New vehicles in the 401st batch approved by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: The "Golden Badge Volkswagen" makes a desperate fight.
As 2025 nears its end and the Guangzhou Auto Show is just around the corner, according to common sense, the Chinese automotive market should liven up again. The price war and public - opinion war have been going on for almost a year. Facing the final sprint, who can let down their last guard and calmly wait for the bell to ring to mark the end of this year?
Based on the currently known information, it can be concluded that BYD and Geely will surely hold the titles of the champion and runner - up in the overall cumulative sales. Meanwhile, Chery and SAIC's industry status in the export business is also hard for others to reach for the time being. Among the joint - venture camps, due to their popular efforts in electrification transformation throughout the year, GAC Toyota, Dongfeng Nissan, and SAIC - GM are most likely to be the typical representatives of the upward - developing joint - venture camps.
However, those familiar with the Chinese automotive market know that, given the unabated intensity of competition, beneath this seemingly stable market pattern, there are surely undercurrents surging.
Yesterday, the 401st batch of new vehicle catalogs from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology was exposed. Compared with the previous batches, it has to be said that the significance of the new vehicles in this batch has indeed declined. But one thing is worth noting. Before the market situation and consumption trends for next year become completely clear, the new vehicles launched at this moment have certain guiding significance for automobile enterprises.
Without accident, after the market baptism in 2025, next year will surely be a year when leading automobile enterprises, or rather mainstream brands, can have a head - on confrontation without distractions.
Among the new - energy vehicle startups, only "NIO, XPeng, Li Auto, and Leapmotor" remain, and the traditional automobile enterprises that should be eliminated have been cleared out by the market. Technologically, when the national government tightened the communication on intelligent driving, the technological innovation centered on pragmatism has naturally put enterprises back on the same starting line. All these signs indicate that although the Chinese automotive market seems to have emerged from disorder, in fact, all Chinese automotive professionals are about to face a new battle.
Volkswagen Anhui can't wait any longer
This time, in the new vehicle catalog of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, it is estimated that some new products such as Yueyi 08, EXEED ET7, and Wuling Rongguang V can represent the development directions of their respective brands in the next stage. However, in the eyes of the outside world, no vehicle is more representative than the Yuzhong 08. Yes, that's right. It is the new - energy SUV Yuzhong 08 produced by Volkswagen Anhui.
Throughout this year, we've always been saying that the "awakening of joint - ventures" is a landmark event in the evolution of the automotive market. As a large number of weak joint - venture companies were forced to terminate their operations, for most people in the industry, the opponents faced by Chinese automobile enterprises are few. This means that in the face of the aggressive Chinese brands, 2025 is a crucial year to seriously test the strength of any foreign automobile enterprise that still wants to stay in China.
Since the beginning of the year, we've witnessed how aggressive the joint - venture automobile enterprises led by GAC Toyota have been in electrification.
Putting aside Toyota's strict selection of suppliers, GAC Toyota can implement product launches as much as possible according to the will of the Chinese side. From the bZ3X to the N7, when people were still marveling at the huge changes of GAC Toyota, Dongfeng Nissan immediately brought a pure - electric new vehicle full of Chinese characteristics into the market without reservation.
After that, Changan Mazda's EZ - 60 also followed in the footsteps of the EZ - 6. SAIC - GM, with its Yizhi L7, not only dug out the range - extender power technology that GM had shelved for a long time but also completed its rebirth by following the product logic most suitable for Chinese users.
As for Volkswagen, seeing its opponents making frequent moves, it naturally won't sit idle. As early as the Shanghai Auto Show in April this year, after testing the Chinese new - energy market with the ID.3/4/6, Volkswagen tried to launch a new round of product offensive through three globally premiered electric concept cars: FAW - Volkswagen ID. AURA, SAIC Volkswagen ID. ERA, and Volkswagen Anhui ID. EVO.
At that time, Thomas Schäfer, the CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand, said, "As shown by the three new concept cars, our 'in China, for China' strategy is achieving positive results. They will further consolidate our position as a leading international automotive brand in the Chinese market."
Stefan Mecha, the then - CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand in China, also actively responded, "We are shaping the future with highly competitive models. While bringing forward - looking designs and high - end technologies to the mainstream market, Volkswagen always adheres to the safety and high - quality standards represented by the brand."
The signals sent by these actions to FAW - Volkswagen and SAIC - Volkswagen are self - evident: in the Chinese new - energy vehicle market, they should go all out. However, from the perspective of Volkswagen Anhui, as the newest joint - venture member of Volkswagen in China, the pressure it bears is obvious.
