Possible 2016 China premiere

Volkswagen's new low-cost brand, first released in the Chinese market in 2016 or 2017, will become the 13th brand of Volkswagen. The project is expected to be approved soon, after having been struggling for a long time due to cost target issues, resulting in “difficult births”.

Or approved within a few weeks

The German “Manager Magazin” magazine reported on March 20 that the new low-cost brand for the emerging market will soon be difficult to come out. After a long-term struggle to reach the cost target, the brand may be approved by the Volkswagen Management Committee within a few weeks, and the Volkswagen Supervisory Board will sign the project this summer.

In order to make up for the shortage of small cars and leap into the world's largest car maker, Volkswagen considers building a new brand of small cars, pricing it at 5,000 to 10,000 euros (about 40,000 to 80,000 yuan, one to 6,000 euros to 7,000 or 8,000 euros) Among them, the less expensive Up! (9,850 Euro) small car, which is lower than the current public, competes with Reynolds's Dacia and Nissan's Datsang.

In 2012, Ulrich Hackenberg, then head of Volkswagen's research and development department (later transferred to the head of Audi R&D), revealed to the media the intention of launching a low-priced car. Since 2013, Volkswagen CEO Martin Wendeng and others have confirmed that they intend to build a new brand.

However, the birth of this brand was not smooth, and only Heinz-Jakob Neusser, head of the Volkswagen brand R&D, was unable to keep track of progress. At the Geneva Motor Show in November last year and this year, Noosa pointed out that the company is still evaluating low-priced brand projects and is struggling to realize the cost target for new low-cost brands: “To achieve a low-cost car approved for production should be The cost targets reached are becoming more and more difficult, and new car projects whose approved costs are not up to standard are not possible."

"Manager" said that after more than a year of hard work, Volkswagen finally was able to ensure that the new brand cost was met. With regard to the progress made by the German media in giving the new brand, a spokesperson for Volkswagen Motors has not confirmed it. It merely stated that the company is committed to the development of low-priced brands, but no decision has yet been made.

The fastest release of the first China in 2016

Volkswagen executives such as Ulrich Harkenberg had given the idea of ​​launching new low-priced brands in 2015, and the latest report of “Manager” magazine pointed out that new cars will be released by the end of 2016 or early 2017. Some people think that the cost issue has delayed the progress of the public to some extent.

Volkswagen executives had previously stated that the new low-cost brand was positioned to attract consumers in emerging markets, and China would be the center of gravity, and the “Manager” directly stated that the new car will be put into production in China, and China will also become the largest market for the car. After the new car is successful, it will also land in India and other Asian countries. Another foreign media disclosed that the brand may eventually be sold in Europe.

In fact, the new low-cost brand will be built by the Chinese side. According to informed sources, among the two Chinese partners, Volkswagen prefers FAW to participate in the project. "Manager" magazine said that the car will first realize 500,000 annual production in China.

Qin Huanming, deputy general manager of FAW Group Co., once said in an interview that in the market segment of 60,000 to 80,000 yuan, there are about 3.5 million vehicles in China, and now only Sail and some other products have not been truly Market leader. FAW, therefore, is working with Volkswagen to research this market segment and develop an independent brand product, which is about 4 small varieties, producing 450,000 to 600,000 vehicles a year.

Volkswagen’s new low-cost brands will compete with GM’s Baojun and Nissan’s Qichen’s joint venture brands for the market, and will compete with Toyota Daihatsu’s Avanza brand (Editor's Note: may refer to the FAW Senya brand from Avanza). The formation of independent brands to take the low-end line pressure.

The thirteenth brand

"Manager" magazine reported that the new low-cost brand will be the 13th brand of the Volkswagen Group, once again confirming the status of Volkswagen's new low-cost car independent brand.

According to Hackenberger's remarks in 2012, there is a variable in the initial positioning of new low-cost brands, that is, the public will make choices between brand new brands and sub-brands. By 2013, VW executives' remarks pointed out that the new car will not follow the brand name of the public before, but will use a new name and LOGO. Ferdinand Piech, chairman of the VW Supervisory Board, also hinted that the brand will be the 13th brand of the Volkswagen Group.

At present, Volkswagen Group has a total of 12 brands: Volkswagen passenger cars, Skoda, Seat, Volkswagen commercial vehicles and other popular light car brands, Audi, Porsche, Bentley and other luxury / ultra-luxury brands, Lamborghini and Bugatti sports car brands, Mann And Scania's heavy-duty commercial vehicle brand, and Ducati motorcycle brand.

In terms of vehicle platforms, Volkswagen will use the existing model PQ platform to build new low-cost sub-brands, mainly old ones that have been discontinued or near production discontinuation, rather than developing a platform specifically for new vehicles.

Previously, German media revealed that the brand will have three models, the small four-door limousine (Limousine) is priced at about 6,000 euros, and the Kombi (carrying goods) cross-border vehicle (Kombi) priced at about 7,000 euros (about 56,800 yuan). , MPV / micro-facet (Van) sells for about 8,000 euros (about 64,900 yuan). All three models have a wheelbase of 2,500mm. The car and car are 4,000 mm in length, while the five- or seven-seat micro-facets are 4,200 mm in length. The body length is between Polo and golf.

The three new cars are roundish in shape and all use four-door layouts and use a shock-absorbing front axle. Power may use the old 1.2-liter or 1.6-liter engine (three- or four-cylinder), including gasoline and diesel models, and the transmission can be equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. Volkswagen believes that the above old engines can still meet Euro 6 emission standards.