As the global automotive industry is currently undergoing a reshuffle, Changan has chosen to replace simple product exports with "systemic going global," breaking away from the short-term thinking of traditional trade-based overseas expansion and taking the localization layout of the entire industrial chain as the core pillar for taking root in Europe. This is not only practical experience summarized from Changan's 25 years of deep cultivation in the European market, but also a replicable long-term path explored for Chinese automotive brands to truly knock on the door of developed markets.
Changan deepens its 25-year cultivation in Europe and moves toward industrial rooting, as Changan Nevo officially enters Europe
In Changan's globalization blueprint, Europe is a key market for brand upgrading, technology implementation, and system capability building. As one of the earliest Chinese automakers to lay out in Europe, Changan has proposed the localization approach of "in Europe, for Europe." Over 25 years, it has gradually connected the chain from R&D, products, channels, and services to ESG, shifting from product output to the building of a local system. Compared with most Chinese brands that concentrated their entry into Europe around 2023, Changan's earlier start and local accumulation are more substantial.
R&D comes first. In 2001, Changan established its European Design Center in Turin, Italy, and later set up the Avatr Design Center in Munich, Germany; in 2011, it built an R&D center in Birmingham, the United Kingdom, with cumulative investment of 240 million euros, focusing on the integration of powertrain and chassis as well as chassis tuning. As models continue to be introduced into Europe, Changan's European team will carry out design, tuning, and powertrain adaptation in combination with local road conditions, regulations, and user preferences.
Facing the European market, Changan continues to enrich its product matrix. Zhao Fei, general manager of China Changan Automobile Group, said: "Today, we have brought another sequence of the CHANGAN brand—CHANGAN NEVO. CHANGAN NEVO is committed to providing users with selected good cars for families and will bring users three major values: elegantly refined design, comfortable shared freedom, and enjoyable technological experience. Changan is willing to be a friend of time, take root and grow in this land of Europe, and work together with all partners to jointly promote the development of the global automotive industry and provide global users with better products and services." Since its establishment three years ago, Changan Nevo's cumulative sales have exceeded 1 million units; after officially landing in Europe, it will focus on the local mainstream family market.
Three major digital-intelligent new energy brands deploy across Europe with a full spectrum, as hardcore self-developed technological strength goes global
In March 2025, Changan released the dual brands CHANGAN and AVATR in Europe; in September of the same year, at the Munich Motor Show, the CHANGAN DEEPAL brand was officially released. At this Paris Motor Show, CHANGAN NEVO makes its European debut, marking that all three major new energy brands of Changan have landed in Europe, covering the three major segments of high-end luxury, youthful technology, and mainstream family use.
The three brands have clear divisions of labor: Changan Nevo targets mainstream family users, focusing on quality, practicality, and intelligent living; Deepal targets young users, highlighting technological feel and driving pleasure; Avatr targets high-end users, emphasizing original design and intelligent luxury.
At the show site, multiple models appeared. Changan Nevo exhibited the Q05, Q06, and A06, among which the globally developed Q05 ranked first in domestic compact SUV sales for six consecutive months. The Deepal S07 PHEV and S05 PHEV (right-hand drive) were displayed together, optimized for European roads and user habits, covering family, commuting, and outdoor scenarios. Avatr exhibited the 06T and 07L, and the flagship T09 made its European debut. The Changan CS55 PLUS Blue Whale Super Range-Extender HEV made its first overseas appearance, reflecting the export orientation of its hybrid technology.
Changan is introducing its self-developed new energy and intelligent technologies into Europe. In terms of powertrain, the Blue Whale Super Range-Extender Hybrid covers multiple routes including HEV, PHEV, and REEV. The company claims it can bring the fuel consumption of blue-plate sedans into the 2L range and SUVs into the 3L range; this means Changan is mainly promoting hybrids rather than pure electric vehicles in Europe, better fitting the reality of uneven local charging facilities and declining subsidies. In terms of batteries, the self-developed Golden Bell Battery is claimed to retain more than 90% energy at -10°C. At the intelligent level, the Tianzun Cockpit is based on an AI-native architecture; the Tianzun Chassis adopts distributed electric drive, and official demonstration data shows that even with a tire blowout at 225 km/h it can remain stable, and when encountering a level-10 crosswind at 120 km/h the body deviation is only 0.4 meters; Tianzun Pilot is equipped with a one-stage end-to-end architecture and a multimodal large model, supporting interactive pilot assistance.
Services, channels, and talent land simultaneously, deepening cultivation in Europe to jointly build a new ecosystem
At this Paris Motor Show, Changan simultaneously launched multiple localization measures. In terms of services and channels, Changan continues to strengthen the "with U" user brand in Europe. It has currently laid out in 15 countries with more than 350 sales and service outlets, built four regional central warehouses, and maintained an overall spare parts fulfillment rate of above 97%, with 1-day delivery in core cities and spare parts in place across Europe within 72 hours; it has set up two major training and certification centers to carry out certification for three-electric and intelligent service engineers; it has built a European call center with 7×8-hour response; and it has launched services including a 7-year or 160,000-kilometer vehicle warranty, pan-European roadside assistance, and courtesy cars. This service network is the most easily overlooked link in Changan's "systemic going global," yet it is the one that most determines reputation.
In terms of talent and production operations, Changan continues to deepen localization. As of this year, it has invested 1.18 billion euros in Europe, established 8 subsidiaries, and has more than 800 employees with a localization rate of over 80%. It plans to expand to 1,200 people within three years and drive 2,400 local jobs. Changan has 22 manufacturing bases and 93 factories globally, among which the layout of its European base has basically been determined, with an expected capacity of 180,000 vehicles by 2028 and a planned 350,000 vehicles by 2030. Building factories locally in Europe is precisely Changan's core means of hedging against the EU's countervailing duties on electric vehicles made in China—using "local production, local sales" to bypass tariff barriers.
At the brand level, Changan uses sports culture to shorten the distance from European users. At this motor show, Changan announced that former Portuguese international Luís Figo will serve as product experience officer, acting as host of the Paris booth and driving models through the streets of Paris. Using a football star endorsement to enter the European market is a common brand strategy aimed at countries such as Portugal and Spain, where football culture runs deep.
From product exports to locally building systems, Changan's European path reflects a turning point in the logic of Chinese automakers going global: when tariffs and geopolitics raise the threshold for "selling cars," "local R&D, local production, and local service" become a more sustainable choice. Changan's 25-year early layout, 1.18 billion euros in local investment, and local production capacity set to land in 2028 give it a certain first-mover advantage in the next stage. But the real test in the European market is not visibility, but whether it can steadily deepen channels, services, and brand trust over the long term—this is exactly the road Changan's "systemic going global" has not yet finished.
