Changan starts building its Aussie team
Chinese auto giant on the hunt for staff as it counts down to its Australian launchChina’s oldest automobile manufacturer Changan has started the process of setting up in Australia and is advertising for local staff.
While no formal announcements have been made about the formation of an Australian subsidiary or its plans, Changan is expected to launch the petrol-electric plug-in hybrid Deepal G318 – a ladder-frame off-road SUV in the same vein as the Toyota Prado – Australia as soon as 2025.
Changan Deepal is one of at least 12 Chinese auto brands carsales expects to launch in Australia in the next 12-18 months.
We understand a general manager for the local Changan division has already been appointed and some support staff from China are on-hand in the start-up stages, but many permanent positions need to be filled.
An employment agency has posted this week on the business networking website LinkedIn seeking a ‘sales business development manager’.
The full-time job will be based in Sydney, the employer is named as Changan Autos and the business size is placed at 51-200 employees.
Emphasising Changan’s mainstream market ambitions, the advertisement makes clear that applicants with experience at “leading brands such as Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, or Ford are highly preferred”.
It then adds: “This role requires a strategic thinker with excellent leadership skills to drive sales growth and expand our distribution network.”
Key responsibilities include sales strategy and execution, business development, team leadership and reporting and analysis.
The Deepal G318 will be built in a new plant in Thailand currently under construction in Rayong. It is expected to be completed and operational in the first quarter of 2025.
Right-hand drive markets such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK are intended to be customers for the plant.
It will initially build 100,000 vehicles per year and ramp up to 200,000 later. It will build both PHEVs and battery-electric vehicles.
Potential models for Australia beyond the G318 include the battery-electric Deepal L07 sedan and the S07 SUV that are already on sale in Thailand. In China, the Deepal S05 mid-size SUV has been revealed ahead of its domestic release in the third quarter of this year.
As part of a massive global expansion, Changan intends to build up to 1.2 million vehicles outside China by 2030.
Established as an arms trader in 1862, Changan began building automobiles in 1959. In 2021 it was ranked number four for sales in the Chinese market.
It currently sells vehicles under the Changan brand as well as Deepal and Nevo (Qiyuan in China), and has joint-ventures with communications technology giant Huawei as well as both Ford and Mazda.
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