Avatr eyes higher prices than Zeekr in Australia

Incoming premium brand Avatr says it will be positioned above Zeekr in Australia, with its first electric SUV and wagon models likely to carry a price premium over more keenly priced options from China. Expect pricing to kick off in the $70,000 range.

Avatr is seeking to position itself as a more premium offering than Zeekr – currently the most popular premium challenger brand in Australia right now.

Asked whether Avatr would occupy a higher price position than Zeekr, Changan Australia head of brand and marketing Andrew Haurissa told carsales: “I would like to think so. The public will decide; the kit itself is there.”

His remarks suggest the Avatr models will be better equipped and finished than equivalent Zeekr vehicles.

Moreover, Haurissa says Avatr is a match for German luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz and would sit well above Volkswagen.

However, he stopped short of confirming local pricing or the extent of any premium over Zeekr or Denza – two of the better-known Chinese luxury brands beavering away in the Aussie new car market.

The Australian-based senior Changan executive described Avatr’s appeal as design-led, personalisable ‘emotive luxury’ supported by a small number of dealerships.

The new car brand has no plan to target a mass-market retail footprint in Australia.

First arrivals for Avatr will be the five-seat 07L SUV in the first half of 2027, and the 06T electric wagon in the second half, with the three-row T09 flagship SUV following in 2028.

With Avatr cars set to cost more than their Zeekr equivalents locally, there’s a question of how much the premium will be.

In China, both the the Avatr 07L and Zeekr 7X kick off from 230,000 yuan ($49,000) but top-spec versions of the 07L are $2200, or three percent, dearer than their 7X equivalents.

If reflected in Australia, that could see a top-shelf version of the Avatr 07L priced at around $75,000 plus on-road costs, versus $72,900 for the 7X Performance AWD.

At the low end, the 07L has a larger battery than the Zeekr 7X (89.3kWh vs 75.0kWh), while high-end versions of the Avatr SUV have the option of a 712kW triple-motor configuration, being substantially more powerful than the dual-motor 7X (the latter likely to hit 500kW in 2027).

The price gap is clearer when the respective station wagon models are compared, with the Avatr 06T priced from 219,900 yuan ($47,200) in China. That’s about eight percent higher than the Zeekr 7GT, which asks just $43,800 there.

With the Zeekr 7GT set to land in Australia in three variants – and expected pricing between $55,000-$75,000 – the 06T could sit a little higher; something like $60,000-$80,000.

Like the Avatr 07L, the 06T wagon offers an 89.3kWh battery, but a smaller 75.5kWh unit is also available. Driving range is as high as 741km on the Chinese cycle; expect closer to 600km using the WLTP scale.

At those estimated prices, AVATR is expected to undercut European options like the new BMW iX3, which asks at least $89,900 plus on-road costs.

From 2028, the larger six-seat Avatr T09 – a plug-in hybrid with a 71.2kWh battery – will face off against the BMW X7, Mercedes-Benz GLS, and the Zeekr 9X.

Earlier carsales forecasts placed local Zeekr 9X pricing above $120,000, potentially reaching $150,000.

The Avatr T09 flagship’s target price in China of about 500,000 yuan ($107,000) could see Australian positioning of between about $130,000-$170,000, but concrete details are still many moons away.

There is a good reason Avatr might choose to launch with sharper pricing than anticipated. Indeed, under announced tax changes, Australia’s full EV fringe benefits tax (FBT) exemption will be restricted to eligible vehicles costing $75,000 or less from April 2027.

Haurissa acknowledged that pricing targeting the new $75K threshold would be strategically sensible but said Avatr was “…not big on omitting any of our key [equipment] inclusions, because that would not be a good representation of the brand.”

Avatr isn’t chasing high volume sales, and a reluctance to offer stripped-out special editions to comply with Australian tax rules in future means the brand is serious about maintaining a premium position in the new car marketplace.

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