Understanding Volkswagen China? - 了解 大众 中国
While I am stuck in lockdown in Adelaide, South Australia I thought I would write about the massive presence the Volkswagen brand has in China, and its massively complex model range.
Now if you don't know, back when China opened the door to the West for business in the late 1970s, China required that the Western partner establish a joint venture with a Chinese company with no more than 50% ownership. This law has now changed in recent times - eg: Tesla was able to build a factory in China with 100% ownership by the American brand.
The confusion starts way back in the 1980s when the Volkswagen brand first establishes its entry in China with its first joint venture partner SAIC based in Shanghai.
In the late 1980s, SAIC Volkswagen known as Shanghai Volkswagen and produced a version of the Passat Mk2 sedan known as the Santana tailored towards Chinese preferences ie the beginning of the longer wheelbase variant over the European version!
The second joint venture was established with FAW group (based in Changchun Jilin province) at the beginning of the 1990s, the first model produced by FAW Volkswagen was the Jetta Mk2. An interesting fact was the tooling for this first plant by FAW Volkswagen in Changchun was from the closed Westmoreland plant in Pennsylvania, USA.
Fast forward three decades and both these joint ventures in China are classed as two different brands that have a massive model range.
Current Lineup of Volkswagen branded vehicles 2020-2022
SAIC Volkswagen
Santana
Polo Plus
Lavida Classic
Lavida / e-Lavida
Lamando
Passat / Passat PHEV
Phideon
T-Cross
Tharu / e-Tharu
Tiguan / Tiguan PHEV
Tiguan X
Teramont
Teramont X
Cross Touran
Viloran
ID.3
ID.4 X
ID.6 X
FAW Volkswagen
Bora Classic
Bora / e-Bora
Golf
Sagitar
Magotan / Magotan GTE
CC / CC Shooting Brake
Tacqua
T-Roc
Tayron
Tayron X
Talagon
C-Trek
Golf Sportsvan
ID.4 CROZZ
ID.6 CROZZ
Let us start with the sedan range and why there are so many options?
With two children you have to feed them as equally as possible otherwise one will get upset and act up.
The Santana is SAIC Volkswagen entry-level sedan based on the PQ25+ platform. This platform is a longer version of the 5th generation Polo 2010-(current South Africa / India) and is shared with FAW Volkswagen's new JETTA VA3 sedan. FAW Volkswagen has a new sub-brand called JETTA from 2018 targetting Chinese budget brands.
The next sedan family moving up the ladder is the SAIC VW Lavida and FAW VW Bora both models have an electric version and technically speaking both have the same drivetrains. Both of these model nameplates have shared the same underpinning since 2008 and don't differ too much with drivetrain and wheelbase etc.
Lamando from SAIC VW is a coupe-styled sedan that competes with its long wheelbase FAW VW cousin the Sagitar. Then large sedans a ruled by the SAIC VW Passat and FAW VW Magoton, both these models have hybrid versions.
The luxury sedans from both brands are not technically alike, however. FAW VW has the Arteon but called the CC and it has a Shooting Brake variant too. FAW VW CC family is based on the MQB. SAIC Volkswagen has an Audi MLB-derived flagship sedan called the Phideon and it targets the Premium limousine sector.
Going into wagons, hatches, and MPVs not much is alike between the two brands with these body styles.
FAW VW has the aging Golf Sportsvan based on the Mk7 Golf and older PQ34 based C-Trek wagon. The new Golf 8 was released in 2020 with the R Line range and will grow to include the GTI.
SAIC VW makes the MQB based Polo Plus hatch, the 7 seater CrossTouran MPV. Viloran is a new premium large MPV targeting the Buick GL8 which has had the Upper MPV market for a long time.
The SUVW Offensive is very strong in China, VW China even dubbing it Generation SUV. Both brands start with LWB T-Cross variants. SAIC VW produces the T-Cross and FAW VW produce the European-looking Tacqua.
Moving up the ladder is the SAIC VW Tharu (called Taos in global markets) and FAW VW LWB T-Roc. The e-Tharu was revealed at the end of 2020 and it is expected its e-TRoc will launch in 2022.
The Tiguan (5 or 7 seats) in LWB format is produced by SAIC VW and the Tayron (5 seats) is made by FAW VW. Both models have hybrid powertrains too and coupe version which is distinguished by having X on the end of their names to differentiate the body styling.
Currently, SAIC VW leads the two ventures by having a full-size (midsize?) SUV family with the Teramont (7 seats) and Teramont X (5 seats) but FAW VW will join this party too, with the Talagon SUV based on the SMV Concept. Talagon will target both SAIC VW Teramont and Viloran models.
The future is electric and starts with the SAIC VW ID.4 X and FAW VW ID.4 CROZZ both essentially the Chinese versions of the global ID.4
So as you can see the amount of Volkswagen models does not look like it is decreasing but quite the opposite. Especially with the ID family only just starting out.
Editors notes:
Both SAIC VW and FAW VW produce the last generations of the Lavida and Bora sedans.
FAW VW has JETTA and Audi branded models that do overlap on the rare occasion competing with SAIC VW models. I have only done this article on Volkswagen branded models.
In 2018 VW signed a third joint venture with JAC Motors, they not produce VW badge vehicles so far (2022).
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