755 km of range, 5C charging, and just 26,000 euros: the Volkswagen electric car that Volkswagen is refusing to bring to Europe
Volkswagen has just introduced one of those vehicles that create a strange impression when looking at the brand’s European lineup. The new Volkswagen ID. UNYX 09 is a large electric sedan developed for the Chinese market, featuring technology that seemed reserved for local manufacturers and a price comparable to that of a basic electric Polo in Europe.
The model has just opened reservations in China and will hit the market at the end of October. Volkswagen Anhui, the company responsible for the project, has offered two configurations—one with a single motor and another with all-wheel drive—within a model that was also developed in just 24 months in collaboration with Xpeng.
A 5.08-meter Volkswagen with technology already making its way to Europe
The Volkswagen ID. UNYX 09 features a fastback body style, offering a much sportier look than typical for a sedan of these dimensions. It measures 5.08 meters in length, 1.98 meters in width, and between 1.51 and 1.53 meters in height, with a wheelbase of 3.03 meters. Thus, it is a large car but with a relatively low and sleek silhouette.
The front features high-definition matrix headlights capable of projecting various elements onto the road, including illuminated indicators and information about the car’s width. The LED lighting units can also be used to create a sort of “light carpet” that helps guide the driver at night. The tires are 21 inches in diameter and come equipped with Brembo brake calipers.
The interior adopts a much more technological philosophy than what we find in most of Volkswagen’s current European lineup. The ID. UNYX 09 features a large-scale augmented reality projection system, separate instrumentation, and a floating central screen with an AI-powered assistant. It also includes sporty seats with headrests and a clean-designed central console, offering wireless phone charging and hidden storage compartments.
But it is likely in electronics that this Volkswagen model makes the biggest differences. The ID. UNYX 09 uses the VLA driving assistance system developed in collaboration with Xpeng and is equipped with a Turing processor boasting 750 TOPS of computing power. The sensor suite consists of 26 elements and enables highway and city driving assistance functions, as well as assisted parking via artificial intelligence models.
Beneath the floor lies a 91,963 kWh battery using lithium-iron phosphate cells supplied by CATL. This battery pack is paired with two different propulsion systems. The single-motor version uses a rear unit of 230 kW, equivalent to around 313 horsepower, while the ID. UNYX 09 with all-wheel drive adds a front motor of 140 kW, resulting in a combined power output of 370 kW, or about 496 horsepower.
The announced range is 755 kilometers on CLTC cycles for the single-motor version and 705 kilometers for the all-wheel-drive model. Additionally, Volkswagen has equipped it with a dual-chamber Continental air suspension and, most importantly, a high-voltage electric architecture featuring ultra-fast 5C charging. Some industry sources claim it can charge from 10% to 80% in less than 12 minutes, a figure that places this model among China’s new generation of electric cars designed to significantly reduce stoppages during long trips.
Volkswagen UNYX 09 Price
This highlights one of the most striking features of the ID. UNYX 09. The starting price in China is 199,900 yuan, which is approximately 26,000 euros at the current exchange rate, while the version with two engines and all-wheel drive starts at 249,900 yuan, around 32,500 euros. These are pre-order prices for the Chinese market and obviously cannot be directly applied in Europe due to taxes, homologation, transportation costs, and commercial structures.
Nevertheless, they help provide context for what Volkswagen is offering in China. For that price, the ID. UNYX 09 comes with a body length of over five meters, a battery capacity of around 92 kWh, a CLTC range of up to 755 kilometers, 5C fast charging, air suspension, advanced driving assistance, and a power output of up to 370 kW.
Volkswagen has already confirmed during the launch of its strategy for China that the ID. UNYX 09 is part of a lineup developed specifically for that market. The company itself states that its new Chinese models combine locally developed technologies with Volkswagen Group’s global standards.
For now, Europe is excluded from this plan. And it is precisely this factor that makes the ID. UNYX 09 so interesting from our market perspective: while Volkswagen is developing its next generation of electric vehicles in Europe, it is already selling in China a car that features many of the technologies driving progress in the local industry.
The Volkswagen ID. UNYX 09 is not just a large electric sedan. It is also a clear example of how the brand’s strategy is changing in response to market demands. And looking at its sales figures, it’s hard not to wonder what would happen if Volkswagen decided to bring a similar model to Europe.