At its Media Night before Auto China 2026, the Volkswagen Group unveiled a refreshed model portfolio with four global premieres. The show launches are part of its largest-ever electrification push in China, which starts this year, spanning battery electric, plug-in hybrid, and extended-range vehicles. The Group said it will offer about 30 electrified models by 2027 and 50 by 2030, including as many as 30 all-electric vehicles.
The automaker said its new lineup is driven by its ‘in China, for China’ strategy, under which each new vehicle, from design and digital cockpit services to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), is tailored specifically for Chinese customers. The company also launched its agentic AI for All roadmap, which is built on VW’s new, scalable China Electronic Architecture (CEA) and will integrate intelligent driving and cockpit features into a single, unified operating system for all vehicle types.
“China is at the core of our transformation and a key driver of our global ambitions,” said Oliver Blume, CEO of the Volkswagen Group. “The products and technologies we are highlighting at China Auto 2026 are strong proof points of how far we have come with our fully localized strategy. It is a defining milestone on our journey to becoming the ‘Global Automotive Tech Driver.’”
The new concepts revealed by Volkswagen Group are the ID. Unyx 09, which the company said will be co-developed with Xpeng within 24 months; the ID. Aura T6, built on the locally developed China Electronic Architecture (CEA) with an ADAS solution from Carizon, the JV between Cariad and Horizon Robotics; and the Jetta X, the new all-electric show car for the smart entry segment. The automaker also revealed the exterior of the China-exclusive AUDI brand’s second serial production car, the E7X.
“Our ‘in China, for China’ strategy is now taking to the roads,” added Ralf Brandstätter, Board of Management Member, Volkswagen AG for China and Chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group China. “In just 36 months, the Volkswagen Group has developed a completely new product portfolio for smart electric vehicles in China. This year alone, we will launch 20 new smart electric vehicles onto the market. With state-of-the-art electrical architectures, ADAS systems, an intelligent cockpit and AI features, we are fulfilling all the key demands of our Chinese customers. The numerous premieres from our brands at the Beijing Motor Show underscore the speed and rigor of our transformation.”
Following last year’s launch of the all-electric AUDI E5 Sportback crossover, the brand’s E7X made its debut at Auto China 2026. It’s the second production model and first SUV developed from the China-exclusive AUDI brand, and it carries premium features inside and out, compared to its VW-branded relatives, including quattro all-wheel drive. Two powertrain variants are planned, with system outputs of 300 and 500 kW, respectively.
The E7X marks the brand’s entrance into China’s large SUV segment. Based on the Advanced Digitized Platform jointly developed with SAIC, the company says its new electric models are intelligent, connected vehicles designed to complement the global brand’s portfolio in China. Volkswagen Group also said Level 3 automated driving capabilities are planned to be introduced on the E7X, marking the global debut of this technology for Audi.
Ambilight, a developer of electrochromic technologies for the automotive industry and other markets, recently revealed that the E7X will feature its latest electrochromic smart-dimming panoramic roof, integrated with a 96-RGB LED starlight matrix system. The supplier said its new system transitions seamlessly from open-sky transparency to a starlit atmosphere, supporting a more immersive cabin environment. It also supplies its EC smart dimming technology on the Audi E5 Sportback, which was introduced in 2025, as part of AUDI’s exploration of adaptive in-cabin experiences, enabling dynamic control of light and visual comfort across different driving environments.
The ID. Aura T6 from FAW-Volkswagen, the inaugural model of its all-new ID. Aura series is an all-electric mid-size SUV built specifically for the competitive market in China. As a cornerstone model for the brand, it is built on the China Electronic Architecture developed with Xpeng, enabling features such as advanced L2 assisted driving and continuous OTA (over-the-air) updates. Exterior design highlights include split headlights, door handles that are semi-hidden, an illuminated VW logo on the front grille, and a full-width light bar in the rear.
The close-to-production ID. Unyx 09 is from Volkswagen Anhui, a joint venture between Volkswagen and JAC Motors. It’s a sleek, 197 in (5004 mm) long all-electric sedan that doesn’t look like a typical Volkswagen offering, with sportier lines and visual cues like blacked-out A-pillars. It also combines intelligent technologies, including advanced L2 driving assistance, with high-performance computing and an intuitive AI assistant.
In an effort by Volkswagen to expand its presence in the rapidly growing entry-level new energy vehicle (NEV) market in China, the company plans to electrify the Jetta sub-brand, which was created to sell affordable vehicles in China. To that end, the X concept car was unveiled to introduce Jetta’s new Modern Robust design language. Details about the model are limited, but the vehicle is a rugged, four-door, compact electric SUV. According to VW, four NEV models will be available under the Jetta brand by 2028, with the first model arriving in the market this year.
At a media event in Beijing, Volkswagen Group outlined its next major step toward the AI-defined vehicle era in China, which it calls its “Agentic AI for All” roadmap.
“After e-mobility for all and ADAS for all, we are now introducing Agentic AI for all,” said Blume. “Starting this year, our in-car AI Agent will begin coming to our locally developed cars. With this step, the Volkswagen Group is the first global automaker to deploy agentic AI across an entire vehicle portfolio in China at scale.”
Starting in the second half of this year, all vehicles built on the CEA will feature an onboard AI agent that incorporates a locally trained LLM (large language model) as its natural language interface. Unlike a simple voice assistant that reacts to specific commands, an agentic AI proactively understands user intent, executes complex actions, and makes contextual decisions to achieve a goal through natural conversation. The system runs entirely onboard and ensures that personal information never leaves the vehicle, which Volkswagen said fully aligns with its stringent data privacy and security standards.
The company’s planned next-generation CEA 2.0 architecture, scheduled to launch in 2027, will unify intelligent driving and cockpit experience onto a more powerful central computing platform. This upgraded foundation will enable efficient vehicle operation through a multi-agent AI system, which will consist of coordinated agents for driving, cockpit experience, and ecosystem services, marking Volkswagen Group’s next major step in China toward the AI-defined vehicle era.
