The Volkswagen Group wants to sell the Cupra Tavascan in China, the country where it is manufactured. The German group will manufacture and sell its electric SUV directly in the Dragon Country, but contrary to what you might think, it will do so not under the Cupra brand, but under a different crest.
Indeed, the Volkswagen Group plans to create a new brand designed only for the Chinese market and only for its electric vehicles. But why does the German manufacturer want to offer a new brand specifically for China?
Volkswagen in China is in trouble
The first part of the answer lies in the numbers. Volkswagen is losing market share in China and is trying to implement a strategy to reverse the trend. These activities include the launch of the new brand, which inaugurated the Tavascan, a model that is technically similar to the Volkswagen ID.5, the Skoda Enyaq Coupe and the other Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback. All these cars are based on the MEB platform.
According to preliminary information, this is a new brand “will respect the same values as Cupra”, that is, it will have a strong “lifestyle” tone and be aimed mainly at a young audience. The German group believes that with a dedicated brand, Tavascan will be able to better compete with brands like BYD or Nio.
The launch is planned for December
This is not the first time Volkswagen has conducted such an operation. In China in 2019, the German firm launched a kind of “sub-brand” called Jetta, referring to the sedan that was previously sold in Europe. This brand was supposedly intended for Volkswagen’s entry-level products sold in China. We have never seen such a color in Europe.
The reception of this “sub-brand” was rather mixed, just like Skoda: two companies failed to exceed 1% market share in China. Will this new brand, the name of which we do not know yet, be more successful?
The “Chinese” Tavascan will be produced at a new plant in Anhui province. Production will start in December and the company will also produce the Tavascan, this time under the Cupra logo, for the European market.
Source: Auto Plus
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