An Avatr 12 fastback sedan, parked alongside the road in central Beijing. The Cloud Purple machine looked mighty impressive, for its sheer size, tech, and gigantic 21-inch alloy wheels.
What is Avatr?
Avatr is a mid-high-end NEV brand, founded in 2018 and based in Chongqing. The Chinese name is 阿维塔, Āwéitǎ. The main shareholders are Changan Automobile and battery maker CATL. Huawei is a development partner and a major supplier, but not a shareholder.
Avatr sells four models in China: the Avatr 12 sedan, the Avatr 06 sedan, the Avatr 07 SUV, and the Avatr 11 SUV. Sales have been okay. In 2025, Avatr sold 113.621 cars. That was good for a 0.48% market share and the 45th place on the brand-sales rankings, just behind Jetta and just ahead of Onvo.
The Avatr 12
The Avatr 12 is a wild-looking fastback sedan with endlessly empty surfaces. It features sharply cut daytime-running lights and shiny trim on the bumpers and doors. The car in the photos has traditional mirrors; buyers can also go for optional camera mirrors.
The Avatr 12 has a very smooth, aero-focused body, with a drag coefficient of just 0.21 Cd. Flush door handles, wide hips, and a roofline that tapers toward the rear define the look. It’s impressive, though perhaps not traditionally beautiful. Avatr launched the 12 in 2023. The car in the photos is a 2025 example, then brand new, and yet without license plates.
The interior
Avatr interiors are like a futuristic spaceship’s command center. The cabin is clean, with a tech vibe and, again, lots of empty surfaces. The side windows of the Avatr 12 are rather small compared to those of other modern Chinese sedans, and it doesn’t have a rear window at all, so the cabin seems a little dark, even with the Twilight Purple/Smoke White color scheme.
The eye catcher is the 35.4-inch cabin-wide screen at the bottom of the windscreen. It looks really cool when the car is on. The screen doubles as a driver’s display and an entertainment screen for the co-driver. In the middle is a big 15.6-inch touch screen. Avatr sources the infotainment, the sound system, and the ADAS from Huawei.
Avatr’s steering wheel design is special: oval-shaped with a flat bottom and top. The drive selector is on the steering wheel column. It has two 50W wireless chargers on the center tunnel and two heated and cooled cup holders. There’s a tissue box in the storage bin underneath the tunnel.
The Avatr 12 is a long car with a long wheelbase, so there’s lots of legroom in the rear. The owner added a bunch of cartoon-ish pillows. The size of the Avatr 12 is: 5020/1999/1450, 3020.
Specifications
The Avatr 12 is based on the CHN platform. Avatr offers EV and EREV variants. The car in the photos is the Avatr 12 Ultra AWD EV model. It has two electric motors with a total output of 402 kW (547 hp) and 687 Nm. Avatr claims a 0-100 in 3.8 seconds. The top speed is limited to 220 km/h.
The 94.53 kWh CATL ternary lithium battery makes for a 705-kilometer CLTC range. The electricity consumption is 15.2 kWh/100 kilometers, and that is pretty good for such a big car. It is heavy too, with a 2365 kg curb weight. The Avatr 12 has an 800V architecture for fast-charging. The maximum charging speed is 240 kW, and 30-80% charging takes 20 minutes.
Price of the Avatr 12
The rear looks tall, emphasized by the lack of a rear window. It has a pop-out spoiler and a fixed spoiler on the boot lid. The Avatr 12 Ultra AWD EV costs 319.900 yuan or $46K. They may seem cheap for a car with so much power and tech, but the competition in China is fierce, and for this money, some competitors will sell you cars with over 800 hp. Still, the Avatr 12 is special because of its wild looks, spaceship interior, and general coolness of the brand.