Volkswagen’s EV Plans Rely on Quickly Generating Variety

• VW reveals ID.UNYX sub-brand meant for China, planning four vehicles including SUVs and sedans as part of the lineup.

• The ID.UNYX, developed in Hefei, China, features a coupe-like profile and relies on existing MEB platform underpinnings and drivetrain.

• The VW Group is in a race to regain some of its market share in China, where it now faces a growing list of local competitors in the EV sphere.

China-only models are nothing new for European automakers with joint ventures in the country, who have offered special versions of existing vehicles as well as new nameplates in the Middle Kingdom for over two decades.

Thanks to local production and some unique market demands, starting nearly 20 years ago the VW Group has been able to market vehicles such as long-wheelbase versions of its smaller sedans badged as the A4L and the A6L, while VW's lineup of locally produced models included Jetta- and Passat-based sedans badged as the VW Sagitar and VW Magotan.

More recently, VW has launched two versions of the ID.6 SUV in China—a model not available in other markets—in addition to slightly different versions of the ID.4.

The latest in this ever-growing genre is Volkswagen's ID.UNYX, revealed as a sub-brand of Volkswagen's existing electric-only ID sub-brand. And the first model is, once again, a slightly more dramatic version of an ID.4 SUV featuring a coupe-style profile.

It will also remind some of the Cupra Tavascan from another one of Volkswagen's regional sub-brands, as this is essentially a Tavascan with some minute differences.

The specs of the ID.UNYX should also be familiar to anyone who has taken a close look at the ID.4 menu: The model is powered by a 77-kWh battery, offering single- and dual-motor layouts with 282 or 335 hp on tap, depending on which version you choose. But the longest-ranged variant is set to offer 386 miles in the very optimistic CLTC cycle.

The debut model is only subtly different from Volkswagen's current stylistic repertoire, featuring some sharper creases in the bodywork, along with red-colored details. The ID.UNYX was developed at the automaker's innovation and development center in Hefei, China.

The coupe-style crossover is merely the first of four ID.UNYX vehicles planned by VW by 2026, out of a total of 34 models planned for China by 2030, with UNYX also set to offer a unique retail chain envisioned as part of the new sub-brand.

When it comes just to the ID.UNYX sub-brand, VW has hinted that SUVs and sedans are on the way next.

"With the new ID. UNYX, we are expanding the spectrum of our electric ID. models in China with an avant-garde product," said Stefan Mecha, CEO of Volkswagen Brand China. "We are combining a confident, progressive design with a sustainable electric drive and state-of-the-art user experience."

However, one pressing question remains: Why does VW need another sub-brand?

It is worth noting that VW's fortunes in China, where it has been present since 1984 when it became the first western automaker to set up local production under a joint venture, were very different as recently as a decade ago.

In the early 2010s VW and its brands still maintained a vast share of the market with multiple unique nameplates based on VW's global platforms catering to local tastes. At that time, VW's lineup was sporadically challenged by China's domestic automakers.

Today, the picture is very different, with VW having lost some of its market share to rapidly growing Chinese domestic brands, including BYD and Geely.

A big part of the reason, especially over the past five years, are EVs and New Energy Vehicles, which is how hybrids, PHEVs, and BEVs are categorized in China. More recent brands such as Nio and XPeng, as well as Tesla, have captured the attention of the local market.

VW is now viewed as having to play catch-up in this New Energy Vehicle arena, with variations on its ID lineup seen as one of the easiest ways to quickly create more visual variety in its lineup.

"Lifestyle elements such as the gold-coloured Volkswagen badge on the front and the golden vehicle lettering are distinctive features—the colour of these insignia is associated with the high quality, reliability, and safety of a Volkswagen in China," the automaker says.

It remains to be seen whether ID.UNYX will be able to recapture some of VW's waning dominance in China's ultra-competitive EV space, but it's clear that we are going to see a greater variety of battery-electric VW models in China than anywhere else in the coming years.

Should VW offer more electric models in North America, or is the current crop of EVs just right for the demand present in this market? Let us know what you think in the comments below.