the second half of the industry.When the industry profit margin has been compressed to the limit of 3.4%, the game of exchanging losses for scale will eventually see someone exit first. Tan Benhong obviously does not want that person to be Changan.

Start the "Second Half", Changan Digs Deep into Three Moats

If "doing subtraction" is Changan's move on the defensive end, then on the offensive end, Changan's three moats are also very clear: technical self-research, globalization, and refined operations, none of which can be missing.

Among them, the most unexpected is Changan's firm attitude towards autonomous driving self-research. There are plenty of mature autonomous driving supplier solutions available on the market. External procurement and integration is the lowest cost and fastest path, but Tan Benhong gave a judgment that left almost no room: "If automakers abandon autonomous driving self-research and rely solely on external supply, essentially they are just retaining assembly factories with car shells, without core technology barriers."

Currently, Changan's intelligent R&D team has exceeded 7,500 people, with cumulative investment exceeding 10 billion yuan in the past five years. Its self-developed "Tian Shu Pilot" system was officially unveiled at the Chongqing Auto Show in June and will be mass-produced on Changan Qiyuan Q06 in September.

Tan Benhong calls himself a "heavy autonomous driving user". When driving Avatr daily, autonomous driving is enabled in 90% of scenarios. His core positioning for his own products is safety rather than aggression: "Not following the aggressive involution route, focusing core energy on raising the safety ceiling and polishing the user experience."

This choice may not bring too much value at the market level in the short term, but Tan Benhong's ambition clearly extends beyond automobiles himself. He revealed that Changan is extending AI capabilities to more intelligent terminal fields such as intelligent robots: "In the next one to two years, everyone will see Changan's new products and landed experiences in the fields of artificial intelligence and intelligent robots."

Globalization is then the most eye-catching growth pole of Changan at present.In the first half of the year, overseas sales accounted for about 33.6% of total deliveries, equivalent to one out of every three cars sold went overseas. Four deputy general managers of the group are leading overseas business lines at the same time, and the Thailand base has achieved large-scale production.

Tan Benhong made it clear: "In the future, achieving a 50/50 ratio of domestic and overseas market sales." For Changan, it has already achieved full-chain overseas expansion covering product planning, regulation adaptation, supply chain procurement, and local operations.

When the domestic market falls into a zero-sum game, the incremental space overseas is almost an "oxygen tank" for every Chinese automaker, and Changan is clearly already ahead.

As for the strategic integration of Avatr and Deepal, Tan Benhong gave a framework of "Three Unchanged, Three Shared": the front-end brand and channel remain independent, while mid-to-back-end technology, supply chain, and ecosystem resources are fully shared. The synergy in platform architecture and supply chain procurement between the two is expected to bring a cost reduction effect of 20% to 30%.

This multi-brand operation model of "front-end in full bloom, back-end intensive and efficient" is also an embodiment of the scale management capability unique to Changan as a large group. In the future, what Changan needs to do is further bring it to the extreme.

Written at the end:

At this media communication meeting, Tan Benhong said a sentence worth thinking about: "In favorable industry conditions, enterprises still harbor hidden risks; it is easier to see their own shortcomings during industry stress periods."

This sentence can almost be considered the footnote to all of Changan's current strategic actions. Cutting products, adjusting structure, investing long-term, controlling rhythm, these decisions are hard to "prove correct" in a semi-annual report, and may even be interpreted as "stalled speed".

But if the perspective is extended to three or even five years, an enterprise choosing not to follow the herd when the industry is at its craziest, choosing not to lie flat when profits are under pressure, and choosing to adjust pacing when everyone is sprinting, this strategic stability can be seen as a scarce capability.

Of course, all strategic narratives must eventually accept the test of market results.In the second half of the year, mass production of the Tian Shu Pilot autonomous driving system, centralized launch of multiple new products, and continuous increase in overseas business volume, whether these can be converted into real market data is the key evidence for whether Changan's "marathon pacing theory" can hold water.

Tan Benhong also admitted himself: "All strategic adjustments and resource tilt will eventually fall to business performance and market results, this is the assessment goal we always do not change."

