China brand: FAW and VW launch Jetta

The full name of the brand and the company behind it is FAW Volkswagen Jetta Automotive Technology Co Ltd. With the establishment of this new company, Jetta has officially begun operations. As an independent subsidiary of FAW-Volkswagen, Jetta will gain greater autonomy, enabling it to make decisions more swiftly. Additionally, the new entity is permitted to develop its own independent, market-oriented research and development capabilities.

According to the company’s announcement, this move aims to accelerate the development of intelligent battery-electric vehicles tailored to local needs. These vehicles will combine Volkswagen’s global technological resources with FAW’s supply chain system. “As an industry leader and majority shareholder, the FAW Group will contribute its systemic capabilities in technological research and development, smart manufacturing, supply chain management, and market expansion,” the new company’s announcement states. “The Volkswagen Group, as a strategic core shareholder and technology partner, will open its global research and development network, provide advanced electrification platforms, and support Jetta’s international business expansion.”

The specific Volkswagen platforms involved have not been detailed further. It may involve the ‘China Main Platform’ (initially referred to as the Compact Main Platform), which the German group has developed at its China development centre in Hefei. However, Jetta will not be a purely electric brand: by 2028, it plans to launch a total of five models, four of which will be new energy vehicles (NEVs). At least one model will feature an internal combustion engine, and even among the NEVs, plug-in hybrids or range-extender vehicles are possible.

FAW Volkswagen Jetta has set a medium-term production and sales target of 400,000 to 500,000 units per year, as stated by the company. Details about the models have not yet been disclosed in depth, possibly due to adjustments in the plans. Currently, only five models are mentioned, whereas as recently as March 2025, Jetta’s electric offensive was announced with eleven NEVs—including six all-electric models, two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models, and two extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs).

Nevertheless, further details about the current plans have emerged from China. The local government of Chengdu, which signed a cooperation agreement regarding the establishment of the Jetta brand in 2025, states in its own announcement that the first Jetta model is expected to launch in 2026—this timeline can therefore be considered confirmed. Local media outlet Lanjinger reports that the model will be a saloon produced in Chengdu. The premiere is scheduled for the third quarter, with sales set to begin in the fourth quarter.

Given Jetta’s ambition to distinguish itself through rapid and streamlined decision-making processes, anything other than a model premiere this year would be a disappointment for the brand, following its August 2025 announcement and the company’s founding in January.

In China, Jetta is no longer the saloon model in the Golf segment that was temporarily sold in Europe. Instead, it is a Volkswagen brand established in 2019 for the Chinese market, focused on affordable vehicles with a distinct visual identity compared to other VW models—though previously without electric drivetrains. Jetta is part of Volkswagen’s joint venture with FAW and, following the August 2025 announcement and its recent spin-off, has now been established as an independent entity.

cnevpost.com, faw-vw.com (announcement in Chinese)