As a tourist destination, Chongqing has a lot to offer: spectacular mountainous terrain, futuristic architecture (including a monorail that goes inside a building), mind-boggling multi-layered roadways (earning the city its “8D” description), and its spicy hot pot cuisine. It’s also a gateway to the mighty Yangtze River and the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s biggest hydroelectric power station.
Chongqing is also considered to be the biggest city in the world, with over 32 million inhabitants spread over an incredible 82,000 square kilometers. To put that in perspective, the 16 cities of Metro Manila cram over 13 million people in only 636 square kilometers. Size-wise, the city of Chongqing alone is bigger than the whole island of Visayas.
That scale of sheer size, resources, development, and technology reflects in its homegrown products, specifically in its cars. Chongqing is home to two automotive super factories that I’ve had the chance to visit recently—Aito and Changan. “Super factory” is not hyperbole as the buildings stretch farther and wider than the longest airport terminal you’ve ever seen.
The oldest car company in China
Few people outside China may know this, but Changan is that country’s oldest car company, with its roots dating back to 1862 during the Qing Dynasty. It’s a central state-owned carmaker that counts the upscale Deepal and Avatr brands under its corporate umbrella and has joint ventures with Ford and Mazda. Changan is one of the “Big 4” car companies in China, which includes SAIC Motors, FAW, and DongFeng.
Changan’s highly robotized Liangjiang Smart Factory
We got to tour Changan’s impeccably efficient Liangjiang Smart Factory, where we saw robots stamping steel panels, welding them together, and painting the body shell, after which human workers installed the trim and interior pieces. It takes approximately 18 hours to transform a blank sheet of metal to a fully finished drivable automobile, with the plant rolling out one brand new car every 60 seconds.
The state-of-the-art Changan Global R&D Center
The Changan Global R&D Center is a massive 66.7-hectare, 4.3-billion-yuan facility designed to lead Changan’s “R&D 4.0” era. It serves as the core of a “Six Countries, Ten Locations” global network, focusing on intelligent, low-carbon mobility, NEVs, and autonomous driving.
Key aspects of the Changan Global R&D System include the Central Hub in Chongqing, which features over 180 laboratories (hybrid, NVH, collision, non-metal materials) and a cloud-computing data center. The Global R&D Network is composed of Chongqing (HQ), Beijing, Shanghai, Hefei, and Dingzhou, all in China, plus Turin, Italy and Yokohama, Japan (for design), Birmingham, UK and Detroit, USA (for R&D), and Munich, Germany (for European Operations).
The centers develop the SDA (Super DNA) smart platform, electric vehicles (EVs), and advanced, AI-driven, intelligent technologies. Over 18,000 researchers from 31 countries work across these locations, supported by 17 technology companies. The R&D network supports Changan’s shift into an “intelligent low-carbon mobility technology company” targeting 5 million annual sales by 2030, with 3 million being electrified.
Behind the wheel in the R&D Center
The discovery tour spotlighted two well-established Changan Auto models that are sure to arrive in the Philippine market:
Changan Eado — A stylish and upscale-looking compact sedan that balances everyday practicality with advanced tech and comfort. During the test drive, we experienced its responsive performance, smooth ride quality, intuitive tech features, and comfortable cabin.
Changan CS55 — Changan’s bestselling SUV in its core lineup, the CS55 impressed us with its sporty performance and refined driving character. Powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and balanced chassis dynamics, this compact SUV delivered a confidence-inspiring drive around the company’s proving ground.
These behind-the-wheel sessions enabled us to feel how Changan’s engineering philosophy combines performance, safety, and comfort in vehicles that should resonate strongly with a global audience.
Electrifying the future: Deepal and Avatr experiences
Beyond traditional sedans and SUVs, the tour introduced us to Changan’s new energy vehicle (NEV) sub-brands — Deepal and Avatr — which represent the company’s move toward electrification and innovation through these more upscale brands:
Deepal — As Changan’s dedicated electric vehicle brand, Deepal has gained international attention for models that pair electric and range-extended powertrains with competitive performance and real-world usability. The lineup includes models like the compact Deepal S05 SUV, which features battery-electric and range-extended options, delivering impressive range and accelerating the brand’s push into global NEV markets.
Avatr — Positioned as Changan’s flagship brand, Avatr focuses on cutting-edge luxury EVs featuring with advanced design, state-of-the-art connectivity and driver assist technologies, as well as ultra-luxurious interiors — appealing to style-conscious and tech-oriented car buyers worldwide.
We also got to check out and drive Avatr and Deepal models and came away impressed with their very high levels of luxury, technology, performance and design that are easily at par with Europe’s best. The test drives and product showcases enabled us to experience firsthand how these brands encapsulate Changan’s commitment to intelligent vehicles, sustainable powertrains, and global competitiveness.
A deep dive into the world of Changan
The Discover Changan Experiential Tour was much more than a cursory plant tour and a series of test drives, it was an inside look at how the brand is laying the groundwork to position itself as a truly global carmaker. With a fast-growing lineup ranging from the ICE-powered Eado and CS55, to electrified models from Deepal and Avatr, the company is showcasing a clear strategy to innovate and craft automobiles for every market and demographic segment globally.
The visit underscored Changan’s dual focus: mastering efficient manufacturing and delivering vehicles that suit a broad spectrum of drivers — from everyday commuters to EV enthusiasts. As Changan continues expanding its presence across Asia, Europe, and beyond, this familiarization tour highlighted why it’s an automaker that will soon stamp its place in the evolving landscape of smart mobility.
