Avatr T09 six-seat PHEV SUV surfaces in MIIT filing with dual- and tri-motor versions

Avatr has put its new T09 on record with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, confirming a six-seat plug-in hybrid SUV measuring 5,285 mm long, 2,025 mm wide and up to 1,820 mm tall on a 3,150 mm wheelbase. The filing also reveals a long list of personalization choices, spanning alternative grilles, wheels, bumpers, spoilers, side steps, roof rails and a two-tone finish, alongside an event data recorder and support for an ETC device.

Two powertrain setups are listed, both built around a 71.24 kWh ternary lithium pack supplied by CATL and capped at 220 km/h. The base version pairs a 1.5-litre engine rated at 110 kW with a dual-motor layout sending 180 kW to the front axle and 310 kW to the rear. The flagship instead carries a 155 kW 2.0-litre engine and a third motor, meaning twin 225 kW units drive the back axle. Curb weight runs from 2,880 kg to 3,035 kg depending on version, buyers can choose 21- or 22-inch wheels, and pricing has yet to be announced.

The article's author also takes aim at the styling, arguing the T09 breaks with the original design identity that has defined Avatr's models and instead resembles BYD's Yangwang U8. He ties the shift to commercial pressure: the brand moved 8,082 vehicles in August, a 19.7% year-on-year decline, despite design work he considers genuinely distinctive.