In the current “wind” popularity of new energy vehicles, 800 V, smart driving, cockpit have become the focus of competition among various car companies. However, one company decided to take a different approach and “roll up” their designs. That’s Avatr. From the very first Avatr 11, to the Avatr 12, which made its global debut at the Munich Auto Show, the brand’s design has always been surprising and seemingly never stopped.
Trendsetter of stylish vitality, worthy of being the brand’s flagship
If you follow many car people on your social platforms or friend circles, then your feed was probably filled with Avatr 12 today. Some might say it’s because the static photo confidentiality agreement for Avatr 12 has expired, prompting all types of content to start pouring in. However, among these, there are certainly those who are part of the aesthetic party and have been hit by the design of Avatr 12. After all, this car is sufficiently different and good-looking.
The moment I first saw the leaked images of Avatr 12 online, I felt that this design language finally appeared on the most suitable model. On Avatr 11, I always felt that the design was a bit compact. However, with the larger size and the sedan’s distinctive length on the 12, this design language comes out more simple, comfortable, and elegantly expressed.
Let’s see how Avatr’s Chief Design Officer, Nader Faghihzadeh, introduces this design language: “Avatr 12 externalizes future aesthetics design to the whole car design, perfectly interpreting Avatr’s forward-looking, ultimate, pure design principles. It’s capable of inspiring infinite possibilities and freedom in the user’s mind and guiding the user to perceive the future.”One can detect a certain confidence in the words of Avatr’s Chief Design Officer about his creations. Naturally, considering the final result presented by Avatr 12, he is certainly justified in such confidence. However, other automotive designers may feel more anxious at this point, because after their bosses have seen the Avatr 12, they are likely to be emailing them, questioning why they couldn’t design such a stunning product for their own brand.
Of course, this is meant in jest, because different brands have different considerations in design, taking into account brand history, consumer audience, and so on. Design itself is a process of compromise. The advantage of Avatr is that it is a completely new brand, free from the burdens of historical legacy. Designers can fully unleash their creative inspirations, and uniqueness is exactly what a newborn brand needs to be more easily recognized at first sight.
However, as the flagship product of Avatr’s current sedan lineup, obtaining the unique elegance of the 12 is certainly not inexpensive. Online speculations put the price around 300,000, but given its size positioning, the starting price is unlikely to be too low. But there’s no need to worry, Avatr will have two lower priced products coming soon.
As Avatr Technology’s Chairman and CEO Tan Benhong revealed some information at the Munich Auto Show: “The Avatr 12, positioned as the ‘future intelligent luxury sports sedan’, will start delivering in the Chinese market in the fourth quarter. At the same time, two other more competitive new products will be launched next year. As ‘design’ and ‘technology’ gradually become our two main value labels, we also plan to officially enter the international market next year!”
Unforgettable Design Simplicity and Elegance
In terms of exterior design, the Avatr 12 was created by the Avatr Global Design Center located in Munich, Germany, following the overall design philosophy of ‘Future Elegance’, maintaining a forward-looking, ultimate, and pure design philosophy. As can be seen, the design language of Avatr 12 is still consistent with 11, the most obvious being the ‘disk wing’ front face, except that the daytime running lights have evolved from a stripe pattern to a more simplified integrated light strip.
Equally visually minimalistic are the three lidar sensors for perception, particularly the two on the fender, which beautifully integrate into the painted decoration. The HALO screen on the 11 is also retained to promote better interaction between the car and people. Hopefully, the HALO screen remains optional on the 12, as the useful configuration significantly outweighs the technology, and consumers prefer spending money where it matters the most.
But if asked to choose the most beautiful angle of the Avatr 12, it would undoubtedly be its side profile. A body length of 5020mm coupled with a wheelbase of 3020mm and a sleek fastback rear end gives it a slender appearance. The entire side profile is uncomplicated, with vibrant three-dimensional surfaces and aerodynamic contours contributing to a high design recognizability.
The body length of 5020mm provides a wheelbase display of 3020mm, redefining the new standard of space for pure electric sports cars. A width of 1999mm and height of 1450mm, together with dynamic line proportions, sketch out a style that closely resembles a floating sports car, compelling a second glance from anyone.
In a bold move, the Avatr 12 adopts a no rear window hatchback design, ensuring the smooth line of the rear end has no need to compromise for a rear window arrangement. This results in a sleek and smooth car tail, a rarity among sedans, and paired with cohesive lines and winglets, rendering the Avatr 12 visually dynamic.
