Volkswagen Brand Drives SUV Strategy In China Further Forward And Creates Complete Offer For All Classes

November 16, 2018 by Volkswagen

•Presenting the new Tayron1) and Tharu2) at the Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition

•Product portfolio in China continuously expanded: 12 SUV model series by 2020

Wolfsburg (D)/Guangzhou (CN) – As a run-up to this year's Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition, the Volkswagen brand presented its SUV model series for the Chinese market. Auto-China Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition is one of China's largest international auto shows. As part of its Chinese 'Move Forward' brand initiative, Volkswagen is energising not only its brand, but also its products. The current Chinese SUV family, consisting of six models, is a good example of this: The currently available models Tiguan and Teramont3) and the new generation of the top-of-the-line Touareg will be joined this year on the Chinese market by three completely new SUV models: T-Roc, Tayron and Tharu.

Stephan Wöllenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Brand China: 'By 2020, we will double our SUV family from six to at least 12 SUV model series. In each of our joint ventures – FAW Volkswagen and SAIC VOLKSWAGEN – we will offer a complete palette of SUV models for every taste, from compact to extra roomy, highly stylish to highly functional, from powerful design to premium equipment.'

In spring of this year, as part of the world premiere of the new Touareg in Beijing, Volkswagen offered a sneak peek at the SUVs Tayron and Tharu. At the end of October, Volkswagen introduced the market to the Tayron from FAW Volkswagen. The name is a melding of the words 'tiger' and 'iron' and reflects the powerful design of the new SUV. The Tayron is based on the modular transverse matrix and was designed for China's middle- to upper- class SUV market.

Designating it as a 'Powerful Family SUV' the brand previewed the Tharu, produced by the joint venture partner SAIC Volkswagen. The Tharu is 4,453 mm long, 1,841 mm wide and 1,632 mm tall, starting it in the compact class. Its wheelbase is 2,680 mm. The Tharu also offers expansive storage space, with a luggage compartment of 455 litres which can be increased to up to 1,542 litres when the bench seat is folded down.

The Chinese version of the T-Roc from FAW Volkswagen has been available since summer. It distinguishes itself with a wheelbase extended by 85 mm as compared with the European model.

Volkswagen is also presenting the new T-Cross4) in Guangzhou. An SUV for urban environments, it celebrated its world premiere just two and a half weeks ago in Shanghai, Amsterdam and São Paulo. Stephan Wöllenstein continued: 'In 2019, Volkswagen will bring three additional captivating SUV models to the Chinese market, including T-Cross in the spring from SAIC VOLKSWAGEN.'

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1)2)3) – The vehicle is not sold in Germany.

4) – The vehicle has not yet gone on sale in Germany.

About the Volkswagen brand: 'We make the future real'

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand is present in more than 150 markets throughout the world and produces vehicles at over 50 locations in 14 countries. In 2017, Volkswagen delivered 6.23 million vehicles, including bestselling models such as the Golf, Tiguan, Jetta or Passat. Currently, 198,000 people work for Volkswagen across the globe. The brand also has over 7,700 dealerships with 74,000 employees.

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