VW starts pre-sales of ID. UNYX 08 in China

Volkswagen has opened pre-sales in China for its first model based on technology from local partner Xpeng. The ID. UNYX 08 starts at around €30,000 and is a five-metre electric SUV equipped with two Turing Smart Driving Chips from Xpeng for its advanced driver assistance system.

The ID. UNYX 08, unveiled in November 2025, is the first model jointly developed by Volkswagen and Xpeng. It marks the first market-ready battery-electric vehicle from their partnership for China, which the two companies formalised in 2023. As part of the deal, Volkswagen also acquired a stake of around five per cent in Xpeng.

The ID. UNYX 08 is based on Xpeng’s Edward platform, which also underpins the battery-electric SUV Xpeng G9. Volkswagen highlighted the pace of development, stating that the model reached series production readiness within 24 months. Production started two weeks ago at Volkswagen Anhui’s plant in Hefei, with Volkswagen manufacturing the vehicle despite the use of Xpeng technology.

Volkswagen has now opened pre-sales for the model, which is offered exclusively in China. Prices range from 239,900 yuan (around €30,000) to 299,900 yuan (approximately €37,700). As is typical for pre-sales in China, reservations are largely non-binding and require only a small refundable deposit. Only a limited share usually converts into firm orders, as seen, for example, with the Audi E5 Sportback.

With the ID. UNYX 08, Volkswagen is implementing its ‘In China, for China’ strategy. The model serves as the starting point for around 20 locally developed New Energy Vehicles. According to the manufacturer, the vehicle is deeply integrated into China’s digital ecosystem and offers advanced Level 2 driver assistance systems.

The SUV features Xpeng’s intelligent driving solution VLA 2.0, enabling both highway and urban navigation autopilot functions. The system is powered by two ‘Turing’ AI chips developed by Xpeng, delivering more than 1,500 TOPS of computing power for the neural network architecture.

Initially, the model is available with two powertrain options: rear-wheel drive (RWD) with a power output of 230 kW, and all-wheel drive (AWD), which includes an additional front motor with 140 kW. The top speed is electronically limited to 200 km/h.

carnewschina.com, cnevpost.com