Volkswagen’s first gold label was given to China.
Just now, Volkswagen's new model ID.UNYX was officially launched. Unlike previous Volkswagen cars, the LOGO of this car is inlaid with gold edges and the starting price is 209,900 yuan.
The styling has changed from Volkswagen's nesting doll design. The light strip running through the front face gives it a sense of new power at first glance, and the side styling is an obvious coupe SUV style.
The car buying rights have also been optimized. For example, if you buy a car before August 31, you can enjoy a 5,000 yuan deposit discount of 15,000 yuan, which can bring the starting price to less than 200,000 yuan. At the same time, there is also a policy of 0 down payment, 0 interest, 10,000 brand points and 24K gold medal.
As Volkswagen Anhui’s first car, the official really wants to make a big hit, so from resources to styling, they strive to make a clear distinction between it and Volkswagen South and Volkswagen South.
But can this price satisfy the public?
The design is not “popular” at all
ID.UNYX can be said to be Volkswagen’s “own son” in China.
First of all, it uses a car logo with a gold border, and the tail is not marked with “XX Volkswagen” but “Volkswagen”, which means that although it is a domestically produced model, it is not under the name of a joint venture.
Moreover, it is different from the digital naming method of several models launched before. Its naming method is similar to that of new domestic forces, namely PRO, Ultra, and MAX versions. Most importantly, ID.UNYX is the first model in the ID. series to have a Chinese name, which is ID.与众.
Although it is also an ID series, it gives people a feeling of déjà vu yet a little strange. It is familiar because of the familiar LOGO, but strange because its design language is very different from the ID. series currently on the market.
From the appearance point of view, it adopts the styling of a fastback coupe. The front of the car has a through-type LED light strip. The through-type front light group integrates daytime running lights and two IQ.Light intelligent matrix LED headlights.
It also has a very exaggerated smoked front surround, with guide grooves on both sides, which, combined with the lines of the front of the car, creates a diving posture.
The A-pillar and B-pillar are painted black, and the official said that this design is to create a visual effect similar to a racing helmet. In addition, the new car will be equipped with 21-inch mecha-style wheels, which is not common in previous Volkswagen models.
The rear styling is also quite sporty and radical. The tailgate incorporates a smoked ducktail design, which is integrated with the through-type taillight group below. The U-shaped through-type taillight adopts a three-layer three-dimensional suspended stacked shape. At the same time, the luminous VW logo also replaces the high-mounted brake light. Coupled with the smoked rear surround with a diffuser design, it has a good sense of technology and sportiness.
The tail is labeled “Volkswagen”, on the right is its Chinese name “与众”, and under the LOGO is its English name “ID.UNYX”.
As the first model of Volkswagen (Anhui) to be launched in China, the Volkswagen ID.UNYX is produced at Volkswagen Anhui MEB plant and developed based on the MEB platform, sharing the same platform as the Volkswagen ID.5 and Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback.
The body dimensions of ID. are 4663/1860/1610mm, and the wheelbase is 2766mm. Judging from the parameters, the difference is actually not much with Volkswagen ID.4X, which is also positioned as a compact SUV.
It is worth mentioning that although ID.UNYX has just been launched in China, it is derived from an overseas model. The prototype car is the overseas model Cupra Tavascan, and it is produced on the same production line as Cupra Tavascan.
In fact, last year, Volkswagen Anhui had already started producing Cupra tavascan and exported it overseas with the SEAT logo. This operation is somewhat similar to Buick's reverse export of Envision to the North American market. Now that it is on the domestic market, it finally has the Volkswagen logo, which can be said to be legitimate.
However, rather than saying that it is a Cupra tavascan overseas model with a different shell, it is better to say that it is a purely domestically produced model that has been “regularized”.
In terms of interior, ID.UNYX continues the ID. family's consistent design language, equipped with a floating central control screen and instrument panel, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and hand-shift mechanism, and equipped with a new ID.S 5.0 car system.
In terms of configuration, it provides 360-degree panoramic images, Harman Kardon audio, panoramic skylight, rear air-conditioning vents and electric tailgate.
In terms of intelligence, the entire ID.UNYX series is equipped with IQ. Drive intelligent driving butler and Volkswagen's latest assisted driving system as standard, providing functions such as Travel Assist 3.0 full-journey driving assistance system.
In addition, the IQ. Park parking butler function is also standard, equipped with 12 ultrasonic radars, and also supports memory parking and intelligent car search functions.
In terms of power, ID.UNYX is divided into two versions: rear single motor and front and rear dual motors. The rear-wheel drive version has a maximum power of 170kW, and the four-wheel drive version has a comprehensive power of 250kW. The four-wheel drive version has an acceleration time of 0-100 kilometers in 5.6 seconds.