Equally audacious is the electronic outer rearview mirror, which, unlike its traditional physical counterpart, is not phased by rainy foggy weather and has superior night vision. The addition of anti-glare HDR technology ensures clearer field content, a broader lateral field of vision, utmost safety in extreme environments, and increased confidence in daily driving.
Indeed, the Avatr 12’s exterior design is worthy of praise, but inevitably, it will face the same issue as the Avatr 11—difficulty in gaining acceptance from the general public.
Glass Roof and Ultra-Wide Screen Cabin Oozes Sci-FiStepping into the interior, the Avatr 12 unveils a plethora of surprises. With aesthetic influences from sculptural design, Avatr incorporates a futuristic, unified dashboard design, which extends from the front instrument panel to both side doors. The top part of the doors feature a parametric design with 3D ridges that extend towards the back of the cabin, enhancing the unified style while providing a feeling of warmth for its driver and passengers.
The Avatr 12 cockpit applies the Gentle Tech minimalistic design concept, drastically reducing the number of physical buttons, retaining only the essential ones. However, worth discussing, is the allocation of four out of six precious buttons to window control, perhaps assigning these to driving-related functions would be more appropriate.
Each door of the Avatr 12 has a flip-top hidden storage compartment to ensure storage capacity while maintaining visual consistency and privacy in the cabin. The central control panel continues in the same vein, featuring an adaptive wireless charging pad and a cup holder, exuding a sense of occasion. The materials used to adhere to high standards, featuring NAPPA genuine leather materials, and a real wood control panel, showcasing the delicacy this price point commands.
The Avatr 12 pioneers the zero-gravity seats for the front row of a sedan, capable of fully reclining at the touch of a button and synchronizing with the mood mode, providing a better relaxation experience for the front row. There is also a large front windshield, with Avatr claiming it features adaptive light sensing capabilities that can automatically adjust to the brightness in the external environment. This is also an Avatr original, and it piques curiosity for the actual vehicle experience.
Another large piece of glass is the panoramic sunroof with intelligent photosensitive coloring. These two glasses endow Avatr 12 with an impressively transparent feel. Matched with the wide screen and rectangular steering wheel, a touch of sci-fi aura, quite resembling a spaceship, can be felt. The 35.4-inch 4K panoramic widescreen on the center console cooperates perfectly with no discordant detail, breeding curiosity on how the UI design might integrate with Harmony 4.0 to bring about more diverse interactions.
In terms of the cockpit, the Avatr 12 will be equipped with HarmonyOS 4.0. There could be buzzwords such as “Far ahead” filling the air as owners use the car’s panel. Furthermore, the Avatr 12 also features Huawei’s high-end Intelligent Driving System ADS 2.0, which decreases the dependence on high-precision maps to provide a comprehensive smart driving experience covering high-speed areas, urban districts and parking procedures. Judging from the current performance of Avatr 11, the smart driving of 12 will surely be equally impressive.
In conclusion
In the fourth quarter of this year, the Avatr 12 will start delivery in the Chinese market. Meanwhile, Avatr Technology is continually accelerating the pace of new product development, intending to launch two brand new models next year, specifically the ones Avatr always mentions when it talks about challenging Model 3 and Model Y. In addition, Avatr plans to enter the international market next year, where its European design should undoubtedly shine.
However, all these will only be feasible if the Avatr 12 can stand firm in the domestic market. Looking at the current situation of China’s pure electric mid-large sedan market, most players are far from prosperous, with a basic level of around 1,000 units. If the starting price is set around 350,000 yuan, then the numbers will drop even further. Therefore, the path of the Avatr 12 is full of challenges, and it will be interesting to see how Avatr plays its cards.
Nonetheless, leaving all these factors aside and looking at the product itself, the Avatr 12 indeed has significant competitive edges. The high aesthetic appeal brought about by first-rate design, the robust smart driving, cockpit and three-electric systems guaranteed by Huawei’s reliable endorsement, supplemented by the profound vehicle manufacturing experience of CCAG, all contribute to making Avatr a hexagonal warrior, carving out a place for itself in the market. But of course, maintaining a competitive price point, which appeals to consumers, remains key. After all, as consumers see it, “While the over-individualistic Avatr 12 at 400,000 yuan plus may be unappealing, the Avatr 12 at 300,000 is the pinnacle of aesthetics for its price.”
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.