Volkswagen Anhui, the joint venture that Volkswagen Group runs with its Chinese partners, opened pre-sales for its new ID. UNYX 09 electric fastback on September 24, with prices starting at 199,000 yuan (about $28,000). The car rolled off the line at the company's plant in Hefei, Anhui province, the same day. According to PCauto, the Chinese automotive news outlet, the company plans to officially launch the model on October 24, after a month-long pre-sale period.
The ID. UNYX 09 is a sleek, battery-electric (BEV) fastback that Volkswagen Anhui positions as a design-led product. Executives told PCauto that the car's styling has drawn comparisons with Bugatti and Lamborghini on Chinese social media, and that it received the strongest response among more than ten concept cars shown at Volkswagen Group's media night in Beijing in April. The company deliberately avoided discussing technical specifications in its initial marketing, focusing instead on design, handling and technology aesthetics.
During a media interview after the launch event, Liu Zhanshu, CEO of Volkswagen Anhui's digital sales and service arm, and Li Pengcheng, the company's chief marketing officer, addressed pricing strategy, sales performance, and the company's partnership with Xpeng. Liu said the pre-sale price is a way to gauge market feedback before setting the final price, which will be announced in late October. He noted that the ID. UNYX 09 is significantly larger than the ID. UNYX 08, which launched earlier.
Sales and brand awareness
Liu disclosed that Volkswagen Anhui sold an average of 2,200 to 2,500 vehicles per month between May and July, ranking around 20th among China's new-energy vehicle startups. Monthly growth reached 100% to 170% during that period. However, August deliveries were hit by a chip shortage, and production of the ID. UNYX 07 only fully resumed on September 20. The company is now working to catch up on deliveries, Liu said.
He also admitted that the brand's awareness in China is below 10%, compared with over 90% for Tesla. "We are Volkswagen, a company nearly 100 years old, but within it we are a three-year-old baby," Liu said, referring to the joint venture's relatively short history. He said the company will continue to publish monthly sales figures, calling it a "double-edged sword" but necessary to prove its existence.
On the company's partnership with Xpeng, Liu described it as mutually beneficial: Volkswagen gains intelligent driving expertise, while Xpeng benefits from Volkswagen's experience in chassis tuning, supplier management and quality control. He said the ID. UNYX 08 Hunter Edition already uses Xpeng's VLA 2.0 advanced driver assistance system, which Li said he tested over hundreds of kilometers in Hefei, including a 50-kilometer stretch from the airport without any takeover.
Expansion plans and product pipeline
Volkswagen Anhui's dealership network is expanding rapidly, with plans to have at least 300 stores by next year, according to Liu. The company uses a mix of direct sales and agency models, avoiding inventory pressure, and has begun experimenting with "store-in-store" arrangements inside FAW-Volkswagen dealerships, with about ten such locations already operating. For after-sales service, the company relies on third-party certified service providers and mobile service units.
The ID. UNYX 09 uses a 5C battery from Volkswagen's own battery plant, while the ID. UNYX 06 and 07 are built on the company's self-developed CEA architecture. The smart driving system supports both camera-based and lidar-based approaches. Liu described this as part of the company's "In China, for China" strategy, with a focus on vertical integration.
With the ID. UNYX 06, 07, 08 and 09 now all revealed, Liu said the company has completed about 75% of its product plan, with the remaining 25% to be announced later. He also mentioned that the company is offering compensation to early buyers of the ID. UNYX 08 after a price adjustment, even though it was not contractually required. Liu, who previously worked at startups, said he recently read the Tao Te Ching and was most struck by the concept of "selflessness," adding: "I don't believe in slogans or miracles, only in down-to-earth work."
