VW ID. UNYX 09 opens for pre-sale in China
Volkswagen has launched pre-sales in China for a new electric sedan: the VW ID. UNYX 09 is built by Volkswagen Anhui, was jointly developed with partner Xpeng, and starts at 199,900 Yuan (~€26,000 Euro). As with VW's other China-only EVs to date, this model will not be coming to Europe.
The VW ID. UNYX 09 was first unveiled back in April ahead of Auto China in Beijing, initially as a near-production concept. In July, the certification application was then made public. Since then, we have known that the electric saloon measures 5.08 x 1.98 x 1.51 metres, with a wheelbase of 3.03 metres. However, Volkswagen itself does not refer to it as a saloon but as a GT coupé. This is likely due to its relatively high performance figures: the base rear-wheel-drive variant delivers up to 230 kW. Then, in the all-wheel-drive version, a second motor with 140 kW is added to the 230 kW rear motor, increasing the total output to 370 kW.
While battery details were missing at the time, we now know that the VW ID. UNYX 09 is equipped with an LFP battery from CATL, with a capacity of just under 92 kWh. Combined with rear-wheel drive, this delivers a range of 755 km according to CLTC or 612 km under the Western WLTP test cycle. With all-wheel drive, the range is 705 km CLTC (571 km WLTP).
The pre-sale price list for the rear-wheel-drive version starts at 199,900 yuan – approx. €26,000 euros. The all-wheel-drive version costs 50,000 yuan more, i.e., 249,900 yuan (~€33,000) – 30,000 yuan lower than that of the VW ID. UNYX 08 -an electric SUV introduced in April and the first production model to be jointly developed by VW and Xpeng.
Joint development with Xpeng
The new VW ID. UNYX 09 was also developed jointly with Xpeng, though not yet based on Volkswagen’s new China Electronic Architecture (CEA). Instead, the ID. UNYX 09 directly utilises the vehicle technology of the Chinese partner and is considered a technical relative of the Xpeng P7. Even with the ID. UNYX 08, Volkswagen had already adopted an Xpeng vehicle platform – specifically that of the G9 SUV – and further developed it for its own brand.
Accordingly, Xpeng’s technology is also evident in the vehicle’s interior: the VW ID. UNYX 09 uses Xpeng’s AI-powered Turing driving assistance chip, offering a computing power of 750 TOPS. Its sensor suite includes 11 cameras, 3 millimetre-wave radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors. Xpeng’s comprehensive VLA driving assistance system supports navigation with Autopilot (NOA) on motorways and in urban areas, as well as AI-assisted parking. Parking functions include driver-exit parking, remote-controlled parking, and reversing along a previously driven route.
The cockpit is digitally focused: one of the most striking features is an 85-inch head-up display with augmented reality. Volkswagen aims to provide coverage for three lanes as well as ground-level guidance. Additionally, there is a sound system with 20 speakers, among other features.
VW ID. UNYX 09 with “wolf-like aesthetics”
In designing the VW ID. UNYX 09, the designers focused on a “wolf-like aesthetic,” particularly at the front. This features high-resolution DLP matrix projection headlights and interactive LED units that project lane-keeping lines and vehicle width markings to enhance night-time safety. The vehicle also sports a wolf’s head emblem, which pays homage to the logo of the city of Wolfsburg—even though the car is genuinely Chinese. However, Wolfsburg appears to have cult status in China, and the wolf’s head logo “was designed with German precision and reimagined with Eastern symmetry aesthetics.”