Volkswagen is launching “one of the biggest product offensives in its global history” with a flurry of new China-specific models heralded by the unveiling of two key electric vehicles (EVs) ahead of the 2026 Beijing auto show.
Driven by the strategy “In China, for China,” the new models usher in a new era for the Volkswagen Group in China and are “specifically tailored to Chinese customers.”
“The Volkswagen Group has developed a completely new product portfolio for smart electric vehicles in China in just 36 months,” said Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of Volkswagen Group China.
“The numerous premieres of our brands at the Beijing Motor Show underline the speed and consistency of our transformation.”
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The group’s push will include plug-in hybrid, electric and range-extended electric vehicles, with around 30 electrified models expected to be launched by 2027 and 50 by 2030, including around 30 pure electric models.
The first of two Volkswagen models presented is the ID. Aura T6an all-electric mid-size SUV designed and built as part of the brand’s 35-year-old joint venture with China’s FAW Group, FAW-Volkswagen.
It uses the new, locally developed China Electronic Architecture (CEA), which supports intelligent, AI-assisted driving and was recently introduced in the mid-size ID. Unyx 07 sedan.
The ID card. The Aura T6 supports “level two advanced assisted driving” – likely including adaptive cruise control, lane keeping and automated lane changing – as well as continuous over-the-air (OTA) updates.
The second is this ID. Unyx 09a five-meter-long electric sedan developed together with Xpeng in just 24 months and produced by Volkswagen Anhui, Volkswagen’s joint venture with JAC Motors.
Like the ID card. Aura T6 has “level two advanced driving assistance,” but also features “high-performance computing” and an intelligent AI assistant.
While Volkswagen doesn’t have detailed powertrain information for these two new models, the ID. Unyx 08 – also co-developed with Xpeng – offers an 800V electrical architecture and a choice of 82.4 kWh or 95 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries from CATL.
The five-meter-long SUV, which was also developed in 24 months, offers either a 230 kW single-motor rear-wheel drive or a 370 kW dual-motor all-wheel drive and has air suspension and adaptive dampers.
Its exterior design shares many design features with the ID. Unyx 09, including distinctive LED daytime running lights and a long, sculpted hood, while inside there are two 15-inch screens and available luxuries such as a 6.7-liter refrigerator and refrigerator, a 20-speaker sound system with Dolby Atmos and heated, ventilated and massaging front seats.
The newly introduced models from Volkswagen are also a foretaste of the new “Agentic AI for All” strategy, which envisages that from the second half of 2026 all vehicles built on the CEA will be equipped with an integrated “AI Agent”.
This agent is intended to integrate a “locally trained large language model (LLM) as a natural language interface” that “proactively understands the user’s intent, executes complex, system-wide actions, and makes contextual decisions to achieve a goal through natural conversation.”
Volkswagen plans to develop this further with the launch of CEA 2.0 in 2027, which will “unify intelligent driving and cockpit experiences on a more powerful central computing platform.” This will reportedly form the basis for Volkswagen’s “AI-defined vehicle era” in China.
Despite all this, previous comments make it clear that Volkswagen does not expect to regain the top sales position in China, but rather to maintain the top position among foreign brands operating in the country.
BYD overtook Volkswagen as the best-selling brand in China in 2023.
In addition, the Volkswagen Group previewed new vehicles from the other brands under its umbrella in China. As a small taste of the affordable Jetta brand’s electric revival, the Jetta X concept was introduced, an SUV with the brand’s new “Modern Robust” design language.
Although Jetta has been operating in China since 2019, the group hopes the brand can penetrate China’s entry-level electric vehicle segment by leveraging its previous success in selling affordable internal combustion engine models. Four new Jetta models are scheduled to come onto the market by 2028.
Finally, the second model and first SUV was developed by Audi under the AUDI brand, which is only available in China: the E7X electric SUV, which was developed jointly with the Chinese SAIC. It follows the E5 Sportback and offers “quattro” all-wheel drive, two powertrains with 300 kW or 500 kW output and level three “highly automated driving capabilities”.
The unveiling of the E7X follows last week’s announcement that Audi and SAIC will establish an AUDI brand innovation and technology center in Shanghai, focusing on “China-specific intelligent electrification technologies and whole vehicle development” as well as “AI-powered immersive intelligent cabins and advanced driver assistance systems” for the Chinese market.
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