Three concepts, three partners, one market – China. But despite all the excitement, a bitter aftertaste remains: is this a sign of innovation or capitulation to the global dominance of the Asian market? Has Volkswagen completely lost its compass and surrendered to internal negative selection.
Welcome to a new era in the automotive industry, where concepts are no longer just experimental boxes with LED lighting, but serious predictions of production models. Volkswagen showed three such candidates in Shanghai – the ID. Era, the ID. Evo and the ID. Aura – and all of them are designed exclusively for the Chinese market. And this is no coincidence.
Although the designs appear polished, technology is promising and concepts clearly target specific users, we can't help but feel that Volkswagen strategy “In China, for China” is not so much a manifesto of adaptability as a nod to geopolitical and economic reality: China sets the pace, Europe follows.
Three models, three partners – one too specific direction?
ID. Era, an SUV with a range extender. ID. Evo, a trendy SUV for young people. ID. Aura, a compact sedan with humanoid AI. Each is designed for a specific niche of Chinese users. Which of course sounds great – if you’re a Chinese buyer.
But this is where the problem lies: Isn't the fundamental advantage of big car brands precisely in their ability to develop one model that works globally? Icons like the Golf, Passat or Polo were successful precisely because they suited everyone - not just one specific demographic in one market.
Breaking down a strategy into individual national sub-genres seems smart at first glance, but it is completely at odds with the basic logic of economies of scale, where unification, production optimization, and global usability are what matter most. Smart companies develop universal products and then only adjust the little things – rather than starting over with each model.
VW models introduced for the Chinese market:
ID. Era: Electric SUV with a petrol savior
If you think an electric SUV with a petrol engine is a step back in time, you're right. The ID. Era, developed together with SAIC Volkswagen, is really big – room for three rows of seats and enough luggage space for an entire generation of TikTok stars. But there's also an interesting technical solution: an electric drive with an additional petrol engine as a range extender. Total range? 1,000 kilometers. Or in other words: more than enough to get you out of town and beyond.
ID. Evo: For those who love electricity, speed and Instagram
Volkswagen Anhui has taken the reins with the ID. Evo, an SUV for the young, urban, dynamic – and tech-obsessed. An 800-volt platform, a digital architecture that enables OTA (over-the-air) updates, and a minimalist-cosmic design that screams: “Look at me!” If cars are the new fashion, the Evo is electric haute couture.
ID. Aura: When the sedan talks to you
At first glance, perhaps the least striking of the three, but the ID. Aura hides the most surprises. A compact sedan developed with FAW-Volkswagen, which uses the new CMP platform. But beware: it is the first VW with a humanoid AI assistant. Yes, you read that right. A car that understands you. Maybe even better than your partner.
The interior is a mix of smartphone and lounge space: a digital interface designed with the user experience we expect from Apple, not the German automotive giant, in mind.
When “local adaptation” becomes an excuse for losing global identity
Volkswagen representatives are impressed by the speed of development (the first production models in just 34 months!), but the question arises whether they have lost something else in all this haste - direction.
Is the strategic focus still on global quality and innovation, or is it now just following the biggest customer? Will European and American buyers have to settle for the “by-products” of the Chinese vision?
Conclusion: Lots of rush, little consistency
Volkswagen promises more than 30 new models by 2027. But if each is designed for just one market, we will soon see a catalog that looks like Netflix – too much of everything, nothing truly great.
Perhaps it's time for the German giant to ask itself again: should the future really be market-led, or should it be dictated by innovation? A smarter strategy would be to develop one great electric car that impresses in Shanghai, New York and Berlin at the same time. Not three mediocre ones, each for its own region.
We cannot deny Volkswagen's ambitions and the technical sophistication of its concepts. But we can ask: are all these forces moving in the right direction?
If you want, I can add a graphic element with the main highlights or infographics to this article.