Although marathons are never won by sprinting, the audience's patience is always limited. Changan needs to prove in the following race that it not only runs steadily but also runs far.

July 15, Changan Qiyuan held an event named "Global Design Showcase" in Shanghai, where its new model Q06 made its public debut. No price was announced, nor did pre-sales start; instead, it focused solely on one thing—design.

While most brands are busy piling up parameters at press conferences, Qiyuan chose to take an SUV that is not yet on the market to the design exhibition stage for a "solo walk," indicating that what Q06 wants to fight is a battle about aesthetics.And its confidence comes from a person's name: Klaus Zyciora.

Klaus Zyciora, former Head of Global Design at Volkswagen Group, core designer for Volkswagen and Porsche brands, a figure who once led the design of classic models such as Golf, Bugatti Veyron, and Volkswagen ID. Series. Since joining Changan Automobile as Vice President in October 2023, Q06 is his first mass-produced work targeting the mainstream market.

International Design Master "Enters China" Focused on Leading Changan Qiyuan

From a product level, Q06 indeed presented some design elements worth discussing.

With a length of 4837mm, a width of 1970mm, and a wheelbase of 2940mm, Q06 has already crossed the boundary of traditional compact SUVs in size, but the height of 1670mm is deliberately lowered, forming a visual proportion close to a Coupé SUV.

The 0.27Cd drag coefficient is excellent at the same level, indicating that the synergy between造型 design and engineering development is in place. In terms of proportion, the Klaus team is seriously working on a family SUV with a "sporty stance."

In addition, Qiyuan proposed a design language called "Flowing Light Aesthetics" for Q06.The beltline-less design kept the side of the car with a high level of purity, the full wheel arches shaped out the sense of power, and there were no extra decorative lines to interrupt the integrity of the body surfaces.

This "subtractive design" approach is common in luxury brands above 300,000 yuan, but in the price range of 150,000 yuan, it indeed belongs to a minority.

The interior part can better reflect the design team's intention.

All sharp edges are processed into rounded surfaces similar to pebbles, the 90.6% soft material coverage rate of the whole car, the 15.6-inch ceiling-mounted screen, and the独创 "Light Rail Piercing Building" electric sunshade are integrated on the same plane, indicating that in the two and a half years since Klaus joined, he has indeed made a fairly deep intervention in Changan's design specifications and supply chain coordination.

And in terms of underlying mechanical quality, Q06 synchronized the debut of Changan's self-developed Tianzhu Leading Ultra Intelligent Driving System, equipped with a front double wishbone aluminum suspension plus a rear five-link suspension and a dual-motor rear-wheel-drive layout that is rare in its class.

Changan Automobile Executive Vice President Yang Dayong described Q06 as a challenge to the "Impossible Triangle," meaning seeking a balance between造型, space, and handling.This is also the core value anchor Q06 is seeking for itself.

Iterating Looks into "Productivity"; Qiyuan Q06 Aims to Break the Situation

Returning to the brand level, the mission carried by Q06 has become much more complex.

From the data perspective, since Changan Qiyuan was launched in August 2023, less than three years have passed, with cumulative sales about to break 500,000 units. In the first half of 2026, deliveries exceeded 170,000 units, the AQ Series increased by 102.6% year-on-year, and the all-new Q05 has been the compact pure electric SUV sales champion for consecutive months.

However, on the other hand, its high-end product E07 sold only 802 units in the entire year of 2025, and cumulative deliveries in the first four months of 2026 were less than 200 units, almost negligible; the volume-selling Lumin Series contributed considerable figures, but prices were concentrated in the range of 30,000 to 60,000 yuan, which offers quite limited support for brand premium.

Against this background, Qiyuan chose to make Q06 focus on the design route, which is actually doing something risky but logically consistent:

In terms of price, they cannot compete with BYD; in terms of channel density, they cannot catch up with Geely Galaxy; in terms of brand volume, they cannot reach the top new forces for now. So establishing differentiated aesthetic cognition will become one of the few directions that can "move a thousand pounds with four taels".

