'China makes us better,' says VW Group CEO

Volkswagen Group unveiled a new wave of electric and intelligent vehicles alongside an artificial intelligence roadmap at its media night on Tuesday, underscoring China's central role in the German automaker's global transformation.

The showcase featured four global premieres across multiple brands, all developed under the "in China, for China" strategy, with products tailored to local demand in areas such as design, digital cockpit services and advanced driver assistance systems.

"China is at the core of our transformation and a key driver of our global ambitions," Chief Executive Oliver Blume said. "China is not just a market for Volkswagen Group. China makes us better."

He recalled how the company set out to reshape itself three years ago amid intense competition in the Chinese market.

"China is like a fitness center for the automotive industry. We saw it. We embraced it. And we changed ourselves," Blume said.

Blume said the company is rolling out its largest ever electrification push in China, spanning battery electric, plug-in hybrid and extended-range vehicles.

Volkswagen plans to offer around 30 electrified models in the country by 2027, rising to 50 by 2030, including roughly 30 fully electric vehicles.

The product offensive is supported by Volkswagen's expanding local research and development capabilities, which increasingly allow for in-house development in China.

Its software and intelligent driving unit CARIZON has already delivered its first L2 advanced ADAS system, deployed with the production of the ID. UNYX 07 in late 2025.

The next phase will see broader rollout of full L2 capabilities, including navigation on autopilot in both urban and highway environments, as well as automated parking, across new models launching later this year.

Ralf Brandstaetter, Volkswagen Group's China chief, said the company has built an entirely new smart EV portfolio in just three years.

"Our 'in China, for China' strategy is now taking to the roads," he said, adding that the group will launch 20 smart electric vehicles in China this year alone.

Among the highlights, Volkswagen introduced the ID. AURA T6, a mid-size electric SUV developed with FAW-Volkswagen and built on the new China Electronic Architecture, enabling advanced L2 assisted driving and over-the-air updates.

Volkswagen Anhui showcased the near-production ID. UNYX 09, a five-meter electric sedan equipped with high-performance computing and an AI-based assistant.

The group is also expanding into China's entry-level new energy vehicle segment through the electrification of its JETTA sub-brand.

The JETTA X concept, unveiled at the event, previews a new design language and a broader push that will bring four NEV models to market by 2028.

Audi, meanwhile, presented the fully electric E7X SUV, developed under its China-specific AUDI brand in partnership with SAIC.

The model, based on a jointly developed platform, will offer up to 500 kW of output and is expected to introduce Level 3 automated driving capabilities—marking a first for Audi globally.

Beyond hardware, Volkswagen used the event to outline its next step toward what it calls "AI-defined vehicles," launching an "Agentic AI for All" roadmap.

Starting later this year, vehicles built on the CEA architecture will integrate an onboard AI agent powered by a locally trained large language model.

Unlike traditional voice assistants, the system is designed to interpret user intent, execute complex tasks across vehicle systems and respond through natural conversation, while keeping data processing within the vehicle.

The next-generation CEA 2.0 platform, planned for 2027, will further consolidate driving, cockpit and ecosystem functions into a unified computing architecture, supported by multiple coordinated AI agents.