From changing the name of ID. Yuzhong to "Yuzhong 06", to the Yuzhong 07 and Yuzhong 08 being listed in the 400th and 401st batches of new vehicle application catalogs of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the rhythm of Volkswagen Anhui's product arrangement is accelerating. However, as the trend shown by the market this year indicates, the "full awakening of joint - ventures becoming the norm" poses a great threat to any similar enterprise. Moreover, since the Yuzhong 06 can't be found on many sales lists, you tell me, isn't Volkswagen Anhui anxious?
In a few days, as a stage to preview the 2026 automotive market, the Guangzhou Auto Show is about to kick off. Whether Volkswagen Anhui will bring its new product lineup to the scene or not, from this moment on, as the leader of foreign brands, Volkswagen needs to keep up with all its opponents in promoting the products of its joint - venture companies.
Yuzhong 08 is not for enriching the product line
August 15, 2025, was an ordinary day, but for Volkswagen, it became another day that determined its fate. On this day, Volkswagen Group and XPeng Motors jointly announced that they would sign an agreement to expand the strategic cooperation on the electronic and electrical architecture technology. The application scope of the advanced electronic and electrical architecture jointly developed by the two sides will be extended from pure - electric vehicles to fuel - powered and plug - in hybrid vehicle platforms.
Since Volkswagen invested in XPeng in July 2023, although not much time has passed, from the jointly developed industry - leading electronic and electrical architecture to the present, it can be said that Volkswagen is not slower than Toyota, GM, etc. in promoting its localization strategy in China.
According to the newly signed joint - development agreement, regardless of when the jointly developed electronic and electrical architecture will be integrated into the fuel - powered and plug - in hybrid vehicle platforms to achieve platform - based application across different power forms, in fact, Volkswagen's future new - energy products will incorporate Chinese elements as much as possible.
Previously, we clearly know that the Yuzhong 06 is just another pure - electric SUV launched by Volkswagen Anhui on the Volkswagen MEB pure - electric platform. It is basically a sister model of the overseas - sold Volkswagen ID.5 and a rebadged version of the SEAT Cupra Tavascan. Naturally, this pure - electric SUV with a strong European flavor has suffered from the "acclimatization" in China.
Now, when the Yuzhong 08, derived from the ID. EVO concept car, is officially unveiled, Robert Cisek, the newly - appointed CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand in China, can't wait to post the official pictures of the Yuzhong 08 on his social platform. Everyone knows that, different from the ID. series, Volkswagen's most China - oriented new - energy product has finally arrived.
You may say that this new vehicle seems to have the shadow of XPeng models, but for most Chinese users, perhaps this is the new vehicle they want.
After all, according to the available information, this vehicle will be officially put into production at the Volkswagen (Anhui) factory in 2026. It will be equipped with L2++ - level assisted driving, support over - the - air (OTA) upgrades for the whole vehicle, and be powered by an 800V ultra - fast charging system, with a CLTC range of over 700 kilometers. Meanwhile, in terms of power, the data released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology shows that the Yuzhong 08 is equipped with a single - motor with a rated power of 110kW and a peak power of 230kW, paired with the more widely - accepted CATL lithium iron phosphate battery.
In this era, what are the standards for an excellent new - energy SUV?
Seeing that Chinese automobile enterprises are still constantly competing in technology, it's hard to give a specific answer. But for joint - venture automobile enterprises, any new vehicle advertised as being specially designed for the Chinese market can't do without the involvement of Chinese enterprises. Chinese enterprises like Momenta and Baidu, or complete - vehicle enterprises such as GAC, Dongfeng, and XPeng, as long as they can empower the products, it is believed that "co - development" is the best way for joint - ventures to promote new - energy vehicles.
Entering 2026, I believe that Volkswagen, like Toyota and GM, will become more China - oriented on the path of electrification transformation. The Yuzhong 08 relied on by Volkswagen Anhui will become the stepping - stone for it to enter the competitive core of the joint - venture new - energy vehicle market. It can be predicted that after converging with similar products such as the Nissan N8, the Chinese blood in the Yuzhong 08 will surely take effect. Especially when the Yuzhong 07 can't shoulder much of the sales mission of Volkswagen Anhui, Volkswagen Anhui must win this battle with the Yuzhong 08.
This article is from the WeChat official account "Automobile Commune" (ID: iAUTO2010). Author: Cao Jiadong. Republished by 36Kr with authorization.