Volkswagen’s entry-level Jetta subbrand has priced its first product, the VS5 compact crossover, to be sold in China at a range of 89,800 yuan ($13,052) to 119,800 yuan.
It is the first time a German crossover’s starting price will be below 100,000 yuan, FAW-Volkswagen, Volkswagen Group’s joint venture with China FAW Group Corp., said this month.
The VS5, to arrive in the third quarter, will be assembled at FAW-VW’s plant in the southwest China city of Chengdu.
The vehicle was developed on VW’s MQB platform. It is 4,419 mm (174 inches) long, 1,841 mm wide and 1,616 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,630 mm.
The VS5 is powered by VW’s EA211 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. The engine is mated to VW’s MQ250 manual transmission or a six-speed automatic transmission provided by Japanese supplier Aisin Seiki.
Jetta, previously a volume model under the VW brand, was unveiled in February in Germany as a subbrand for China.
VW expects Jetta to capture market share in China’s entry-level segment, where 80 percent of customers are first-time car buyers.
Jetta displayed its first three products in March in Chengdu. The two other models are the VS7 -- a crossover slightly bigger than VS5 -- and the VA3 three-box compact sedan.
The three Jetta models were designed at VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. Like the VS5, the VS7 and VA3 will be built at FAW-VW's Chengdu plant. VW hasn’t disclosed further details about the VS7 and VA3.
The Jetta subbrand will have its own distribution network in China. FAW-VW, which also builds and markets vehicles for VW and Audi brands, plans to open more than 200 Jetta stores by year end.
