New China Market Volkswagen Lavida Draws its Inspiration from the Passat

Four years and some 700,000 sales after Volkswagen debuted the Lavida at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show in China, the German automaker is returning to this year's venue to present the successor to its widely popular family sedan.

Though you would be forgiven to mistake it for a Passat, the New Lavida is in fact a compact-size sedan that draws its styling inspiration from Volkswagen's larger saloon model.

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Buick Excelle is the Best Selling Car in China for 2011, GM and VW Take 7 of the Top 10 Spots

In Europe, the most popular model in terms of sales in 2011 was the aging Volkswagen Golf with 485,547 units followed by the VW Polo and the Ford Fiesta, while in the United States, Ford's F-Series took first place with 584,917 units and was trailed by the Chevy Silverado and the Toyota Camry.

In China, while the overall top sellers continue to be commercial microvans, the bestselling passenger model for 2011 was the Buick Excelle with 254,000 units, according to data provided by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

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Volkswagen Presents E-Lavida Study at Beijing Show

Volkswagen is gauging Chinese customer reaction to electric cars with the world premiere of a battery-powered version of its Golf-based Lavida sedan. Called the 'E-Lavida', the concept study is the VW group's first ever e-car completely designed and produced in China. Details on the E-Lavida remain scarce, but the company did release a bunch of photos of the car that you can check out after the break.

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Beijing Show: 2009 Volkswagen Lavida Sedan

Developed in China by Volkswagen and its local joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Cooperation (SAIC), the Lavida is a four-door sedan roughly the size of a BMW 3-Series (4,608 mm long, 1,743 mm wide and 1,465 mm tall with a 2,610 mm wheelbase). The Lavida’s exterior styling does not follow any familiar VW pattern and if it weren’t for the company’s badges and front grille, you could probably pass it for any kind of make – in other words, its b-o-r-i-n-g.

The interior looks a bit better with its VW derived details and the wood inserts. According to VW, the cabin has been designed to satisfy the wishes of Chinese car drivers as has been found in numerous surveys. One of these wishes is a USB interface for an MP3 player like the one that has now been implemented in the Lavida.

When the Lavida goes on sale in China this summer it will be powered by two four-cylinder engines that can be combined with a manual or a six-speed automatic (Tiptronic). VW Shanghai’s ne sedan will be offered in three trims, "Trendline", "Comfortline" and "Highline". -Continued

The base vehicle will be equipped with standard ABS, driver and front passenger airbags, climate control, MP3-capable CD-Radio, power windows and anti-theft warning system. The more luxurious versions "Comfortline" and "Highline" also get 16-inch alloy wheels, a chrome package, sliding sunroof, leather seats, side and head airbags, cruise control, parking sensors, automatic climate control system and CD changer.