Volkswagen New Zealand weighs in on China-built models being sold locally

Volkswagen is preparing to sell models developed for the Chinese market in Australia, and New Zealand is likely to get them too.

Volkswagen brand chief executive Thomas Schäfer told British magazine Autocar at last week’s Paris Motor Show that the company has started exporting its Chinese models. He said the first markets are in the global south and countries that have “easier access from China than Europe, such as Australia” and the Middle East.

Schäfer says VW has cut materials and engineering costs by developing these cars in China, and they are now fully cost-competitive there. The Australian rollout is reported to be a trial ahead of some Chinese models going on sale in Europe. Schäfer says they will add to the European range rather than replace it.

No models, timing or prices have been confirmed, and Volkswagen Group Australia has yet to comment.

Volkswagen in New Zealand is distributed by European Motor Distributors, part of the Giltrap Group. Any right-hand-drive model built for Australia would be an obvious fit here.

When questioned about the local availability of these models, a spokesperson from Volkswagen New Zealand said:

“Volkswagen New Zealand is currently considering and evaluating China-built Volkswagen models for our market.

“However, at this stage there are no specific models, specifications, pricing or timing confirmed for NZ.”

VW’s Chinese range looks quite different from the one we know. Its three joint ventures with SAIC, FAW and JAC now engineer their own models, and VW is launching 13 new electrified models in China this year, including EVs, plug-in hybrids and range extenders.

Three models show what could come:

• ID. Aura T6: a five-seat medium electric SUV built by FAW-Volkswagen, with a 170kW rear motor, a 77.5kWh LFP battery and a claimed range of about 540km.
• ID. Era 9X: a 5.2-metre, six-seat range-extender SUV from SAIC-Volkswagen. It pairs a 1.5-litre petrol generator with two electric motors making 380kW, and has a 65.2kWh battery good for about 320km of electric running.
• ID. Unyx 07: an electric liftback from Volkswagen Anhui with a 170kW rear motor and about 550km of range. It could fill the gap left by the Passat.

There’s also the ID. Unyx 08, a five-metre electric SUV with 800-volt charging, co-developed with XPeng. Right-hand-drive production hasn’t been confirmed for any of them.

The plan may extend to the Amarok. VW Commercial Vehicles chief executive Stefan Mecha has said a Chinese ute is one option being considered as the base for the next-generation model, though staying with Ford remains more likely.

VW has sold Chinese-built cars in Australia before. In 2004 the Polo Classic sedan became the first Chinese-built passenger car sold there. It was dropped within two years. Today the only China-built Volkswagen Group model on sale in Australia is the Cupra Tavascan electric SUV.