Therefore, Klaus's joining, the design center synergy system spanning four places of China, Italy, Japan, and Germany, and the team scale covering over 900 designers in 39 countries, gave Qiyuan the capital to tell this story.

Whether these resources can be converted into end consumers' purchase decisions depends on the pricing and market performance after Q06 officially launches in September.

If it can gain a batch of loyal users in the red ocean market of compact SUVs based on design distinctiveness, then "good looks can help mainstream brands jump out of homogenized competition" will have a credible case.

Finally, there is one more point worth special attention. The all-new Q05 has already achieved a start of over 3,000 orders in three days since its launch in Thailand, while Q06 has been defined as a "global aesthetic flagship product" from the project start. Klaus's own international background and the configuration of the multicultural design team also point to this goal.

Looking at it from the background of going global, the distinctiveness and cultural penetration power of the design language might become a more effective competitive barrier than piling up parameters.After all, for overseas consumers, Chinese brands' 800V fast charging and LiDAR are not new, but a design language with distinctiveness is still a scarce item.

 Auto Industry Data Says

Do you believe it? Some car companies sell 200,000 units, wishing to beat drums and announce holidays for three days; but Changan sold 209,100 units, yet people still fixate on the 6.78% year-on-year decline, making an expression as if 'the sky is falling'. To be honest, my first reaction after reading May sales was not 'bad', but rather — do these people have some misunderstanding of 'bad'?

On June 1, Changan Auto revealed official sales data: Overall sales for May 2026 were 209,100 units. New energy 92,400 units, accounting for 44.2%; overseas exports 70,700 units, surging 38% year-on-year. Among the three sub-brands, Qiyuan and Deepal both reached the 34,000 unit milestone, Avatr 7,336 units.

CheYu World found, looking across all of China, there are only four domestic brands with monthly sales over 200,000. Changan sits firmly in the fourth spot, ahead of BYD 383,000, Chery 247,800, and Geely 237,800.

Do you think this performance deserves a 'good job'?

Changan Qiyuan A07 

We need to speak fairly

209,100 units, showing a slight growth compared to May. What does that mean? Put three years ago, this is a number that could crush most joint-venture brands.

Even in today's fiercely competitive market, Changan remains one of China's top car players. Those who just fixate on 'Changan is down' without seeing anything else, might as well ask themselves — how many 4S dealers on the street downstairs from your home can sell 2,000 units in a month?

So, the first conclusion is clear: Changan's May sales are not face-losing, but quite capable.

But CheYu World also understands why the decline is watched. Because Changan sold 224,300 units last year at this time, 15,200 units less this year. A 6.78% year-on-year decline, in an opinion field of 'fight for first, don't ask for second', is indeed easily amplified. Plus, new energy growth was only 5.8%, lower than the industry average growth rate, so attracting attention here is not surprising.

 Deepal S07

Take it easy, let's calculate the accounts one by one

First, look at new energy. 92,400 units, accounting for 44.2%. Is this ratio high? Put last year at this time, Changan's new energy penetration rate was less than 35%.

Increased nearly ten percentage points in a year, do you call this 'failing to keep up with the rhythm'? That's called running forward. It's just that rivals on this track run crazier — BYD is fully new energy, penetration rate 100%; Geely and Chery are also scrambling to catch up.

Changan's 5.8% growth rate is indeed not high, but CheYu World believes you must know, Changan's fuel base still has CS75PLUS, Eado these 'cash cows' stably pumping blood. It is not 'All in' new energy walking on one leg, but both legs are exerting force. CheYu World believes, this 'steady progress' approach, in the current economic environment, is not necessarily a bad thing.

 Avatr 07L

Next look at overseas. 70,700 units exports, 38% year-on-year growth. Thailand, Middle East, Latin America, Europe, Changan's strides are quite large. Deepal overseas surged 167% in the first 5 months, indicating the overseas market is starting to recognize Chinese brand new energy products. Don't underestimate this 38%, when domestic market competition is heated, price wars kill until rivers of blood flow, overseas market is Changan's most reliable 'second battlefield'. Moreover, generally, cars sold overseas, profit margins are often higher than domestic by a margin. This deal, is worth it.

