Beijing 2008: Volkswagen Lavida meets its home audience
by Alex Nunez on Apr 21st 2008 at 4:29PM 
Click above for high-res gallery of the VW Lavida for China
Shanghai Volkswagen developed the new VW Lavida in China, for China. Now it's made its big debut before the home-market audience in Beijing. Stylistically, the made-in-China design looks oddly dated, quite frankly. The petal-shaped head- and taillamps look like something you might find on a 1990's Korean import and not a newly-minted VW, regardless of origin.
The Lavida's positioned below the new VW Bora (also introduced in Beijing), with a shorter overall length (around 3 inches) but an identical wheelbase, so passenger comfort should be around the same as the larger car. The interior is a blend of familiar VW partsbin stuff with elements that just seem a little odd-looking in a VeeDub, like the silver audio head unit and the silver HVAC knobs set against a healthy dose of woodgrain trim. Power comes from 4-cylinder engines displacing 1.6L or 2.0L, with a six-speed Tiptronic available to handle shifting duties. It may be all-new, but it's also pretty boring.
Gallery: Volkswagen Lavida
All photos Copyright ©2008 Bin Chen / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Autoblog Chinese]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jgp 4:34PM (4/21/2008)
This should have been the Jetta Mk.V, not the current fugly thing we get as the Jetta Mk.V.
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Jordan 4:42PM (4/21/2008)
Are you effing serious?
The MkV Jetta we have is leaps and bounds better than this POS! The MkV Jetta's front end looks great, it is the rear end that looks like a Corolla where the design falters. And the interior on our MkV Jetta can hold a candle up to an Audi A3/4. This interior couldn't hold a candle up to a Kia Accent. The reviewer is right when he states this car looks seriously dated and the interior isn't typical VeeDub.
Ross 4:51PM (4/21/2008)
@ Jordan....
I think it's a Hyundai Accent...but I may be mistaken.
Sam 4:59PM (4/21/2008)
I agree with Jordan, the new Jetta doesn't hit a homerun with it's design, mostly because we expected a vw design, not a vw with a hint of toyota design. This thing looks like it should have been a Toyota. Maybe it's the kind of design the chinese are looking for.
jgp 5:20PM (4/21/2008)
Honestly, I haven't looked at the Lavida's interior pictures; I was just talking about the exterior.
The only Mk.V Jetta with a decent grill is the GLI. The base grill is hideous; they should have given it the Rabbit grill instead. The roofline is hideous. The C-pillar is hideous. The combination of high belt line and featureless doors is hideous. Most cars have rub strips to disguise how tall the doors are; the Lavina uses side streaks for the same purpose. Both are better than having flat, featureless, tall doors.
For the record, I loved the Mk.IV Jetta. The Mk.V is one of the biggest automotive disappointments ever; it's up there with the 1995 Maxima, 1996 Taurus, and 2000 Eclipse.
info 5:24PM (4/21/2008)
The MkV Jetta we have is leaps and bounds better than this POS!
This car has barely been introduced and you know already that it is a POS. Do you even realize how ridiculous you sound?
jgp 5:28PM (4/21/2008)
All I know is that the Mk.V Jetta is one of the ugliest cars in its class. The Lavina looks far, far better. The only thing on the Lavina's exterior I'm not fond of is the rear end, but I'll take a strange rear end over a car that's almost entirely fugly.
Sam 5:00PM (4/21/2008)
did i use the word "design" too often?
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joe23521 5:06PM (4/21/2008)
Worst looking VW in a long time. Looks like a Chevota.
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eddy 5:28PM (4/21/2008)
A long golf 5 based Volkswagen for china for a price of about 11.000 € is not bad at all. This car replaces the old VW Santana (a 1970s design). So this is a really big leap ahead in the Chinese market.
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Cire 5:52PM (4/21/2008)
I think VW has lost its way quite of bit with their exterior styling. I know their ultimate goal is to challenge Toyota in worldwide sales, but they must not abandon their German heritage to accomplish this goal. What they need to try to do is offer German style and engineering to the mainstream market in an attempt to reach their lofty proposed sales goals (in addition to fixing their quality/reliability issues). The current Jetta/Bora and Lavida suffer from appearing as German/Asian hybrid designs (Jetta-Toyota and Lavida-Hyundai/Kia) instead of designs that proudly declare VW's German heritage.
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Chris 5:58PM (4/21/2008)
As much as I'd like to see the Scirocco come to these shores, if it meant that we would have to accept this car I'd prefer they both stay away. God forbid if I had to look at this car on the streets. Bad enough I have to tolerate the Avalons and Solaras.
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Xcountryflyer 5:59PM (4/21/2008)
This thing is not blah and derivative. Looks Korean before their latest cars.
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Xcountryflyer 5:59PM (4/21/2008)
Meant--it looks blah.
ugg.tryptophan 6:23PM (4/21/2008)
Xcountryflyer approves!
nirad 6:09PM (4/21/2008)
i realize that VW needs a different kind of product to appeal to the Chinese middle class, but is it wise to use the VW brand name on these vehicles? Perhaps they need a separate brand for the Chinese domestic market- they could use one of the many the already own but hardly use ;-)
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Matt Keller 6:24PM (4/21/2008)
Why you sirry Americans no rike Volkswagen?
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Torrent 8:35PM (4/21/2008)
VW is a great brand, I'm american, but I can't speak for all Americans. But I think I am speaking for MOST people when I say this car lacks character.
Papi L-Gee 11:01PM (4/21/2008)
Hey, I like Volkswagen.
I just don't really like THIS Volkswagen.
Jimbo 7:22AM (4/22/2008)
Looks like those guys will be livin "lavida" loco!
Im sorry...
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