Avita 11: First Car on CHN, the Next-Generation Intelligent EV Platform Co-Created by Changan Automobile, Huawei and CATL

Avita 11, the first car launched by Avita, is the “emotional intelligent electric coupé SUV”. This vehicle is empowered by the three industrial forces of Changan Automobile, Huawei, and CATL who are dedicated to vehicle R&D, production, intelligent driving, intelligent cockpit, smart ecology, and battery management among other areas.

What is ANC and what is the driving experience of this car like? On September 8th, I visited the “Avita Driving Camp” to answer these questions and more.

The First Mass-Produced Car in China Equipped with RNC Technology

What is RNC Technology?

Before clarifying what RNC technology is, let me explain what ANC is first.

ANC, short for Active Noise Cancellation, is a type of noise reduction technology that many people are familiar with through noise-cancelling earphones. Some carmakers, such as Cadillac, and Bose have cooperatively researched and developed ANC technology for vehicles.

The full name of RNC is Road Noise Cancellation, which refers to the technology of actively reducing road noise.

In petrol-engined vehicles, the primary source of noise is the engine, and noise from the engine’s speed and gas pedal can be predicted through testing. In that case, ANC predominantly serves to reduce the engine noise.

However, Avita 11 is an electric vehicle that eliminates engine noise pollution. It requires RNC technology, which primarily targets three types of noise: wind noise, road noise, and tire noise. Since the real road conditions are hard to simulate and replicate in lab tests, RNC technology is theoretically more complex than ANC and more challenging to produce good noise reduction effects.

100% Indigenous Research and Development

In fact, the RNC technology is not exclusive to Avita 11. Genesis GV80 also has this function, but it uses Harman Kardon’s technology. However, Avita 11 is the first domestic vehicle that has 100% autonomous research and development and entered mass production with RNC technology.Dr. Kong Xiangjie, the RNC technology director of Avita, mentioned several times during his introduction that they encountered significant difficulties in dealing with extreme scenarios during the early stages of RNC development. For example, when driving at high speeds and crossing over lanes, the system would emit a loud sound to remind the driver, but during the initial RNC operation, this sound was amplified, becoming a source of noise.

To solve this problem, Avita 11’s approach was to install sensors on the suspension to capture the frequency of the noise, and then emit waves of the same size but opposite frequency through five speakers to cancel it out. However, this was still not enough because the sources of noise inside the car are extremely diverse and complex, so microphones were placed on the backrests of the four seats to capture and verify noise near the ears of passengers, further optimizing the output of the low-frequency amplifier to achieve a recursive noise cancellation process and ultimately achieve noise reduction.

“Exclusive” demonstration with Dr. Kong on board

This time, we were honored to conduct RNC function tests with Dr. Kong Xiangjie on board.

First, a brief introduction to our test conditions: we used a professional Lijin decibel meter to record data with the RNC turned on and off in the vehicle’s rear seats while driving at a constant speed of 50—60 km/h with no large vehicles passing by. We chose a road with fewer traffic, but still had to run ten rounds due to excessive interference to obtain the following two sets of data:

1. With RNC on, 68 dB; with RNC off, 72.6 dB;
2. With RNC on, 64.9 dB; with RNC off, 67.6 dB.

Although the difference in numbers seems to be only 2-4 dB, the effect is more pronounced in the back seats than in the front seats in terms of actual listening experience. According to my colleague Liu Guangdang’s description, when RNC is turned off, there are some “rumbling thunder sounds” in the back seats, but after turning on RNC, these thunder sounds are significantly reduced.

Here’s an exclusive frequency chart provided by Dr. Kong. From the chart, we can see that RNC is actually a wideband noise reduction technology. When RNC is turned on, noise between 40-400 Hz is reduced, but the degree of reduction varies for different frequencies. Sound near 100 Hz is almost completely cancelled out, and sound near 350 Hz is also significantly reduced. When RNC is turned off, these sounds are restored to their original levels, and the sound of thunder is the result of the mixture of 100 Hz and 350 Hz sounds.

If you have used noise-cancelling headphones, you might realize that the moment you truly feel the noise-cancelling effect is not when you put them on, but when you take them off.

Due to the time required for RNC processing, if the vehicle is exposed to consecutive loud noises, RNC is unable to process every segment of noise promptly. Additionally, the effect of RNC function varies under different road conditions, generally showing the best effect on asphalt surfaces with larger particles.

It is worth noting that once RNC function is enabled, it takes 10 s to collect ambient noise and take effect, so it does not work immediately after activation.

To be frank, even with single-layer glass, the NVH level of the Avita 11 is stronger than many models using double-layer glass, even with RNC function turned off. With the assistance of RNC technology, the quietness of the vehicle is enhanced. RNC technology is not omnipotent, rather a supplement to the NVH of the vehicle, playing no decisive role in it.

