Volkswagen Group used its Media Night ahead of the 2026 Beijing Auto Show to reveal four China-specific products: the ID. Aura T6 SUV from FAW-VW, the ID. Unyx 09 sedan co-developed with Xpeng, the production AUDI E7X SUV from SAIC, and the Jetta X Concept. Four reveals, four joint ventures, four drivetrain architectures, and a single strategy statement: VW Group has stopped trying to sell global platforms to Chinese buyers and is engineering China-only product with Chinese partners on Chinese timelines.
The ID. Aura T6 is the first production member of the ID. Aura family (the 2025 concept was a sedan, this one went SUV). Five-seat midsize BEV, split LED headlights, full-width rear light bar, regular door handles, built on the new CEA electrical architecture co-developed with Xpeng. The ID. Unyx 09 is the sedan sibling of the recently launched ID. Unyx 08, sharing the Xpeng-sourced electric powertrain and likely the CATL battery pack. Launch in H2 2026.
Skoda Is Out. Jetta Is The New Value Brand.
The Jetta X Concept is the one that tells the strategy. Priced at a rumored 100,000 yuan (14,700 USD) and built on the China-developed Compact Main Platform, it slots Jetta into the value tier that Skoda used to occupy before announcing its China exit last year. That is not a coincidence. VW Group is repositioning Jetta to fill the affordability gap Skoda created on its way out, and four NEVs are scheduled under the Jetta banner by 2028. The Jetta X itself is expected to reach production by FAW later this year.
The CEA electrical architecture is the through-line across the lineup. Built with Xpeng, it supports Level 2+ driving assistance, an integrated AI Intelligent Assistant, and a unified infotainment stack that finally lets VW Group products match the software expectations Chinese buyers now have of BYD and Xiaomi. The ID. Unyx pair and the ID. Aura T6 all ride on CEA. The Jetta X will likely not (given its cost target), but future Jetta NEVs almost certainly will.
The Audi E7X Is The Exception
Audi is keeping its own partnership, with SAIC, and the production E7X SUV is the second car in the AUDI sub-brand after the E5 Sportback. The E7X does not share the CEA architecture; it rides on SAIC-developed underpinnings instead. That split, with ID. products on Xpeng CEA and AUDI products on SAIC architecture, is deliberate. VW Group decided long ago that Audi needed a premium story distinct from Volkswagen's mainstream ID. range in China, and keeping the two on different platforms prevents the kind of badge-engineering blur that undid the Passat-Magotan era a decade ago.
VW plans to launch 20 new BEVs in China this year under the "In China, for China" strategy, with around 50 electrified models and 30 BEVs in the Chinese lineup by 2030. That is a commitment bigger than Ford's, Honda's, and Toyota's China BEV programs combined, and it is why VW Group is still treated as a credible Chinese-market player despite its Q1 2026 sales drop of 9.5 percent.
Beijing Auto Show press days start April 23 in the Capital International Exhibition Convention Center. Individual VW Group brand stands open the following day. The ID. Aura T6 and ID. Unyx 09 launch to Chinese dealers in H2 2026. AUDI E7X is already in production. Jetta X hits showrooms later in 2026 at a target price under 100,000 yuan.