Changan, yet another Chinese manufacturer in Italy from 2026

Its name is Changan and it is yet another Chinese brand ready to land in Europe, fuelling the so-called 'Chinese invasion' that at the moment has generated more press releases than registered cars. A brand founded in 1990 in Chongqing, it has in the past entered into joint ventures with Suzuki, Mazda and Ford. Now it has announced that it will land in Europe, following the pattern of most Chinese manufacturers that have arrived in the Old Continent: by the end of the year it aims to be operational in Denmark, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands. In 2025 it will be the turn of Finland, Sweden and Switzerland and in 2026 Changan will arrive in Italy and Spain, according to the announcement. While it will have to wait another two years before we see a car on the road from the Chinese brand within the national borders, Changan has been present since 2006 in Rivoli in the province of Turin, where the Changan Automobile Design Center Europe is located; a reality present since 2003, where about 200 people work and with a turnover in 2023 of less than 50 million euros.

Changan's adventure in Europe will begin with the Deepal S07, a 4.75 metre long electric suv powered by a 217 horsepower engine and with an expected range of around 450 kilometres by European standards. Thanks to collaboration with Huawei, the Adas package claims on paper to comply with level 3 autonomous driving, while a 15.6-inch screen capable of rotating is on board. A hybrid version will also arrive later, based on a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine; it is precisely the cubic capacity of the thermal unit that is becoming a common denominator of most models produced in China.