- The ID. UNYX 08 is the first model jointly developed by Volkswagen and Xpeng.
- With a pre-sales starting price of 239,900 yuan ($34,990), the model is seen as key to Volkswagen's EV product offensive in China.
Volkswagen will officially launch the ID. UNYX 08 electric SUV (sport utility vehicle) in China on April 16, following the start of pre-sales late last month.
Robert Cisek, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand China, shared the plan on Weibo on Tuesday, building momentum for the model ahead of the Beijing Auto Show.
The highly anticipated mid- to large-size all-electric SUV officially began pre-sales earlier on March 26.
The model's pre-sales price range is set between 239,900 yuan ($34,990) and 299,900 yuan, aimed at attracting buyers who are sensitive to both price and technology.
As the first technological collaboration between Volkswagen and its local partner Xpeng, the new vehicle took just 24 months from the signing of the joint development agreement to mass production, Volkswagen said last month.
The ID. UNYX 08 measures 5,000 mm in length, 1,954 mm in width, and 1,688 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,030 mm.
The new car is equipped with two Turing smart driving chips provided by Xpeng. It also features Xpeng's second-generation Vision-Language-Action (VLA 2.0) smart driving solution, supporting navigation guided pilot functions for both highways and urban areas.
On July 26, 2023, Volkswagen announced a $700 million investment in Xpeng to jointly develop two B-class BEVs to be sold under the Volkswagen brand in the Chinese market.
Since then, the two companies have announced multiple expansions of their partnership.
Built as a flagship product on an 800-volt high-voltage silicon carbide platform, the ID. UNYX 08 will be powered by a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack supplied by CATL, delivering a range of up to 730 kilometers.
The new model, described by Volkswagen as the materialization of its "in China, for China" strategy, officially rolled off the production line last month at the Volkswagen Anhui plant in Hefei.
Volkswagen Anhui, a joint venture established in 2017 by Volkswagen and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group (JAC), is Volkswagen's first joint venture in China dedicated to new energy vehicles (NEVs).
($1 = 6.8572 yuan)