Static Experience

Exterior:

I believe you have seen plenty of photos of this car online, like me. However, seeing the actual car gave me a different feeling.

Your eyes will be immediately drawn to the “strange” daytime running lights when you first see the front of the car. To me, this design gives the impression of an old man squinting, with his eyes on top and his beard on the bottom. When the light comes on at night, the lights not only look good, but are also highly recognizable.

The display screen at the bottom of the front windshield will show a greeting message every time the car is unlocked, giving a sense of ceremony to getting into the car.

One of the laser radars is located on the black bumper in the center of the front of the car, close to the position of the front camera. As both are in dark colors, it is somewhat difficult to find them at first glance, unlike many cars where the radar is more conspicuous.

Open the front hood, and the 95L large-capacity front trunk comes into view in an instant. This space is big enough to fit a 20-inch suitcase. In addition, Avita 11 also designed a 12V external power outlet in the front trunk, which is not available in most other models.

Moving to the side, as the car height is only 1,601mm, the whole side of the car appears very low, and with the 22-inch large wheels, it creates a strong visual impact. The laser radar surrounding the side is wrapped in black, which doesn’t seem out of place even on the white car body.

The tires used are Michelin PremiumContact 6 265/40 R22 high-flat tires, which have the characteristics of low rolling resistance, high comfort, high braking response, and good handling on corners. The tires come with sound-absorbing cotton, which can minimize tire and road noise and improve NVH performance.

The door handle adopts a hidden design, similar in appearance to Tesla Model S, but Avita 11 uses electric doors. When opening the door, simply pull the handle lightly, and the door will open automatically. You might be wondering, what if there is an obstacle near the door?

No problem, the black part surrounding the bottom of the door conceals the sensor radar. The door will automatically determine whether it can be opened and how far the door can be opened based on the distance to the obstacle.

After getting used to the logic of electric doors, opening and closing the door creates a more ritualistic experience.

The charging port is uniformly placed on the left rear, and it is electrically operated. Both charging ports have protective covers, and the charging light will turn on at night. The fast charging port supports a maximum high-pressure fast charge of 750V/240kW.Here’s a little detail. The Aveta 11 has deliberately opened a drain under the charging port cover, so that owners can even charge outdoors in the rain without worrying about water causing the charging system to fail.

At the rear of the car, what does this almost vertically dropping rear windshield design remind you of? In fact, this is the classic flying buttress design, which has been used by Aston Martin, Honda’s del sol, and the Ferrari 375 MM Speciale.

But this design also brings a problem, because the area of the rear windshield is too small, it is generally difficult to see the rear road conditions with the inside rearview mirror. Therefore, Aveta 11 adopted the design of a streaming media rearview mirror. I looked inside the car during the day and at night, and the clarity during the day is completely fine, and as long as the rear vehicle lights are normally lit at night, it can be seen clearly.

The taillights are still the familiar through-light design, and there is also a adjustable electric tail wing above the taillights. Under normal circumstances, when the vehicle speed reaches 90 km/h, the vehicle will automatically raise the tail wing to increase the downforce at the rear, and lower it automatically when the speed decreases. The option of always raising the tail wing is also provided in the vehicle settings.

Open the trunk and you’ll find that the difference between this SUV and others is the sedan-like three-box structure. This structure is adopted for enhanced sound insulation and better use of the RNC function, but it sacrifices some trunk space. Also, please note that the 4-seat version does not support rear seat folding.

After talking about the exterior, it’s time to enter the interior of the Avita 11 and experience it.

Interior:

Today, I experienced the NAPPA blue-gray interior. This color scheme gives me a young and technological feeling. The front row adopts a three-screen design, but the central control screen is not in the same plane as other instrument panels and copilot screens. The protruding design makes it easier for the driver to touch the screen with their fingers while driving.

The grip of the steering wheel is very full, which is very suitable for quick operation during intense driving. There is also a camera on the steering wheel to monitor the driver. This camera can also recognize the driver’s different emotions and make different voice prompts.

There are four-way rollers on both the left and right sides of the steering wheel, as well as two buttons. The left button is the voice recognition button, which activates the voice assistant “Xiaota”. The right button is the automatic parking button.

The left-hand gear lever on the steering wheel controls the wipers, high/low lights, and turn signals, while the right-hand gear lever is the gear selector. Just a light touch and you can go.

The stitching on the left and right sides of the steering wheel, as well as the joints near the left A-pillar, are much better than those on the previous engineering car.

The seat adjustment buttons are placed on the car door, and the official explanation is that it allows people to comfortably adjust the seat in a comfortable position. The switch button for the electric door is also located here.

