Changan Unveils Tianshu Pilot Autonomous Stack and Confirms Qiyuan Q06 September 2026 Launch

At the Chongqing Auto Show opening on June 13, 2026, Changan Automobile officially debuted its long-anticipated Tianshu Pilot autonomous-driving software stack and confirmed that the all-new Changan Qiyuan Q06 compact electric SUV will launch in September 2026 with Tianshu Pilot pre-installed across the entire trim range. The two announcements together signal Changan’s most aggressive push yet into the L2++/L3-capable ADAS arena, where the company has historically lagged BYD’s God’s Eye and Huawei’s Qiankun ADS.

For overseas readers, this matters because Changan is one of the few Chinese OEMs with a meaningful global export footprint (Mexico, Saudi Arabia, GCC, ASEAN), and Tianshu Pilot is the in-house alternative that Changan plans to license-export rather than depend on Huawei or NVIDIA Drive externally. It is the same technology partnership track that we covered in our earlier Chery + Huawei Yinwang L3/L4 partnership piece, but with Changan choosing in-house compute over Yinwang.

Tianshu Pilot: Three-Tier Architecture

Tianshu Pilot launches in three configuration tiers, all of which will feature on the Q06 first:

• Pro: Standard pack with full-LiDAR (1× 192-line + 4× short-range) on every Pro trim; SAE L2++ urban NCA + highway NCA + valet park; 600 TOPS in-house compute (Changan + Horizon Robotics joint silicon).
• Max: Adds 20+ million high-quality human-driven data slices for end-to-end model training; doubles the highway NCA cruise speed envelope (now up to 130 km/h on geo-fenced segments); adds rural unmarked road autonomy.
• Ultra: SAE L3-ready hardware (additional 4D imaging radar + redundant brake/steer); cabin-out 360 ° awareness with 8K cameras; OTA roadmap to L3 highway eyes-off in Q2 2027 (subject to MIIT pilot license).

Why the Tianshu Pilot Pro/Max Trim Matters

Changan is the first major SAIC/Geely-tier state-owned OEM to confirm 192-line LiDAR as standard equipment on Pro trims, rather than reserved for top trims. That mirrors what BYD did with God’s Eye B (LiDAR) on the Sealion 08 800V flagship — a strategy decoded in our BYD Sealion 08 800V flagship sedan.

Qiyuan Q06: All-New Compact EV SUV

The Q06 is Changan’s all-new compact EV SUV under the Qiyuan sub-brand (positioned just below the Deepal brand and above the Lumin micro-EV brand). Confirmed specs from the Chongqing reveal:

• Length: ~4,650 mm
• Wheelbase: ~2,800 mm
• Battery options: 60 kWh LFP / 75 kWh LFP+Mn / 80 kWh ternary NMC
• CLTC range: 520 km / 620 km / 700 km
• Powertrain: Single-motor RWD (180 kW) or dual-motor AWD (320 kW combined)
• Architecture: 800V SiC on AWD trims; 400V on RWD trims
• Charging: 10–80% in 14 minutes (800V trims, 250 kW peak)
• Tianshu Pilot: standard on every trim
• Estimated price band: RMB 130,000–195,000 (USD 17,900–26,900)

Cabin and Cockpit

The Q06 cabin uses Changan’s CD-Pilot Cockpit OS with a 15.6-inch center screen and 30-inch HUD-AR projection on Max/Ultra trims. The interior is clean and Scandinavian-influenced — Changan’s design vice president Klaus Zyciora oversaw the overall language after his arrival from Volkswagen Group in late 2024.

Strategic Context: Changan’s 14th Five-Year vs 15th Five-Year

Changan officially confirmed at the Tianshu reveal that the company aims to “fully deploy L3 in our 15th Five-Year Plan window (2026–2030)” — the strongest public commitment to Level-3 autonomy by any Chinese state-owned automaker so far. Changan total NEV deliveries hit roughly 870,000 in 2025 and are tracking for 1.4 million in 2026; Q06 is forecast to add another ~150,000 annual units once production stabilizes in late Q4 2026.

For exports, Changan plans to ship the Q06 to Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia starting Q2 2027, with Tianshu Pilot Pro hardware standard but software functions geo-restricted by market regulation.

FAQ

What is Changan Tianshu Pilot?

Tianshu Pilot is Changan’s new in-house autonomous driving software stack launched on June 13, 2026, offered in Pro / Max / Ultra tiers. The Pro tier features 192-line LiDAR + 600 TOPS compute and SAE L2++ urban NCA; the Ultra tier adds L3-ready hardware with eyes-off OTA roadmap to Q2 2027.

When does the Changan Qiyuan Q06 launch?

September 2026, with Tianshu Pilot pre-installed on the entire trim range. Pre-orders open after the IAA Munich early-September 2026 reveal week.

How much will the Changan Qiyuan Q06 cost?

Estimated price band RMB 130,000–195,000 (USD 17,900–26,900) based on Chongqing show preliminary spec disclosures. Confirmed pricing announcement is expected at the September launch event.

Will the Q06 be sold outside China?

Yes — Changan plans Q06 exports to Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia starting Q2 2027, with Tianshu Pilot Pro hardware standard.

Editor’s note: Changan’s decision to standardize 192-line LiDAR across all Q06 trims is notable; only BYD God’s Eye B and Huawei Qiankun have done that previously, and both required significantly higher list prices. If the Q06 launches with credible RMB 130K base trim, it will reset the LiDAR-equipped affordable EV SUV reference point.

Reviewed by Han Liu, Editor, iEVChina

Source: Autohome.com.cn