I’ve been watching Volkswagen’s China lineup quietly get cooler for the past two years, but the ID. Unyx 09 might be the moment it finally gets exciting, not just for Chinese buyers, but for the rest of the world as well.
Regulatory filings from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Batch 409, have exposed the full specs of the upcoming sedan ahead of its official launch later this year, and it looks nothing like any VW car I’ve seen before (via CarNewsChina).
What does the ID. Unyx 09 actually look like?
Two words: genuinely striking. Split LED headlights and a shark-nose front, blacked-out A-pillars and semi-flush door handles on the side, illuminated badges, and a gently sloping fastback roofline, all of that over a body that stretches more than five meters.
This reads less like a VW and more like something Xpeng would charge a premium for, and that’s no coincidence. The ID. Unyx 09 is the second car co-developed under Volkswagen’s partnership with Xpeng, a collaboration that has clearly given VW designers permission to stop playing it safe and start drawing the world’s attention to its cars.
As a longtime admirer of Xpeng’s design philosophy, especially stunning aesthetics at prices that embarrass European rivals, I’d say the influence is working well.
What’s under the hood, and when does it go on sale?
The EV could come in two powertrain options: a rear-wheel-drive model pushing 308hp and an all-wheel-drive variant producing 496hp combined. Both drivetrains might be paired with CATL lithium iron phosphate batteries. Top speed could be capped at 124mph.
L2 Navigate-on-Autopilot could come as a standard feature on both highway and city roads. A face recognition sensor in the B-pillar rounds out the tech package.
Official sales might kick off in China in the second half of 2026, and before you ask, no, there are no indications this one is coming to the US anytime soon, which remains genuinely infuriating.