Image: VolkswagenThe base price is ¥10,000 lower than at the pre-sale launch at the end of March. The entry-level model, designated the 630km Pure, is available for ¥229,900 (approximately €28,600). The variant with a larger battery, named the 730km Ultra, starts at ¥249,900 (around €31,100), while the all-wheel-drive model, the 700km Max, is priced from ¥289,900 or €36,100.Volkswagen brings its first jointly developed China model to market at speed: the ID.UNYX 08, created with local tech partner Xpeng, moves from the 2023 cooperation agreement to start of production in under 24 months. Instead of a new architecture, VW taps Xpeng’s ‘Edward’ platform—the same underpinning used in the Xpeng G9.Much of the technology is sourced from Xpeng, but Volkswagen has given the ID.UNYX 08 its own design, tailored specifically for the Chinese market and distinct from previous ID. models. The ID.UNYX 08 measures five metres in length, 1.95 metres in width, 1.69 metres in height, and has a wheelbase of 3.03 metres.Between the axles sits a battery pack with LFP cells from CATL. The 82 kWh variant delivers a range of 630 kilometres under the Chinese CLTC standard, powered by a 230 kW electric motor on the rear axle. This motor also drives the 730km Ultra variant, which is paired with a 95 kWh battery. In the 700km Max, an additional 140 kW motor is installed on the front axle alongside the 230 kW rear motor, enabling the ID.UNYX 08 to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds—at least according to the manufacturer’s specifications.However, the components adopted from Xpeng extend beyond large parts of the drivetrain to include the computing architecture and hardware for the driver assistance systems. The ID.UNYX 08 is equipped with two so-called ‘Turing AI’ chips, high-performance processors developed by Xpeng and specialised for AI applications.Xpeng places significant emphasis on artificial intelligence in its development and software, particularly for driver assistance systems. The system in the ID.UNYX 08 achieves a computing power of 1,500 TOPS. The interior layout, featuring a driver display, central touchscreen, additional passenger display, and two easily accessible inductive charging pads for smartphones in the centre console, is also strongly reminiscent of the Xpeng G9.From Volkswagen’s business perspective, the ID.UNYX 08 is significant not only due to the collaboration with Xpeng. To streamline the distribution of the new model in China, VW has removed the existing sales barriers between its joint ventures. Typically, the activities of the three separate companies—FAW-Volkswagen, SAIC-Volkswagen, and Volkswagen Anhui (in partnership with JAC)—are strictly segregated. However, the ID.UNYX 08 will now also be sold at selected FAW-VW dealerships under a ‘shop-in-shop’ model.cnevpost.com, carnewschina.com