Could it get any more relaxed? Our test driver experiences first-hand the comforts the ID.Era 9X offers its passengers. Thomas Geiger/dpaSometimes just a few minutes behind the wheel of a Volkswagen sold in China are enough to raise some uncomfortable questions.Why does this VW drive further and charge faster than all the others? And why is its technology more sophisticated than that found in an Audi?The car offers more luxury than a Bentley and costs less than a Skoda to buy. And then comes the biggest question of all: Why are these models not being sold on VW's home turf?AdvertisementAdvertisementSadly the answers to these questions are not currently to be found in the corridors of power at VW headquarters in the German city of Wolfsburg, but in China.In the battle to regain lost market share in China, VW has just launched the ID.Era 9X and the ID.Unyx 08, two cars that add an exciting new dimension to the brand's image.While Germany celebrates the possible rebirth of the "people's car" with models like the ID.Polo, over in China they are taking high-tech, digitalisation and luxury to a whole new level albeit with a little help from SAIC.From the outside the two SUVs look like messengers from another planet. The ID.Unyx 08, just under five metres long, features sharply defined surfaces, narrow light signatures and a front end reminiscent of a concept car – right down to the re-imagined Wolfsburg symbol serving as a brake light.AdvertisementAdvertisementEven more imposing is the ID.Era 9X. At 5.21 metres long, it towers over even the previous Touareg. Nevertheless, this colossus looks surprisingly elegant. From certain angles, it even brings to mind a current Range Rover.Inside, too, the two Chinese VW models stand apart from their European counterparts. Whilst the Wolfsburg-built models are re-introducing buttons and familiar control concepts here, over there huge screens, high-resolution graphics and artificial intelligence dominate. The Unyx feels like a smartphone on wheels, whilst the Era is more like a rolling business-class lounge.In the Unyx, a vast display landscape spans the cockpit. The menus respond in a flash, a digital avatar guides the occupants through their daily routine and there is plenty of space and comfortable lounge chairs.The Era takes things a step further. The second row features spacious individual seats with a reclining function, a large screen folds down from the roof and numerous comfort features are designed to make long journeys more pleasant.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe centre console can cool down to below zero degrees or heat up a bowl of noodle soup at the touch of a button, while touchscreens are concealed behind what appear to be wooden trim strips.But it is under the bonnet where things get really exciting. The Unyx is the first Volkswagen ever to use a modern 800-volt architecture. With a charging power of up to 315 kW and enough energy for a range of around 150 kilometres, it can be charged within five minutes.The batteries have a capacity of 82 or 95 kWh and that enables ranges of up to 730 kilometres, according to Chinese measurement standards. This puts the Unyx in a league that has so far been the preserve of Audi, Porsche and Chinese premium manufacturers.Even more impressive, however, is the digital intelligence. The NOA ("Navigation on Autopilot") assistance system takes over large parts of the driving task, stays in lane, changes carriageways and navigates through traffic with astonishing confidence, while the driver merely holds the steering wheel as a formality.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhat is still a distant dream in many parts of Europe is already taken for granted here.This also changes the driving experience. Behind the wheel, you go from being the driver to more of a passenger with the car often in charge. At first, you might view the amassed electronics with some scepticism, but confidence grows with every kilometre.At the same time, the Unyx offers a relaxed drive: the suspension is comfortable, the steering is light and the noise insulation is impressive. Sportiness is not the main focus here. It is all about calm and composure.The Era makes an even greater impression. You would expect a 5.21-metre-long SUV weighing around 2.7 tonnes to feel cumbersome. Yet the opposite is true. The camera-controlled dual-chamber air suspension scans the road and almost completely smooths out the effects of even the worst road surfaces.AdvertisementAdvertisementRather than an SUV, the Era drives more like a luxurious saloon, evoking memories of the now defunct VW Phaeton limousine. Added to this is the rear-axle steering.It noticeably reduces the turning circle and gives this giant astonishing manoeuvrability. Even in the heavy traffic of China's megacities, the large Volkswagen feels significantly smaller than its dimensions would suggest.VW is also breaking new ground when it comes to the powertrain. While the German manufacturer is focusing on pure electric cars and plug-in hybrids in Europe, it is fitting a range extender in China for the first time. The wheels are driven exclusively by electricity, with a 1.5-litre petrol engine serving solely as a generator.For the driver, the 9X feels like an electric car at all times. Power is instantly available, the drivetrain operates almost silently and the combustion engine remains discreetly in the background.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe only difference is that the combination of a 65-kWh battery and a 59-litre fuel tank delivers an almost unbelievable range of 1,651 kilometres.And whatever NOA can do with the Unyx, it can of course do with the Era too – right down to automatic parking. Even when the driver has long since got out and is already enjoying a noodle soup at the roadside snack bar.The prices are at least as astonishing as the technology. The ID.Unyx 08, developed in collaboration with Xpeng, starts at the equivalent of just under €30,000.The significantly larger and more luxurious ID.Era 9X, which was developed with the help of SAIC, is available from around €38,000. Compared with the €40,580 entry-level price for an ID.4 or the Tiguan, which starts at €39,175 euros, such prices seem almost surreal to European VW customers.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdmittedly, both models are likely to remain exclusively for the Chinese market in the long term, even though many VW managers would like to see at least the Era available in Europe as well.Nevertheless, it is worth keeping a watchful eye on developments in China. There are many indications that at least some of the technology will eventually make its way to Europe.VW will find it hard to avoid 800-volt platforms in future, and highly automated driving in the European Union just needs the green light from Brussels. And even the concept of the range extender is currently enjoying a surprising resurgence.That is why the ID.Unyx 08 and the ID.Era 9X are far more than just two new Chinese SUVs that are fuelling our envy by offering an unusually high level of specification for surprisingly little money.They demonstrate what Volkswagen is already capable of technically today – and offer a glimpse of what customers in Europe and elsewhere might also be able to look forward to in the coming years.Clean and very modern: Large screens are a central feature of the ID.Era 9X's cockpit too. Thomas Geiger/dpaThe ID.Unyx 08 can sprint from zero to 100 in just under five seconds. Volkswagen/dpaThe manufacturer claims the ID.Unyx 08 can travel over 700 kilometres on a single charge. Volkswagen/dpaThe ID.Unyx 08 offers up to 1,845 litres of boot space. Volkswagen/dpaAdvertisementAdvertisementThe ID.Era 9X, which is around 5.21 metres long, offers a highly comfortable ride, thanks in part to its air suspension. Volkswagen/dpaA modern lounge style is what VW is going for with the interior of the ID.Unyx 08. Volkswagen/dpaAt 5.21 metres long, the ID.Era 9X towers over even the previous VW Touareg. Nevertheless, this colossus looks surprisingly elegant. From certain angles, it even brings to mind a current Range Rover. Thomas Geiger/dpa