The Changan-CATL-backed SUV concept measures 17.1 feet long and targets a 500,000-yuan price point.
Avatr pulled the covers off the T09 concept on October 11 at the Paris Motor Show. Six seats. Three electric motors. More than 1,000 horsepower. A production version already revealed in China in September is scheduled for domestic sale in 2026, though international specifications remain unconfirmed.
The T09 lands at a moment when European three-row luxury SUVs — the Mercedes-Benz GLS, the BMW X7, the Audi Q7 — have faced no serious Chinese challenger above 400,000 yuan. Avatr's target price of roughly 500,000 yuan (approximately $70,500) moves that line. According to Avatr's official product release materials, published October 2024, the brand is formally splitting its lineup into a 'Digital' series and a new 'Flagship' series, with the T09 as the Flagship's opening model.
Three Companies, One SUV
Avatr didn't build the T09 alone. Changan Automobile holds the majority stake in Avatr. CATL — the world's largest battery manufacturer by volume — supplies both equity and the 71.24-kWh Freevoy cell pack that powers the hybrid system. Huawei contributes the onboard technology stack. That three-way structure shapes the T09 from the ground up: Changan provides the vehicle architecture, CATL the energy storage, Huawei the cockpit and driving software. Chairman Chen Zhuo presented the concept at the Paris stand on the morning of October 11. He positioned the T09 not as a replacement for the existing Avatr lineup but as the launch vehicle for an entirely separate product family. The domestic Chinese version was shown in September 2024, several weeks before Paris. That car carried enough certification data for Chinese regulators to assess it; European homologation work has not begun.
What 1,000 Horsepower Actually Means Here
The drivetrain combines a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine producing 208 hp with three electric motors rated at 241 hp, 302 hp, and 302 hp respectively. Adding those four figures: 208 + 241 + 302 + 302 = 1,053 hp in the strongest reported configuration, which exceeds the published 1,000 hp threshold by roughly 5 percent. All-wheel drive is standard, with motors on both front and rear axles. Top speed is quoted at 137 mph (220 km/h). The 71.24-kWh CATL Freevoy battery supports a claimed pure-electric range of 186 to 205 miles on the CLTC cycle — a Chinese test standard that consistently produces higher range figures than the WLTP protocol used across Europe. A direct WLTP equivalent has not been published. The car measures 17.1 feet (5.21 m) long and 6.6 feet (2.01 m) wide. At 500,000 yuan, the implied per-horsepower cost on the 1,053-hp figure works out to approximately 475 yuan — around $67 — per horsepower.
Two Series, One Brand
Chairman Chen Zhuo framed the T09's arrival as a deliberate split in Avatr's identity. According to the brand's October 2024 Paris press materials, he described the new structure in direct terms: 'The T09 will now feature two distinct product series: the Digital series, characterized by effortless luxury, elegance and sporty avant-garde design, and the Flagship series, defined by respectful luxury, prestige and a commanding presence.' Chief designer Nader Faghihzadeh, who holds the design director role at Avatr, tied the visual approach to a new design language called Vision Xpectra, making its first appearance on this car. The cabin reflects that vocabulary: a wide display assembly stretches between the A-pillars, built from a 10.25-inch instrument cluster flanked by two 17.2-inch screens serving the driver and front passenger positions. Six individual chairs — no bench anywhere — fill the three rows in a 2+2+2 arrangement.
Stacked Against Stuttgart and Munich
Avatr is explicitly targeting the Mercedes-Benz GLS, BMW X7, and Audi Q7 with the T09. The GLS 580 4Matic produces 510 hp from a twin-turbo V8 and starts above €140,000 in Germany — roughly 1,100,000 yuan at current exchange rates, more than double the T09's 500,000-yuan target. The BMW X7 xDrive50e plug-in hybrid delivers 489 hp and carries a German list price above €115,000. On power output alone, the T09's claimed 1,000-plus hp exceeds both European flagships by a factor of roughly two. The gap in cabin layout is narrower: both the GLS and X7 offer six or seven-seat configurations, so Avatr gets no structural advantage there. Where the numbers diverge most is price. At $70,500, the T09 would undercut the entry-level GLS by more than $50,000 in markets where both compete — assuming European pricing tracks the Chinese figure, which Avatr has not confirmed.
Concept Car, Unconfirmed Specs
The T09 shown in Paris shares its exterior shape and wheelbase with the production car already certified for the Chinese market. However, Avatr has not released any powertrain tuning data, emissions figures, or equipment lists specific to European or other international buyers. The 186-to-205-mile electric range figure comes from Chinese regulatory certification filings tied to the domestic model — not from any European or international submission. No WLTP range number exists. No European type-approval process has been initiated, according to Avatr's October 2024 Paris communications. Speculation at the show pointed to a possible international launch after 2027, but Avatr provided no timeline, no confirmed market list, and no pricing structure outside China. That leaves the Paris car in an unusual position: a concept that previews a production vehicle already on sale in one country, with every specification that matters to a second set of buyers still unannounced.
Avatr registered the T09 nameplate with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in a filing dated July 2024 — three months before either the domestic reveal or the Paris debut. The brand currently sells three models in China; the T09 would be its fourth and its first with a stated export mandate. The complete Avatr model history and specifications are catalogued in the Global Auto Index manufacturer database.
