Little-known car brand to launch in the UK with first EV coming within months to undercut BMW

A LITTLE-known car brand is set to launch in the UK next year - and they’re ready to take on the might of BMW.

Chinese EV firm Avatr is readying its UK launch by the end of 2025.

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Avatr - which is a joint venture between battery specialist CATL, carmaker Changan and tech giants Huawei - has already launched its first right-hand drive model in Thailand.

Called the ‘11’ SUV, it's similar in size to the BMW X5 and it is likely to be Avatr’s first EV to be released in the UK.

In Thailand, it will be sold with a 90.4kWh battery with a 245-mile range, priced at the UK equivalent of £47,729, alongside a 116.8kWh model with a 420-mile range priced at £52,307.

The 11 is based on Changan’s ‘EP1’ EV platform, which is a four-wheel-drive SUV powered by two Huawei-developed electric motors - capable of generating 570bhp.

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Alongside the 11 SUV, Avatr plans to produce a ‘12’ saloon and smaller ‘7’ SUV in Thailand, with assemblies shipped from China.

Brand president Chen Zhuo said: “We're confident that we can build Thailand into a bridgehead for Avatr’s globalisation strategy.

“We will expand into other south-east Asian countries and the global right-hand-drive market."

Avatr have already laid foundations for a global expansion, including into the UK, with a design studio setup in Munich, Germany, with parent firm Changan already boasting a sales and marketing base in the city.

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What’s more, Changan has increased its research and development presence in the UK through an engineering centre in Birmingham.

This comes as we revealed earlier this month that another Chinese firm called Omoda is entering the UK with two incredibly low-priced models.

Omoda will launch their Omoda 5 model at just £25,235 for the most basic model, and that increases to £33,055 for the electric iteration, called the E5.

For that price, it appears Omoda is hoping to rival the Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai - two massive sellers in the UK - and maybe even the UK's second-hand market.

Elsewhere, the world's largest car company is set to release a hot hatch to rival the VW Golf R - after years of fans begging for it to arrive.

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