Author | Chai Xuchen Editor | Zhou Zhiyu Faced with the trend of new energy electrification and the loss of market share under price wars, joint venture car companies have been "Renovating" their famous cars in an attempt to mount a strong counterattack. On May 30, SAIC Volkswagen's Touareg L Pro was launched. The car, which is said to be "the smartest gasoline car", had been preheated for nearly two months prior to its launch. The launch invited representatives from DJI Car and Tencent Travel, as well as the person in charge of iFLYTEK, all of whom attended in person to demonstrate the strength of its smart driving and smart cabin. As a "meritorious model" of SAIC Volkswagen, Touareg has been synonymous with Volkswagen SUVs for the past 15 years and was once the best-selling joint venture SUV. With a monthly sales volume of nearly 20,000 units for a long time, it occupies a 20% share of SAIC Volkswagen. SAIC Volkswagen hopes that the new Touareg will become a disruptor in the current market, from gasoline car intelligence to a stable price system with value-added buyback policy. In the view of Yu Jingmin, Vice President of Sales and Marketing of SAIC Volkswagen, new energy vehicles still have range anxiety and gasoline cars have an advantage that needs no explanation, but the biggest difference between them and electric vehicles lies mainly in their appearance and intelligence. After fulfilling the core needs of contemporary consumers, this once "famous car" seems to be reborn. Thus, from DJI's advanced intelligent driving solution to iFLYTEK's smart cabin voice assistant, this 200,000 yuan-level SUV brings together the strengths of various parties, aiming to break through the industry's perception that gasoline cars are less intelligent than electric vehicles. The launch of the new Touareg marks the beginning of SAIC Volkswagen's counterattack. In a post-event interview, Yu Jingmin mentioned several times that due to external cooperation and the accumulation of joint venture partners, SAIC Volkswagen's technology center is actually ahead of many independent brands, but unfortunately the rhythm is too slow. The company will now accelerate its efforts to catch up and even surpass in electric, hybrid or gasoline cars. Yu Jingmin revealed to Wall Street News that the new Touareg is the first gasoline car product in the Pro series, which is focused on intelligence, and that the Passat and Touareg Pro versions will also be introduced within the year. While polishing its technology, it is also preparing for the intelligence of its A-class cars. A counteroffensive war ignited by a gasoline fueled chariot seems to be brewing rapidly. But to be fair, SAIC Volkswagen's intelligence still lags far behind new forces such as Huawei, Xiaopeng, and Ideal. At the same time, in the current context where BBA is crazy about price cuts and the BMW electric car at over 180,000 yuan is setting a new industry low price, the 236,800 yuan Touareg L Pro seems somewhat out of step and the counterattack is difficult to achieve. In response to the challenge, SAIC Volkswagen has given a three-year 20% discount buyback plan. Users no longer need to worry about the fluctuation of vehicle purchase costs and second-hand car prices. SAIC Volkswagen locks in the difference between the purchase and final selling prices of users' vehicles, in a move to crack the price war. This also buys precious time for SAIC Volkswagen to speed up product and intelligence catch-up. This is the backdrop of the efforts to win back the former "king" of the Chinese car market.

In today's weather is good. Today's weather is good.

Lately, the frequently active Avita is about to secure a rare large financing deal in the automotive industry this year.

On October 11, at the Avita key supplier partner communication meeting, CEO Chen Zhuo revealed the latest financing situation, stating that Avita is currently undergoing Series C financing with a scale of 10 billion yuan; the company's post-investment valuation will increase from 20 billion in Series B to over 30 billion yuan.

It is worth mentioning that the enthusiasm of the capital markets for new energy vehicles has slightly cooled down this year. According to incomplete statistics from Wall Street, there were a total of 232 financing cases in the industry in the first half of the year, a 10.1% year-on-year decrease, with a total disclosed transaction amount of 34.89 billion yuan. This makes Avita's Series C financing of billions particularly prominent.

At this stage of Series C financing, it may be that Avita is quietly making a push for an IPO.

In September this year, Chongqing Changan Automobile revealed in response to investor inquiries that "Avita will develop independently, operate independently in a market-oriented manner, integrate strategic partner resources, and have independent plans for listing." This aligns closely with Avita's recent series of interconnected plans.

Since August 20, Avita has been very active, first announcing an 11.5 billion investment from Huawei's look, establishing an equity relationship with Huawei's Automotive BU, indirectly increasing Avita's value; soon after signing a contract with Qatar's ALATTIYA Automotive Group, preparing to make a big move into the Middle East market.

Following this, the Avita 07, a bold move with extended range and modeled after the Model Y, also saw a surge in orders after its release. Insiders revealed to Wall Street News that within 20 hours of the Avita 07 release, 11,700 units were ordered, with daily additions during the National Day holiday period at a rate of 1,000 units per day. The success of the 07 has boosted Avita's morale, and this is just the beginning.

Previously, it was revealed that Avita aims to achieve monthly sales of 20,000 units in December this year, a target supported by multiple models, including the Avita 07, Avita 11, 12 pure electric products, the upcoming extended-range version, and the sedan product with the code name "E16." In the next three years, Avita has even grander plans, including launching 17 models, encompassing five SUVs, large six-seater SUVs, MPVs, and coupes.

Breaking through sales barriers, expanding the product matrix, accelerating overseas expansion, and forming a partnership with Huawei, Avita is vigorously telling a more tangible high-end brand story to the outside world. It aims to become the next big thing and acquire more resources in the capital markets.

Looking back, Avita's desire for an IPO was evident even before establishing the brand. When the name change from "Changan Nio" to "Avita" took place in 2021, the then CEO Tan Benhong had already stated publicly that the brand had plans for an independent listing.

It is easy to understand that in the new energy era, Chongqing Changan Automobile is eager to shed its mid-to-low-end label. As the leading force in the group's upward brand, Avita is highly anticipated, and its listing on the secondary market is undoubtedly a crucial part of the plan.

GAC-AEON General Manager Gu Huinan once pointed out, "Capital has a great influence. When the stock rises, it will make hundreds of millions of people aware of such a brand. It is difficult to rely solely on advertising." This is exactly what the "second-generation entrepreneur" brand urgently needs.

Currently, the listing process of Avita is taking shape. At the beginning of this year, a brokerage revealed that Avita will have its Hong Kong IPO in 2025.

However, Avita also realizes that the capital markets' enthusiasm for electric vehicles is gradually declining. In order to truly receive the market's olive branch, besides telling compelling stories, it is more important to implement each one. This means that Avita must find a way to overcome the current sales bottleneck.

From January to September this year, Avita delivered 0.0409 million new vehicles, which is still less than half of the annual target of 0.084 million units; among them, 4537 units were recorded in September, which also has a considerable gap compared to the December KPI of 0.02 million units.

Avita needs to speed up, relying on the rapid delivery of Avita 07, and the extended range versions of Avita 11 and 12. On the other hand, after announcing the 11.5 billion yuan investment prospect, the current multi-billion C round financing can also alleviate some of Avita's financial pressures.

The route is gradually becoming clear, and the value continues to rise. After three years in the industry, Avita finally has the opportunity to take the leading position in the industry. Next, if it can successfully achieve its established goals, it truly has the potential to lead Changan Group high, just like Chongqing Sokon Industry Group Stock, and win a turnaround battle in the capital markets.