The Avatr 07 May Be The Best Case For Chinese Cars Yet | Review
PROS ›› The best self-parking tech we’ve experienced, solid build quality, looks unique,
CONS ›› Firm ride, tech overload, model tested was not quick
Avatr is likely a brand you’ve never heard of. And yet, it’s the kind of car company that is likely to shake you out of your slumber when you realize just how quickly China is developing its top-flight tech powerhouses. The Avatr 07 is another feather in the company’s cap. And while the 11 that we tested last year had its drawbacks, the 07 — which should be the 11’s smaller brother — outclasses it in many respects. It does so, seemingly by virtue of just, well, being newer.
But that’s the kind of progress a brand needs to display in what is a ruthless Chinese home market. Model cycles are short, and designers and engineers are constantly pushing to out-niche the competition with weird and wonderful features that can differentiate their products in what has to be the most crowded market for cars.
Review: The Avatr 11 Blends European Style And Chinese Tech But Still Comes With A Catch
That said, the Avatr 07 doesn’t attempt to win you over with gimmicks, although it does have a few. As a refresher, Avatr is a joint venture between state-owned automaker Changan, tech giant Huawei, and China’s largest battery manufacturer, CATL. Unlike the many copycats, who invariably deploy some kind of take on a Defender or Bronco in their lineup, Avatr has decided to take design seriously.
QUICK FACTS › Model:2026 Avatr 07› Dimensions:4,825 mm (189.9 inches) Length
1,980 mm (77.9 inches) Width
1,605 mm (63.2 inches) Height
2,940 mm (115.7 in) Wheelbase› Curb Weight:2,225 kg / 4,905 lbs› Powertrain:Rear-wheel drive with 82.16 kWh battery› Output:99 kW (132 hp / 134 PS) and 365 Nm (273 lb-ft) of torque› Transmission:Single Speed› Performance:0-100 kmh (62 mph) in 13 sec, 180 kmh (112 mph) top speed› Range:575 km / 357 miles (NEDC)› On Sale:Now SWIPE
A Closer Look At That Exterior
Avatr has invested in a design studio in Munich and has reportedly attracted top talent to their stable. Their chief designer is Nader Faghihzadeh. He’s the guy who penned the BMW i8. And the fact that the 07 genuinely isn’t a mish-mash of existing rival styling cues earns the 07 some brownie points in my book.
However, it’s not quite as imposing in person as the larger 11 was, even if it is just a smidgen smaller (4,825 mm / 190 inches vs 4,880 mm / 192.1 inches long). The styling is very much a continuation of the precedent set by the 11, but with a lower waistline, and an overall more rounded hatchback rear, vaguely reminiscent of the U.S. Honda HR-V in outline alone. Or, to put it another way, it’s the 11’s CliffsNotes, toned down for a broader audience. Kill Bill without so much of the Kill, if you will.
But that’s okay, because the 07 is meant to attract a larger audience to the brand, while staying somewhat stylish. The overall design, with its large arches and differently surfaced panels down the side, do make the car look a bit underwheeled in the spec we tested, with the predominantly black 20-inch wheels not standing out against the purple bodywork.
It All Comes Together Inside
Step into the Avatr 07 and its hard not to be impressed by the sheer quality of it all. We’re talking Nappa leather seats, real Dinamica microfiber suede on the roof, and an overall air of quality that will genuinely have the German big three scratching their heads. There are no shiny or creaky plastics (we can’t say the same about some Mercedes of late), and there’s an attention to detail that showcases that thought has been put into the design − even the lower B-pillar trim panel is wrapped in leather.
Ahead of the driver, at the base of the windscreen, is a cabin-wide thin strip of screen. This 35.4-inch display incorporates the use of widgets to add an extra layer of seriously useful customisation to the experience. Here you can select a number of things to display, including tire pressure, temperatures, power, and multimedia. In a world of pointlessly expanding screen real estate, it was more than refreshing to be able to glance at some of those excessive pixels and have it tell you something relevant to your drive.
The driver and passenger seats both feature heating, ventilation, and massage functionality, and a zero gravity mode (fancy word for saying the seat goes into a theatre-style recline mode) can come in handy when recharging the 07 at a public charger. The relaxation features are coupled with several scenario modes, which you can select through the display. Want to experience a pretty poor recreation of a roaring fireplace? Select the mode, and the screen will flicker a warm light, the heating will turn on, and you’ll hear the faint crackle of a wood fire piped through the audio. Of more use, though, is the Tesla-esque pet mode, which allows you to keep the cabin at a constant temperature, with a prominent message letting passersby know your furry friend is comfortable.
Spend a little more time inside though, and some issues start to creep to the surface. The AC vents, for instance, are designed to be invisible. It’s a nice concept that grabs the minimalism-to-the-max concept by the horns, but in practice it’s impractical. Want to change the direction of the airflow, and instead of quickly making a minor adjustment to a vent, you have to delve into a menu via the touchscreen and drag to where you want the airflow blowing.
There’s the steering wheel, too. Arguably inspired by Tesla, the yoke is just not a great experience. F1 cars have them because your steering inputs are limited to a small range of motion. But in real road cars, as soon as you need to park (more on that later) and you have to do several lock-to-lock maneuvers, it just becomes a chore. Shuffling the wheel is impossible, and instead you have to half-palm it.
Another frustration is that the steering wheel and mirror adjustments need to be accessed through the screen too. We understand that this isn’t the first car, and it won’t be the last, to hide everything behind a screen, but for those of us who like to make minor corrections to our seating position, having an extra st
Source: www.carscoops.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.