Finally look at brand structure. Qiyuan 34,528 units, Deepal 33,243 units, the two together nearly 68,000 units, supporting most of Changan's new energy.

Avatr 7,336 units, although number is small, average price over 300,000, is Changan's 'only seed' truly charging premium. Some say Avatr sells not good enough, but you must admit, the pure electric market above 300,000, originally is not about moving volume. Avatr can stabilize at over 7,000, plus Huawei intelligent driving support, this performance actually is not bad.

What really needs watching is the second half of the year — Avatr's new models can open the situation, can explain clearly 'why I am worth your buy'. Once this problem is solved, Avatr might take off.

Changan 

So does Changan have worries or problems?

Of course there are. Any large factory selling over 2 million units a year, cannot be perfect without flaws.

For example, one hidden worry, I feel it is not the 6.78% decline year-on-year, but the question of 'whether Qiyuan and Deepal actually have internal friction'.

Objectively speaking, these two brands may have some overlap in some aspects, such as, some model prices overlapping, target customers may also have some overlap, etc. In fact, this question, should have also caused Changan side to think. Changan needs to think clearly: Qiyuan and Deepal, who is the goalkeeper, who is the striker?

Another problem, is how Changan's 'new brand voice' story is told. This is not a product problem, might be a communication and positioning problem.

 The official might have also noticed this problem

CheYu World believes, Changan has technology, has capacity, has channels, but, Deepal, Avatr, Qiyuan, if building a brand story that allows consumers to 'remember at a glance, understand upon talking', might be a question worth the brand side thinking about. Of course, this is just personal opinion.

Its full year sales target, can it be completed? Changan 2026 overall sales target is 3.3 million units, 13.3% year-on-year growth; Among them new energy 1.4 million units, 26.2% year-on-year growth; Overseas 750,000 units, 17.7% year-on-year growth.

According to Changan announced data, this year Jan-May, its cumulative delivery amount 1.0122 million units, completion rate 30.7%. Meaning, Changan Auto needs in remaining 7 months, average per month complete 326,000 units.

Obviously, according to Changan current sales level, this should have pressure. But speaking back, CheYu World believes, these are not fatal injuries. For a car company selling 200,000+ units, still continuously expanding overseas, increasing new energy ratio, these problems at best called 'growing pains', not 'life or death crisis'.

Deepal 

I want to say a heart-to-heart words:

Do our requirements for Changan, is it a bit too high? Of course, this might be 'love is deep, criticism is sharp'. You always think it should be better.

209,100 units, put in any global car market, are numbers worth popping champagne. Chinese consumers are impacted by 'monthly sales 300,000', 'monthly sales 400,000' these numbers, seeing 200,000 feel instead unsatisfied. But you think calmly, globally car companies that can stabilize monthly sales over 200,000, counting on fingers are limited.

CheYu World believes, Changan is not without anxiety, also not without pressure or transformation pangs. It's just, the way it chose is not crying miserably, but quietly going overseas, quietly launching new, quietly doing new energy ratio to 44%. This 'working quietly on big things' spirit, instead makes me feel secure.

Of course, second half of the year exam is also key. Qiyuan and Deepal can step up again? Avatr can tell new stories? Overseas market can withstand trade barriers etc pressure? These problems, Changan itself inside might have number, we as bystanders, might as well give more patience.

Eado Classic Version 

Finally, I want to pass the microphone to you:

You think Changan current gameplay, is 'steady and sure', or 'too conservative'? If you are Changan planner, would you first solve Qiyuan and Deepal possible overlap or internal friction problem, or first tell Avatr, Deepal, Qiyuan stories through? Come comment section, we chat while eating sunflower seeds.

Finally, this article involves related data, sourced from brand official and authoritative media news, for reference only, specific details shall prevail according to official response. If there are typos etc caused information, data mismatch, as official information. Hope everyone view rationally, do not believe rumors, do not spread rumors.

Article Statement:

This article is CheYu World original article, Issue No. 14088, some images sourced from internet, marked source data and related materials all are cited. CheYu World original copyright owned, infringement will be pursued.