Changan Auto flexes its electrified creativity at Beijing Auto Show

AT the recent Beijing Auto Show 2024, also known as the Auto China 2024, Changan Auto showcased three new electrified vehicles that push the boundaries of creativity and ingenuity. All three new vehicles also have a degree of electrification, further showcasing the dominance that the Chinese auto industry has when it comes to both electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).

Imagine if these doors make it to the production version.

A segment-blurring electrified sport utility truck

The main highlight of the Changan brand booth was the new Nevo E07. Just for context, Changan has three sub-brands: Nevo, Deepal, and Avatr. All three are electrified brands, with Deepal and Avatr sitting as the top two of the Changan brand hierarchy. The Nevo E07 is a vehicle that the automaker claims to be the world’s first “transformer” car. That’s because it combines the traits of an SUV and a pickup.

The Deepal G318.

The Nevo E07 has a sleek and modern shape, wherein its front three-quarters are a traditional crossover SUV, but the remaining one-fourth of the vehicle has a roofline that tapers gently all the way to the tip of the tailgate. The resulting silhouette ends up looking like a Tesla Cybertruck, albeit with softer lines, a more curvaceous shape, and a front end with a closed-off grille that can be upgraded to a screen. The screen can display various images and animations, such as letting a person cross the road or revealing the charging status of the vehicle.

Front end of the Changan UNI-V iDD.

Of course, the main highlight of the Changan Nevo E07 is its rear end. It converts into a pickup truck via a button at the tailgate, which is a split design like in a Range Rover or BMW X5. The lower rear glass then drops down, while the large rear windshield rises towards the roof to give you a large bed. Do note, however, that this is only possible when the car is stationary, so don’t expect the Changan Nevo E07 to be able to haul bulky items anytime soon.

As for powertrains, the Changan Nevo E07 comes in two electric drivetrain configurations. The first one is a single-motor rear-wheel drive (RWD) layout that produces 338 horsepower (hp) and a 201 kilometers per hour (kph) top speed. If you want more power and mild off-roading capability, there’s also a dual-motor version that produces 590 hp and a 210 kph top speed. A range extender plug-in hybrid is also going to be made available for this electric sport utility truck.

A plug-in hybrid off-roader

Now, here’s a vehicle that has sales potential for the Philippine market. Filipinos are still not openly receptive toward electric vehicles, though interest in EVs is growing. Therefore, if you want an EV that can go off-road, but without worrying about range, the Deepal G318 could perfectly fulfill that need.

As you’ve probably noticed, the Chinese car market’s naming scheme is characterized by a hodgepodge of numbers and letters that seem to be too random. After all, we’ve probably reached a point where most of the nicest names from the dictionary have already been used. In the context of the G318, however, it is the number assigned to a highway that runs from Shanghai to Zhangmu, in which the latter is located on the China-Nepal border. Think of it as China’s version of America’s Route 66. The section of the G318 highway in Sichuan and Tibet is scenic and rugged, which is why this rugged PHEV SUV is called the G318.

It is not just any other PHEV, mind you. It’s actually a range extender electric vehicle, which means that the gasoline engine never powers the wheels. Instead, it charges either an 18.4 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery or a 35.1 kWh battery, while the electric drivetrain is either a single-motor RWD version with 248 hp or a dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) version with 424 hp. Opting for the dual-motor AWD also lets this electric off-roader sprint from 0-100 kph in just 6.3 seconds. As for range, the G318 can supposedly run in pure EV mode for up to 190 kilometers when fully charged, though we assume this is for the single-motor RWD version.

The Deepal G318, however, doesn’t ride on a body-on-frame chassis as most off-roaders do. However, thanks to having its battery pack inherently part of the structure, its chassis can withstand up to 45,000 Nm/deg of force. Other stuff to note about the G318 is that it can climb a slope with up to 60-percent grade, and those flushed door handles enable this boxy electric SUV to have a low drag coefficient (for its class) of 0.35 Cd.

Challenging the Civic’s stronghold

Lastly, Changan now has a PHEV of its popular sporty compact sedan in the Chinese market. Called the UNI-V iDD, it is part of the design-focused UNI model line of Changan’s vehicles, joining the UNI-T and UNI-K crossovers that are already on sale in the Philippines.

As a plug-in hybrid variant of the UNI-V, the iDD version sets itself apart with a revised front fascia, featuring a vertical side vent with geometric lines, along with a newly designed frameless grille with a triangular pattern and a sportier lower apron. The LED headlights are slimmer and also feature a new design, in which the two headlights are connected by a slim black trim piece. Like the standard UNI-V, the iDD has taut shoulders and clean lines, complemented by those flushed door handles and a roofline that tapers to the tip of the fastback electrically operated tailgate.

To back up its sporty credentials, the new iDD plug-in hybrid powertrain packs quite a punch. The PHEV drivetrain is composed of a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine and an electric motor driving the front wheels via a new electronic continuously variable transmission. The gasoline engine produces 108 hp and 143 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque, while the electric motor produces 211 hp and 330 Nm of torque. The combined power output has not been revealed, but it has a 185 kph top speed and a quick 0-100 kph time of just 6.9 seconds.

As for the interior, the UNI-V iDD has a driver-focused cockpit to emphasize its sporty orientation, along with two digital screens — one for the driver and the other being the main infotainment system. There’s also a generous amount of soft-touch materials to make the interior feel premium, while features such as a power-adjustable driver’s seat and a Sony sound system come as standard.

With these three electrified vehicles showcased by Changan Auto, the Chinese automaker flexes its might when it comes to creativity in engineering. These vehicles don’t follow the traditional rulebook for what a vehicle in a certain class should be. Instead, Changan Auto has showcased what the company is able to achieve when it is free to innovate to carve a unique identity out of the highly competitive global automotive market. With that in mind, which of these three electrified vehicles do you wish Changan Auto Philippines would offer in our market?