It also uses an 82.4 kWh ternary lithium battery pack developed in cooperation with CATL. The cruising range under CLTC conditions is 621 km and 565 km respectively, and it provides five driving modes: sport, economy, comfort, personalization and dynamic traction.
Of course, the key to competitiveness lies in price. In this regard, Volkswagen seems to be a little too confident about its “own son” model.
Against the backdrop of today's joint ventures' massive price cuts, the previous Volkswagen ID. series could not escape the curse of having to cut prices to sell well. Moreover, before that, the new energy vehicles launched by Volkswagen in the Chinese market had all experienced substantial price cuts.
Not to mention the comparison with the same-level models of other domestic car dealers, just look at the current Volkswagen ID system. The price of ID.4 has dropped to less than 140,000 yuan, and the lowest prices of the larger ID.6 and ID.7 have also come down to less than 200,000 yuan.
Looking at ID.UNYX now, the starting price of 200,000 seems a bit out of reach.
The battle for the Chinese market has just begun
Throughout the press conference, Volkswagen expressed its gratitude to Hefei, Anhui many times, and called Hefei a key place for Volkswagen's transformation.
We have to mention the company behind ID.Yuzhong – Volkswagen Anhui, which is the third joint venture of Volkswagen Group in China. Its predecessor was JAC Volkswagen. At the beginning of its establishment, JAC Automobile and Volkswagen China held 50% of the shares respectively.
However, due to policy restrictions at the time, there could be no more than two domestic joint venture car companies, so JAC Volkswagen, which was established by JAC and Volkswagen at that time, could only be regarded as a “concubine”.
Even the cars it produces cannot be sold with the Volkswagen logo. In 2018, JAC Volkswagen launched the Sihao car, which did not have the Volkswagen logo, but only had the words “Volkswagen Sihao” on the rear of the car.
The turning point came in 2020, when Volkswagen increased its capital and raised its shareholding ratio to 75%, and JAC Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. was also renamed “Volkswagen (Anhui) Co., Ltd.”
75% controlling stake and 100% management and operation rights, this should be the significance of Volkswagen Anhui to Volkswagen, and this is also the reason why ID.UNYX can directly mark “Volkswagen” on the rear of the car.
This also makes Volkswagen Anhui the first highly independent enterprise of the Volkswagen Group in China with complete R&D and production capabilities. The biggest benefit is that it can effectively reduce communication costs and improve efficiency.
Unlike Volkswagen South and Volkswagen North, Volkswagen Anhui has a high degree of “autonomy” in its group system, which can be seen from the statement of the CEO of Volkswagen (China) – in the past, every dollar of cost change had to be approved by Wolfsburg, Germany, but now Volkswagen Anhui only needs to communicate with its suppliers.
Not only that, the two models that Volkswagen and Xiaopeng Motors previously reached a technical cooperation on will also be undertaken by Anhui Volkswagen for research and development and production; there is also the CMP platform developed entirely in China, and Volkswagen will move its R&D decision-making center from Wolfsburg east to Hefei.
It is not difficult to see that Volkswagen Anhui has the same autonomy as “Wolfsburg” in the Chinese market. So there is a saying that Volkswagen wants to build a “Wolfsburg” in China.
From this perspective, Volkswagen Anhui is like Tesla's Berlin factory, and the two have similar significance. Tesla relies on the Berlin factory to gain more market share in Europe, while Volkswagen Anhui is responsible for Volkswagen's development of pure electric strategy in the Chinese market.
This also means that the MEB models produced by Volkswagen Anhui will have a more “Volkswagen” flavor, will have a better response to new technologies, and will have a higher upper limit on gross profit margin after scale-up.
As the first model of Volkswagen Anhui, ID.'s mission is not only to break the inherent impression that the Volkswagen brand, which has entered China for 40 years, has presented to the outside world, but also to make a clear distinction from the previous north-south joint venture Volkswagen brands in terms of products, brands, functions and future development value.
Just like the Volkswagen’s golden logo used for the first time this time, it represents a new beginning, marking that Volkswagen is entering the domestic pure electric market with a new image; secondly, it indicates Volkswagen Anhui’s unique identity and status.
In addition, it is well known that black and gold are symbols of luxury and high quality in many cultures. Volkswagen uses a gold logo to convey the high quality and exquisite craftsmanship of its products.
According to Yang Fang, CEO of Volkswagen (Anhui) Digital Sales Service Co., Ltd., the “Gold Label” Volkswagen will bring more emotional value to the Volkswagen brand. “Gold symbolizes positivity, sunshine, vitality and hope. It also reflects golden quality and golden service. More importantly, it represents golden moments.”
Can the Volkswagen electric car with a gold-colored logo replicate the glory of Volkswagen's gasoline cars?