April 25, 2012 at 5:14pm by Sam Schembari
Another China-only car debuted at the Beijing auto show this week, although this one didn’t feature dragons or extra space between the wheels. Shanghai Volkswagen introduced the New Lavida to maintain its position on the top of the very competitive A-segment in China; this model’s predecessor has sold more than 700,000 units since its introduction in 2008.
Shanghai Volkswagen isn’t quite the same as Volkswagen. VW entered into a partnership with SAIC in 1984 as a way to negotiate China’s tight vehicle-importation restrictions. The relationship has proven very successful for both parties ever since.
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The New Lavida, which is more or less a Chinese Jetta (they share the same platform), will be offered with three different engine options and four trim levels, although no specifics were released. However, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Jetta’s new 1.8-liter turbo-four as an option.
Tags: 2012 Beijing auto show, Volkswagen, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen New Lavida |