Changan: How major Chinese brand plans to conquer UK market

While Changan is launching with the Deepal S07 as an EV, a plug-in hybrid version is also set to follow as part of plans for the brand to offer a full range of powertrain options across its line-up.

Deepal is a sub-range of models under the Changan brand, but while in China there are saloons as well as crossovers under the Deepal badge, the range in the UK is set to include only crossovers.

The Deepal S07 is the largest planned for now and the Volvo EX40-sized Deepal S05 is next to follow. Smaller models are also planned that will be priced in the £20,000s.

There's another Changan sub-brand of lower-cost models called Nevo, and these will be launched in the UK also under the Changan badge in the future, which will be the entry point into the brand.

To that end, Changan models will be either a Changan Deepal or a Changan Nevo. 

A third sub-brand, Avatr, exists as a joint venture between Changan and battery maker CATL. Thomas confirmed this brand does have European plans of its own but will exist under different leadership and not be sold in the same showrooms as Deepal and Nevo models.

Changan was the fourth best-selling car-making group in China in the first half of 2025. It has already exported models to the likes of South East Asia and the Middle East before a recent launch in Norway started its European push. The UK launch is one of several others planned into major European markets over the next few months. 

Thomas, the first commercial employee for Changan in Europe when he joined in January 2024, said that the European and UK market preparation had been more than 18 months in the making and included a “contracted and stocked” parts warehouse at East Midlands Airport; work with CAP on residual values to get to what’s claimed to be a best-in-class figure of 47%; work with Thatcham on insurability; and a banking partner.

“We’ve done the things we need to do to make sure that before we deliver a car to a customer. We’re actually ready to look after that customer and are ready to look after the dealers with all the services they then need to look after the customer,” said Thomas.

An initial 20 dealers should be followed by another 25 later this year, with a goal of around 100 targeted in total by Thomas across around 25 different dealer groups.

The likes of Ancaster, Parks, DM Keith and Stoneacre have been signed as dealer partners.

Thomas said Changan doesn't require dealers to give the brand its own bespoke showrooms to ensure that investment costs were kept low, and they can continue to work with other brands in the same space for aftersales. 

“We’ve got a lot of dealers with a legacy brand who will divide a showroom in half and spear them out [for new car sales] but then they’ve still got the aftersales work coming through,” he said. “We believe our products stand up against anybody and are happy to have the opportunity for people to look across and say: ‘What’s that?  We’ll take one of those, please, at least for a test drive.'”

Vehicle quality and customer service are big differentiators for Changan in China, said Thomas, with JD Power ranking Changan as the number-one brand in China for initial vehicle quality. “We need to bring the same level of quality to Europe,” he said.

To that end, Thomas said Changan won't be pushing for quick short-term volume gains that could undermine profitability and residual values.