The window switch buttons are similar to the design of the NIO ET7, but the button operation feel is more comfortable in my personal opinion.

I believe everyone has seen the flat panel of the central control in many cars before, and the main difference between the Evita and other cars is the in-car system. The underlying system uses Huawei’s Hongmeng system, but the UI design is designed by Changan Automobile. The car’s chip-sets use the Huawei Kirin 990 chip, and the entire system has a very fast response rate, achieving a one-to-one operation.

The specifications of the co-pilot screen and instrument screen are exactly the same, both are 10.25-inch LCD screens. The effect of watching TV may not be as good as that of larger-sized models. The official also explained that this design is because they do not want passengers to watch TV as soon as they get in the car, but it caters to the needs of passengers who enjoy watching TV.

The whirlpool-like object behind the center console is the Evita 11’s mid-tone speaker, which has a unique and stylish design. Although this car is not branded, it does not promote how high its wattage is, and does not use HUAWEI SOUND, and the number of speakers is not as good as those flagship cars starting at 20 speakers. But in a relatively quiet environment at night, when the music hall sound effect is turned on, the mid-tone speaker effect that I actually heard sitting in the back row was still very good, and the sound field and vocal effects were outstanding.

The central area is designed with a hidden storage compartment, making it concise. There are two wireless charging positions, with the left side also serving as an NFC key recognition area. When charging a phone with NFC function, the wallet application may pop up.

There is a cover on the cup holder that can be closed when not in use. However, this design has a small issue: when the cover is opened, there is a small gap next to it. This may be troublesome if cards or similar items fall inside.

Opening the armrest, you can see that although the opening is not large, the depth is very deep. I put a perfume bottle in the car and it was about the same height as two bottles. The charging ports in the armrest from left to right are a power interface with a maximum of 150 W at 12 V, one USB-A port, one microSD card slot, and one USB-C port.

There is also a hollow storage compartment below the central area, but the space is slightly smaller than that of other SUVs. It is still enough for a pair of high-heeled shoes for women.

The sun visor in the front row is designed in two sections. Compared with other models, the cosmetic mirror light is brighter and the lighting is warmer. It is like having a built-in fill light, which is very suitable for passengers who have selfie needs.

The front seats use integrated racing seats with headrests and backrests. The seats feel moderately soft, with strong wrapping, but unfortunately, the seat cushion is slightly short and does not support cushion extension.

In addition to the regular reading lights, emergency flashers, and alarm button, the roof reading light of the car is equipped with ultraviolet sterilization light, which can be remotely activated via the mobile app. In today’s normalized pandemic situation, this feature is undoubtedly practical.

Moving to the rear seat, the seat feels similar to the front row, both being moderately soft and comfortable with good support. The rear seat has a relatively high depth, but the angle of the seat cushion is somewhat short.

People can rest assured about the space in the backseat. My 1.8-meter tall colleague Leinhardt has tried it before. After adjusting the front seat to his own sitting posture, there are still two laps of legroom in the rear and a headroom of one fist and three fingers.

Although the five-seater version has one extra seat, the backrest is relatively hard and only suitable for short-term use. Fortunately, the rear floor is flat.

For the four-seater version, both rear seats are equipped with ventilation, heating, and massage functions, and they can be adjusted to an angle of 12 degrees backward and 28 degrees forward, totaling 40 degrees. This adjustable range is probably the largest in this price range and meets the needs of most rear-seat passengers.

Also, please note that the rear-seat boss button of the four-seater version is not on the left side of the front passenger seat but on the door panel of the right rear door.

There is a Type-C charging port below the two central air outlets at the rear, and the storage compartment behind the front seat can be opened and closed at a large angle, allowing for an extension after clamping a bottle of mineral water.

In addition to the cup holder, the center armrest of the rear seat also has two phone slots and a small storage area, which is why the backrest of the middle seat is harder. If it is a four-seater version, there will also be control buttons for rear seat ventilation, heating, and massage.

Apart from the regular light strips, there are also ambient lights in the central audio system, under the front seat headrests, door panel buttons, and door storage slots, providing not only aesthetic value but also illumination during nighttime.

Although the top of the vehicle is a full panoramic glass roof, Avita 11 separates the front and rear head glass into two parts and further divides the front glass into two, a design referred to as “multi-bend,” aiming to increase the roof rigidity. Even in extreme situations like rollovers, passengers’ safety can be maximally protected.

The interior has been covered, and of course, we need to start the test drive for this coupé-SUV.

Test Drive

Today’s test drive consists of the following parts: 0-100km/h acceleration and braking, continuous speed bumps, S-bend test, incline driving, cross-axle test.

