The Volkswagen Group has been riding the gravy train in China for decades, but the days of dominance are over. The rise of domestic automakers with affordable, tech-laden cars is putting a serious dent in the balance sheets of legacy brands, forcing them to rethink their strategies.
As the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them. Audi recently inked a deal with SAIC to expand their existing partnership by creating a new localized AUDI brand that forgoes the iconic four rings. Just as the ringless E5 Sportback looks vastly different from Audi’s global lineup, Volkswagen’s new ID. Unyx 08, co-developed with Xpeng, is visually unrelated to VW’s global models.
The EV represents a fresh design start for Volkswagen in China, introducing a styling language developed specifically for the world’s largest car market. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, we can all agree the ID. Unyx 08 bears little resemblance to any existing VW product. Without the badges, identifying it as a Volkswagen would be borderline impossible.
Notable details include Brembo brakes and a wolf motif integrated into the third brake light. Split headlights and flush door handles come as no surprise, as these features have been trending for some time. Frameless doors are a premium touch, though the blacked-out A-pillars and oddly placed dark side trim may divide opinions.
Essentially a production version of the ID. Evo concept, the Unyx 08 is a large electric SUV built by Volkswagen Anhui in China. At 196.9 inches (5,000 millimeters) long, it’s larger than a Touareg but smaller than an Atlas. Its dedicated EV platform allows for a notably longer wheelbase than both gas-fueled models, at 119.2 inches (3,030 millimeters).
According to local reports, VW’s new China-only model shares much with the Xpeng G9. Documents from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology confirm it has passed homologation and will be offered in single- and dual-motor variants, with the top-spec version delivering nearly 500 horsepower.
Volkswagen ID. UNYX 08
Power comes from a CATL-supplied lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery providing over 435 miles (700 kilometers) of range, albeit measured under the lenient CLTC standard. VW also touts 800-volt ultra-fast charging for this new China-engineered EV, developed at its largest R&D center outside Germany. Sales are slated to begin in the first half of next year.
The ID. Unyx 08 and E5 Sportback are just two of roughly 30 electric vehicles the VW Group plans to offer in China by the end of the decade under its “In China, for China” initiative.
