By Justin Berkowitz
April 21, 2008 - 2,541 views
VW's Lavida Chinese-developed sedan looks about as exciting as a postage stamp (apologies to philatelist pistonheads). Worse, the car's interior lacks VW's trademark style and quality, what with the world's worst fake wood trim (excluding the press-on plastic wood from the '60's). Never mind. Based on the VW MkIV Jetta/Golf platform, the Lavida will be cheap as chips to build. The selling price is a rumored 150k - 190k RMB ($21k to $27k). Talk about product overlap: China's version of the current MkV Jetta sells for 120k - 180k RMB. So, dollar for dollar, yuan for yuan, Lavida or a Jetta? Meanwhile, if VW could bring a lightly-contented version of this car to the US for say $10k - $15k, even if it had only 120 horses, it'd be a huge hit for a company that's abandoned its cheap and cheerful brand reputation stateside. It could happen…
Pixamo gallery includes the press photos and live pictures from the Beijing Auto Show.
Subscribe to New Content Alerts9 Responses to “ Lavida Loca? VW Reveals First China-Developed Car ”
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POWERED
April 21st, 2008 at 9:48 am
This makes the Impala look cool.
April 21st, 2008 at 9:54 am
Wow, add a fake chrome vertical “grill” on the front fenders, change the grill to the Ford-grill-of-the-day and you’ve got a Fu- whoops I mean, Focus.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:14 am
That might not be a bad idea to bring a cheaper car here.
I looked at a VW Rabbit 4-door but wound up getting a Civic SI Sedan because they cost essentially the same (and the GTI was about $5000 more than the SI, while being nowhere near as much fun).
VW NEEDS to bring cheaper cars here, the currency difference is killing them.
April 21st, 2008 at 10:24 am
Ew. Looks like a Focus and a Sebring collided with a VW logo simultaneously and this is the end result.
April 21st, 2008 at 11:09 am
You got your Kia Spectra in my VW Jetta!
April 21st, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Lavida = La Vida?
April 21st, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I’m stupid. Didn’t read the post. Sorry.
April 21st, 2008 at 5:35 pm
@ cretinx
Ummm, Rabbit 4 door starts at $17,575. GTI starts at $22,800, SI 4 door starts at $21,310, explain to me again how this is a $5,000 difference??
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:40 am
Rabbit 5-doors were selling for $19,000-$20,000
I got my SI down to $20,000
GTIs were selling for $25,000
There’s a difference between what the manufacturer’s website lists the car’s price as, and what they come to the lots equipped with and the dealer asks for.
And, at the end of the day, the SI was a dynamically superior vehicle to the GTI - which is fantastic. My wife can drive it with the baby seat all week and I can autocross it on Saturday.