- Volkswagen is adding a sub-brand to a sub-brand as part of its push into electric vehicles.
- The new sub-brand will be China-only and will be called ID.Unyx
- Volkswagen has launched a sub-brand in China called ID.UX
Volkswagen is launching a Sub-brand for China only under its ID EV sub-brand.
The automaker on Wednesday unveiled the ID.Unyx, which will include five electric models by 2026, starting with a hybrid coupe of the same name. They will be among 34 new models the automaker plans to launch globally by 2030, with a particular focus on China as it seeks to strengthen its position in the world’s largest auto market.
“Smart connected electric models like new ID.Unyx is key to attracting a young, lifestyle-oriented target group and retaining existing customers for the Volkswagen brand,” Stefan Mecha, head of the VW brand in China, said in a statement. However, Mecha did not explain why these new models needed to be part of a new sub-brand within the ID EV family and did not specify whether they would use the same MEB platform as other ID models.
Volkswagen ID.Unyx
VW has said that the first ID.Unyx model was developed at a new facility in Hefei, Chinaand will also be produced in that city. The styling is slightly different from other ID models, with sharp creases on the sides of the body, a ribbed hood, and intricate detailing on the front and rear bumpers.
The ID.Unyx crossover coupe will be offered with both a single-motor rear-wheel-drive and a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain, rated at 281 horsepower and 335 horsepower, respectively. A 77.0-kWh battery pack powers both powertrains. VW expects the single-motor models to achieve a range of 385 miles in CLTC testing.
The ID name dates back to 2016, when the original ID concept debuted at the Paris auto show. That concept previewed the ID.3 electric five-door hatchback will eventually debut in Europe as the first ID. VW has since released some combined numbers, with the ID.3 and ID.4 crossovers at the heart of its electric vehicle plans in the United States, and namelike the ID.Buzz truck—with the ID prefix.
Volkswagen ID.Unyx
But VW has sought to complement its global ID sub-brand with Electric cars exclusively for China. It previously announced another sub-brand for China, called ID.UX, with five models by 2027. At the 2024 Beijing auto show, it revealed a concept car called ID.Code with a design that is said to be more suitable to Chinese tastes.
VW is also developing at least one China-specific EV platform, called the China Master Platform (CMP), for launch in 2026 and is working with Chinese automaker Xpeng on EV development. In addition to existing joint ventures with local automakers SAIC and FAW, which were established under government policy requiring foreign automakers to partner with local companies.
