2026 Changan Qiyuan Q05: 506 km Budget Electric SUV From $11,200

The 2026 Changan Qiyuan Q05 (badged NEVO Q05 in some export materials) is Changan's answer to the flood of sub-$15,000 electric SUVs reshaping China's entry-level EV market. Built on a dedicated small-EV platform rather than a converted combustion chassis, the Q05 offers six trim levels split across two LFP battery packs, with CLTC range topping out at 506 km — a genuinely long number for a car this cheap. Changan is one of China's largest state-owned automakers, and the Qiyuan sub-brand exists specifically to compete in this crowded value segment against BYD, Leapmotor, and a dozen other budget EV makers. On a dealer-floor walkaround, the Q05 impressed with a spacious cabin for its size, a 540-1,380 litre cargo hold, and genuinely quick DC fast-charging — though this is a China-domestic-market car with no confirmed export plans yet.

Performance & Specs

Every Q05 uses a single front-mounted motor producing 120 kW (163 PS / 161 hp) and 190 Nm of torque — enough for confident city and highway driving, if not outright quick, with a governed top speed of 160 km/h. Buyers choose between a 40.3 kWh or 51.9 kWh CATL-supplied LFP battery, which is the split that drives the two CLTC range ratings (405 km and 506 km). There's no all-wheel-drive or dual-motor version in the lineup — this is a straightforward, efficiency-focused front-wheel-drive EV rather than a performance play, which keeps the price down and matches how buyers in this segment actually use these cars.

Powertrain	Single-motor FWD BEV
Power	120 kW (163 PS / 161 hp)
Torque	190 Nm
Top Speed	160 km/h
Battery	40.3 or 51.9 kWh LFP
Range	405 or 506 km (CLTC)

POWERTRAIN TYPE	Battery-electric
HORSEPOWER	161 hp (120 kW / 163 PS)
TORQUE	190 Nm
TOP SPEED	160 km/h
DRIVETRAIN	Front-wheel drive
BATTERY	40.3 kWh or 51.9 kWh LFP (CATL)
ELECTRIC RANGE	405 km or 506 km (CLTC)

Dimensions & Practicality

Length	4,435 mm
Width	1,855 mm
Height	1,600 mm
Wheelbase	2,735 mm
Ground clearance	~200 mm

At 4,435 mm long on a 2,735 mm wheelbase, the Q05 sits in the compact SUV class, and a reviewer at 186 cm reported comfortable head- and legroom in the front seats on the entry trim. Cargo space is a genuine strength for the segment: 540 litres with the rear seats up, expanding to 1,380 litres with them folded flat, thanks to a level load floor. There is no front trunk (frunk) on the Q05 — the space under the hood is not usable storage, which is a real trade-off buyers should know about before cross-shopping cars that do offer one. Rolling stock is 225/60 R17 Chaoyang-brand tyres on 17-inch wheels, with roughly 200 mm of ground clearance.

Charging & Battery

Both battery options are LFP chemistry supplied by CATL, chosen for cost and long-term durability over outright energy density. The 40.3 kWh pack is rated for 405 km CLTC, while the larger 51.9 kWh pack reaches 506 km CLTC — both figures work out to a consistent 10.0-10.3 kWh/100km, a normal and internally consistent efficiency figure for a small CLTC-rated SUV. The Q05 carries two charging ports; on a standard AC charger a full charge to 80% takes around 10 hours, but its DC fast-charging capability cuts that same 80% top-up to roughly 15 minutes, which is competitive for this price class.

BATTERY	40.3 kWh or 51.9 kWh LFP (CATL)
AC CHARGING	~10 hours to 80%
DC FAST CHARGING	Supported (two charging ports)
DC 10-80% TIME	~15 min

Design & Interior

The Q05's exterior follows Changan's current Qiyuan design language: a clean, sealed-off front fascia (no need for a combustion-style grille), slim LED digital running lights that stay visible in daylight, and a full-width LED light bar across the tailgate that echoes pricier EVs from segments above. The test car's cabin, on the entry trim, skipped the sunroof and sunshade that come on higher versions, but still presented a tidy, straightforward dashboard with grey cloth-and-leatherette seats, a floating centre touchscreen, and physical air vents. Buyers stepping up through the six-trim lineup add the sunroof, upgraded materials, and the larger battery pack. The interior ships with a Chinese-only software interface out of the box — there is no factory English-language option, which exporters helping international buyers typically handle with a language pack change during import.

Technology & Features

The Q05's dashboard is dominated by a 15.6-inch 2.5K central touchscreen running Apple CarPlay, paired with a smaller 10.17-inch digital instrument cluster ahead of the driver. The infotainment system includes a wake-word voice assistant, standard on the range. A 360-degree camera system is fitted for parking and low-speed manoeuvring, and the range-topping trim adds a proper ADAS sensor suite — a single LiDAR unit, 11 cameras, three millimetre-wave radars and 12 ultrasonic sensors — well above what buyers would typically expect at this price point in most other markets.

Safety & ADAS

Entry and mid trims of the Q05 rely on camera- and radar-based driver assistance with a 360-degree camera for parking, while the range-topping version adds LiDAR to the sensor suite for a fuller L2+ package. Changan has not published a detailed breakdown of which specific ADAS functions (adaptive cruise, lane-keep, automated parking) are gated to which trim, so buyers targeting the top-spec LiDAR car should confirm the exact feature list with a dealer before ordering.

ADAS LEVEL	L2+ (top trim, with LiDAR)
ADAS FEATURES	360° camera, LiDAR (top trim), 11 cameras, 3 mmWave radar, 12 ultrasonic sensors (top trim)

Available Versions

VERSION	POWER	BATTERY	EV RANGE	COMBINED RANGE	PRICE	KEY DIFFERENCES
Entry (405 km)	161 hp	40.3 kWh LFP	405 km	—	~$11,200	No sunroof/sunshade, base infotainment
Mid trims	161 hp	40.3 or 51.9 kWh LFP	405 or 506 km	—	~$12,000–$14,000	Adds sunroof and sunshade
Top / Laser Ultra+ (506 km)	161 hp	51.9 kWh LFP	506 km	—	~$15,400	LiDAR-equipped ADAS suite, largest battery

Pricing & Availability

The Q05 range launched in China in November 2025 at RMB 79,900-109,900, roughly $11,200-$15,400 at current exchange rates — a dealer-floor reviewer cited a similar $11,600-$16,000 range and a showroom sticker price of RMB 69,900 on a promotional entry configuration, so actual street prices can run below list. As of July 2026, Changan has not confirmed a European or North American launch for the Q05/NEVO Q05, and the car remains sold exclusively in the Chinese domestic market; exporters do offer to arrange overseas shipping and language-pack conversion for international buyers outside the official dealer network.

How It Compares

Against the Leapmotor A10, the Q05's story is more power (161 hp vs 94 hp) and nearly identical range for about $1,700 more — a fair trade if the extra motor output matters to a buyer. The Dongfeng Nammi 06 undercuts the Q05 slightly on price with more raw power (181 hp) but roughly 35 km less range. The BYD brand-name pull of the Yuan Up costs a real premium here: nearly $3,000 more than the Q05 for barely half the range (301 km vs up to 506 km), which is the clearest value argument in the Q05's favor of this group. None of these four rivals currently ship outside China, so this remains a domestic-market comparison rather than a global one.