- The ID. UNYX 08 is priced from 229,900 yuan ($33,702) and features smart driving chips and solutions from Xpeng.
- The model's launch marks an accelerated phase in Volkswagen's electrification transition in the Chinese market.
Volkswagen officially launched the ID. UNYX 08 pure electric SUV (sport utility vehicle) in the Chinese market on Thursday, with a starting price set at 229,900 yuan ($33,700) and the top-trim version reaching 289,900 yuan.
This is the first mass-produced model jointly developed by Volkswagen and its local partner Xpeng, marking an accelerated phase in the German automaker's electrification transition in China.
From the signing of the joint development agreement to the new car's final mass production at the Hefei plant in Anhui province, the collaborative project aimed at boosting Chinese sales took just 24 months.
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 vehicle is built on an 800-volt high-voltage silicon carbide platform to offer faster charging speeds.
It is equipped with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries supplied by CATL, offering two capacity options of 82 kWh and 95 kWh, delivering a driving range of up to 730 kilometers.
The model offers both single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive versions. The single-motor variant has a maximum power of 230 kW, while the dual-motor version features a 140 kW front motor and a 230 kW rear motor, achieving a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 4.9 seconds.
In terms of smart driving hardware, the ID. UNYX 08 is equipped with two Turing AI chips provided by Xpeng, giving the system a total computing power of up to 1,500 TOPS.
The vehicle adopts Xpeng's second-generation Vision-Language-Action (VLA 2.0) smart driving solution, enabling enhanced Level 2 city navigation driving assistance functions and supporting over-the-air (OTA) updates.
To rapidly boost sales of the new model, Volkswagen has broken down the sales barriers between its joint ventures in China for the first time, allowing selected FAW-Volkswagen showrooms to participate in the sales effort.
Authorized FAW-Volkswagen dealers will display and sell the ID. UNYX 08 produced by Volkswagen Anhui through a "store-in-store" model, marking a significant cross-joint venture resource allocation.
The ID. UNYX 08 aims to fill a market gap by deeply integrating German brand quality with local technology, targeting consumers who value automotive quality while demanding high standards for smart technology.
Volkswagen hopes to regain its gradually eroding market share in China's increasingly competitive EV market with this new model that integrates local innovative technologies.
($1 = 6.8233 yuan)
