Overview
- Volkswagen used Tuesday’s Beijing preview event to show four China-developed models and to outline an “agentic AI for all” rollout starting in the second half of 2026.
- The reveals included the ID. Aura T6 SUV on a new China electronic architecture, the ID. UNYX 09 sedan co-developed with Xpeng, a Jetta X concept previewing a value NEV line due to add four models by 2028, and the AUDI E7X SUV that introduces Level 3 automated driving in China.
- Volkswagen said its voice-first in‑car agents will run on the vehicle using a locally trained large language model that draws on tech from Tencent, Alibaba, and Baidu, with a single system planned next year to unify driver-assist and cockpit controls.
- Audi and SAIC confirmed an innovation and technology centre in Shanghai and four more AUDI models, advancing a China-only sub‑brand after the E5 Sportback stumbled with reported software bugs, air‑conditioning faults, sluggish driver‑assist, and emergency price cuts.
- The strategy leans on local partners and compute choices in China, with Volkswagen using Xpeng’s Turing chip and deepening ties with FAW and Horizon Robotics, as domestic brands that took about two-thirds of 2025 sales pressure foreign makers on speed, features, and price.