Volkswagen consolidates leading position in the Chinese market

German carmaker Volkswagen is expanding its lineup to fuel its momentum in China, as the world's largest vehicle market is rebounding to pre-pandemic levels.

Volkswagen and its sub-brand Jetta delivered more than 732,400 vehicles to customers in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong during the first quarter of this year, up 60.7 percent year-on-year.

Carmakers in the country sold 5.07 million vehicles in the first quarter, up 75.1 percent from the same period of 2020, according to statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

The Volkswagen brand remained the No 1 choice for Chinese car buyers, seizing a 14.4 percent market share.

Stephan Woellenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Group China and Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand China, said:"If you compare Q1 2021 with Q1 2019, we have grown by 4 percent. I am pretty optimistic that China is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic."

He made the remarks in an interview on Monday at the biennial Shanghai auto show.

"We see the year 2021 will probably overtake 2019 and we intend to stay in our market position for both the group and the brand," he said.

As part of its efforts to consolidate its position, Volkswagen is speeding up its pace to introduce new models, both electric and gasoline.

It is presenting a new lineup of six models at the Shanghai auto show. Three of them made their world premieres on Monday.

These included the ID.6 X and ID.6 CROZZ sport utility vehicles. Revealed online two days earlier, they are the latest members of Volkswagen's pure-electric ID family based on the MEB platform.

The other debutant is the new Talagon, a large gasoline SUV. It was joined on stage by three other internal combustion engine cars: the all-new Teramont SUV, all-new Teramont X, and all-new Golf 8 GTI hatchback.

The ID.6 vehicles take Volkswagen's e-offensive another step forward in China. As flagship SUVs, they are to be made exclusively for the Chinese market, according to Volkswagen.

They have a long wheelbase of 2,965 millimeters and come with a six-or seven-seat layout. Two battery options are available, ensuring a range of up to more than 580 kilometers.

"For the ID.6, our aim from the start was to create the optimal experience for our Chinese customers, with a 'lounge on wheels' for a smooth, relaxed ride that is comfortable and safe," Woellenstein said.

"The ID.6 is roomy and packed with state-of-the-art technologies, such as our intuitive Augmented Reality Head-up Display and our Travel Assist for semi-automated driving."

Volkswagen said the ID.6 models will be launched in the summer. They come after the electric ID.4 models, which hit the Chinese market earlier this year. They were the first vehicles from a mainstream international carmaker to based on a dedicated electric platform.

By 2023, the carmaker will have a total of eight ID vehicles for sale in China as the brand transforms to an electric, fully-connected and carbon-neutral future.

Volkswagen aims to become the No 1 choice of new energy vehicles for Chinese car buyers－to match the position it holds in the overall passenger-car market.

Besides the electric ID vehicles, the brand is growing the lineup of its internal combustion engines to consolidate its advantage in the SUV and sedan segments.

The brand-new Talagon is based on Volkswagen's MQB Evo platform. Volkswagen said the model opens up a new segment, as it has features of both an SUV and an MPV. The Talagon is 5,152 mm long, 2,002 mm wide and 1,795 mm high, with a 2,980 mm wheelbase, and has a flexible six-or seven-seat arrangement.

The top-of-the-range model is equipped with a 2.5-liter turbocharged V6 engine. Featuring the latest gearbox and four-wheel drive, it will be ideal for urban and off-road driving.

It also integrates the latest hardware and software to enable a more user-friendly driving experience.

Volkswagen is planning to introduce another large SUV in 2022, as part of its SUV offensive.

"The future of our brand is certainly going to be electric and fully connected. However, even as China's NEV market ramps up over the next decade, ICE (internal combustion engine) cars will still remain a preferred choice for our customers,"Woellenstein said.

"As such, we will continue to improve our existing models and their variants－making them ever more efficient and ever more digital－as well as introduce new models, so as to meet the needs of our Chinese customers," he said.

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn