Volkswagen may bring the ID. UNYX 09 to Europe. The Chinese SUV is also on the list.
Volkswagen is considering bringing to Europe cars developed for the Chinese market, said Thomas Schäfer during the Paris Motor Show. The manufacturer could start with limited imports to gauge interest without initiating local production.
Volkswagen’s brand head admitted in an interview with Autocar that the company is preparing to introduce one or several such models. However, he did not specify the final candidates, timelines, or the number of vehicles intended for Europe.
ID. AURA T6 and ID. UNYX 09 on the shortlist
The ID. AURA T6 uses the China Electronic Architecture, developed jointly by Volkswagen and XPeng. The Xingyun driving assistance system is provided by Carizon, a company affiliated with Volkswagen, and Horizon Robotics. The Journey 6H computer system supports the NOA function, which enables highway driving on designated routes, as well as an urban driving assistant.
The larger and more impressive model is the UNYX 09, whose pre-sale in China began on September 24. This electric fastback measures 5081 mm in length, 1980 mm in width, 1509 mm in height, and boasts an impressive wheelbase of 3030 mm.
The vehicle is equipped with XPeng’s Turing AI processor, offering 750 TOPS of computing power. It features a set of 26 sensors including a lidar, and its VLA system is designed to handle route navigation both in urban areas and on highways. It remains a driver-assistance system rather than a fully autonomous vehicle.
Volkswagen wants to leverage Chinese developments in Europe as well
This import strategy is driven not only by gaps in Europe’s current lineup. Volkswagen can utilize vehicles, platforms, and software for which it has already invested alongside Chinese partners. This reduces duplicate R&D costs and shortens the time from concept to showroom.
The scale of Volkswagen’s China plan is large. The company has announced 13 new electrified models by 2026, including BEVs, plug-in hybrids, and EREV vehicles with a combustion engine acting as a generator. By 2029, this number is set to exceed 30, with these models accounting for over half of the brand’s offerings in China by 2027.
Schäfer emphasized that models developed in China are intended to complement the European lineup rather than replace it. It remains unclear which vehicles will actually be introduced, how much they will cost, and whether Volkswagen will eventually move their production to Europe. For now, there is a direction, but no final product decision has been made.
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