There aren’t very many cars on sale today that’d genuinely wow an automotive journalist. It feels as if every trick in the car design handbook has already been exploited by basically all of the OEMs.

Think about it – how many cars on sale today actually look truly distinctive? If you covered all of their badges up, would you really be able to tell them all apart? Especially considering they usually all have flush handles, grille-less designs and a large tacked-on screen on an otherwise featureless dashboard.

The designers at AVATR must have heard us journalists gripe about the state of automotive design. Which is why the AVATR 11 looks different, with proportions, surfacing and lines that resemble no other vehicle on the market.

Notice we used the word “different”. Afterall, not everything that stands out, stands out for a good reason.

It’d Not Look Out of Place as a Concept Car

We guess you’d have probably already figured out where its design falls by this section’s heading. It isn’t what you’d call traditionally handsome, but with its funky proportions and C-shaped slit headlights, it most definitely is unique.

Car designers often falter when pushing the envelope of design. With extreme styling, you often have to commit to it for the end result to look good. Dialing it back halfway often results in an awkward looking vehicle, a problem AVATR doesn’t have with the 11.

We are genuinely convinced that, with a flashier paint job at least, the 11 would not look out of place labelled as a concept car at a motor show. The most unusual part of its design is definitely in its rear end.

Here, there’s a ute-meets-saloon-meets-sports car sort of fusion styling, especially evident in the detailing of the rear tailgate. You might think it is a liftback considering its shut lines, but it isn’t. The boot lid, which has an integrated spoiler that can rise at speed, is hinged where you’d expect it to be on a regular saloon.

Simply Palatial

Where do we even start with this cabin. The very first thought we had when we first climbed into the press car was that there was a certain sense that we last felt in the BMW XM. Which, if you weren’t aware, is a million-dollar luxury PHEV SUV from BMW.

It is the way AVATR continues to commit to this edgy design that really led to it feeling like this. The organic forms flow naturally throughout the cabin, in a way other Chinese car makers have tried, but failed to do.

Material quality is incredible too (more so when you factor in the price), with leather literally everywhere. Scratchy plastics are basically nowhere to be found. Also optimised is the infotainment screen, with proper translations, seamless shortcuts and great overall viewing angles. Which is not a given in all Chinese EVs.

The seats genuinely feel like armchairs, with by far the best massage seats that we’ve ever felt in a car. No issue with support or comfort in any seat in the car, with even the middle passenger in the second row having little trouble being comfortable on longer journeys.

Built for Comfort

It is usually in the driving department in which Chinese cars struggle. And this is no exception. But then again, perhaps these “issues” might have been cleverly engineered into the car to dissuade its driver from being overly enthusiastic.

The steering feels fairly disconnected from the front wheels, and the turning radius itself really isn’t the most optimal. There’s also a noticeable delay on the throttle pedal, which itself has a fairly short travel.

Aside from the noticeable roll and heft, that’s where all the drawbacks end. Powering the 11 is a rear-mounted 308 bhp electric motor, which draws its electrons from a 90-kWh battery pack. The claimed homologated efficiency and range is 4.6 km/kWh and 475 kilometres respectively.

In our hands, the car did around 6 km/kWh, or about 540 kilometres with some quick math. AVATR claims the car will charge at a peak of DC 240kW, and whilst we didn’t get a chance to test it at its max charge speed, it could hold a sustained 120kW from around 55 – 85%. So even if you did run out of range, you wouldn’t be stopped for very long at all.

Concept Boldness, Everyday Luxury

It’s not all smooth sailing, though. Whilst the AVATR 11 impresses with its distinctive styling and strong range, some of its controls could do with some additional sensitivity.

And yet we’d happily put up with these quirks, as it has truly carved a space for itself in the increasingly crowded EV market. With its bold design, luxurious cabin and thoughtful attention to detail, it makes it feel far more expensive than its price tage would suggest.

From the concept-car–inspired exterior to the plush, leather-clad interior, it’s clear that AVATR isn’t afraid to challenge conventions – for buyers looking for something that stands out, both visually and experientially, the AVATR 11 delivers. And then some.

We briefly touched on the BMW xM above, so here’s our review of it!