Since the track is not big, the first project of the 0-100km/h acceleration may not be able to reach 100 km/h straightaway. However, after stepping on the accelerator, it is found that the acceleration of Avita 11 is not like Tesla, which explodes all the power in the moment of stepping on it. The overall power is output in a relatively smooth way. Therefore, the acceleration feel is more comfortable than other “4-second-level” models. But thanks to the four-piston Brembo calipers, the braking distance can reach 30 meters when the vehicle speed reaches 85 km/h.

Continuous speed bumps require passing through 10 speed bumps continuously, which places high demands on the vehicle’s suspension system. Although Avita 11 does not have air suspension, the combination of front double-wishbone and rear five-link, plus good suspension tuning, gives it a sense of luxury that only high-end cars can deliver during deceleration. The handling of speed bumps is even better than the ideal L9 with air suspension, which I tried before.

I experienced driving on slopes and cross-axis on the Ideal L9, and again on the Evta 11. Due to the different positioning of these two vehicles, the Evta 11 performed noticeably more easily and gave the driver more confidence when passing through.

Due to site restrictions, the S-turn cannot be passed at a very high speed, so I could only experience the steering feel of the steering wheel. However, the steering directionality of the Evta 11 is not very good. After the steering wheel is turned, the front of the car delays 0.5-1 seconds before responding, and it is not particularly sporty.

After the site test drive, I drove the Evta 11 on the open road and had a good experience.

Open Road Test Drive

After experiencing the excellent performance of the Evta 11 on site, I had great confidence driving it on the open road.

However, when I drove out, I encountered rush hour traffic and it was a start-stop status for a long time. At this time, I found that even if my foot only pressed down on the brake pedal 1/4 of the travel and remained motionless, when the vehicle slowed down to almost a stop, the Autohold function would suddenly intervene, and the vehicle would stop suddenly, causing passengers a little discomfort. The Autohold function needs to be adjusted.

I used high energy recovery throughout the entire driving process, but even in this mode, the energy recovery of the Evta 11 is not quite the same as that of Tesla and XPeng Motors. The deceleration effect of energy recovery under coasting conditions is not particularly obvious. If the owner was previously driving a fuel car and switched to this car, they would not feel uncomfortable due to being unaccustomed to the energy recovery of an electric car.

There happened to be a section of the road under construction with many potholes. When the Evta 11 passed through the bumpy road, it still felt “bouncy” like passing over a speed bump, but not as stiff as the Model Y. It leaned more towards comfort than sporty tuning. According to my colleague sitting in the back seat, sometimes when they go through the potholes at a relatively fast speed, they would bounce off the seat.

As I mentioned earlier, the followability of the front of the car during turning is not very good, but it is not a problem when changing lanes normally on city roads. I kept the steering feel adjusted to standard throughout the entire time, and it was indeed an appropriate medium for steering damping.When it comes to quick lane changes, firstly, the strong power of the vehicle gives the driver great confidence. Secondly, thanks to the use of ultra-high-strength steel, the design of the three-box structure, and the multiple roof crossbeams, the overall structure stiffness of the vehicle becomes very strong.

Moreover, with excellent chassis tuning, the chassis feels very resilient and solid during driving. Plus, the relatively low height of the vehicle and its SUV-like low posture on the road make me even have the illusion that “I am not driving an SUV, but a short-wheelbase sedan” after multiple lane changes.

If you have driven the extremely powerful Zeekr 001 before, you will definitely appreciate the excellent mechanical quality of the Aiwata 11 even more.

Conclusion

After finishing the test drive of the Aiwata 11 and driving my own XPeng P7 back, I felt a sense of contrast.

The outstanding driving experience and excellent mechanical quality of the Aiwata 11 are obviously superior to those of the XPeng P7. Its suspension can be well-tuned without air suspension, and its NVH can be done well without double-layered glass. “Many things cannot be concluded based only on specifications, but can be seen only after actual experience”, as I have experienced firsthand.

For Aiwata, whether it is CEO Tan Benhong or Dr. Kong Xiangjie, who tested the car together with us today, I see a practical attitude from them. There is no fancy marketing promotion, only the attitude of doing things seriously.

It is a pity that the current car system of the Aiwata 11 is still in the engineering stage, and there are still some bugs in the car system itself, which have not fully demonstrated the power of the Hongmeng cockpit. In addition, the current ADAS features of this vehicle are still unusable, and this powerful intelligent driving hardware has not yet shown its true strength.

I am looking forward to when the Aiwata 11 is officially delivered, I will be able to experience those functions that I did not experience today in the car, driving comfortably with ADAS, music, and RNC features turned on. That will be the time when I can truly experience everything that the Aiwata 11 has to offer.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.