VW Electric SUV Spied Testing Ahead Of Chinese Launch Under New Sub-Brand

The prototype you see depicted in the gallery below probably looks very familiar to you and you might even say that this is the Cupra Tavascan. You won’t be completely wrong as this is indeed an all-electric SUV based on the Spanish firm’s second EV, though that’s not the whole story. The lightly camouflaged test car is actually going to morph into the first model from a new brand Volkswagen Group is about to launch.

As reported by Automotive News a few months ago, the German automaker has plans to establish a new sub-brand for the Chinese market. It will sell electric vehicles and will be positioned as a more lifestyle-oriented company compared to the somewhat more conservative VW brand. Setting up a new brand would be far too costly, however, and VAG has reportedly decided to sell rebranded Cupra vehicles instead.

This easily explains why this Tavascan – a model that was otherwise unveiled in full earlier this year – is still testing with its badges covered in tape. We know for a fact the electric coupe-like SUV will be assembled by Volkswagen in the Chinese province of Anhui in December and exported to Europe. And while the Cupra brand won’t be sold in the People’s Republic, this specific vehicle will be available with a different name and under a different brand. We don't know the name of this new brand yet, though.

The first model of the yet unnamed marque will be completely identical to the Tavascan in terms of what’s under the skin – or, at least, these are the current expectations. If this turns out to be the case, this means we are looking at an MEB-based vehicle that is slightly longer, wider, and lower than the VW ID.5. 

The Tavascan for the European market is available with two power outputs: 281 horsepower in the single-motor RWD model and 335 hp for the variant with two electric motors. Both versions come with the same 77-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack enabling a range of up to 342 miles measured by the WLTP. Expect identical or very similar numbers for the new China-only model.