Source: SAIC-Volkswagen

SAIC Volkswagen, the Chinese joint venture between Volkswagen (ETR: VOW3) and SAIC Motor, opened presales for its ID. ERA 9X extended-range electric SUV at an event in Shenzhen on March 30, 2026.

Three all-wheel-drive trim levels — Pro, Max, and Ultra — are priced at 329,800 CNY (c. $47,700), 359,800 CNY (c. $52,100), and 379,800 CNY (c. $54,900) respectively. The full market launch is scheduled for April 25.

Source: SAIC-Volkswagen

The ID. ERA 9X is Volkswagen's first range-extended electric vehicle and, at 5,207 mm in length, its largest SUV ever produced — edging past the BMW X7 and the North American Atlas.

At the Shenzhen event, SAIC Volkswagen also announced a cross-brand partnership with Disney's Star Wars franchise, tying the ID. ERA product line to the forthcoming film The Mandalorian & Grogu, with plans spanning IP licensing, offline activations, and bespoke display vehicles.

The company simultaneously announced a "Wan Li Chang Ge" intercontinental expedition, driving the 9X from China to Volkswagen's Wolfsburg headquarters in Germany — a journey of over 12,000 km — as a demonstration of the vehicle's durability and range.

The vehicle was first previewed as a concept at the April 2025 Shanghai Auto Show. SAIC Volkswagen formally established the ID. ERA sub-brand at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November 2025, with the 9X as its opening model.

Source: SAIC-Volkswagen

Mass production began on March 5, 2026 at the company's Ningbo plant, and the company plans 160 pop-up experience centres across 49 cities through the end of May.

The presale pricing positions the 9X well below the prevailing floor for large six-seat flagships in China, a segment that Chinese brands have generally kept above 420,000 CNY (c. $60,800). SAIC Volkswagen's stated approach — which it calls "asymmetric pricing" — pairs that lower entry point with a full-specification standard kit across all three trims.

Zero-gravity co-pilot and second-row seats, active rear-wheel steering, an 800V fast-charging platform, and lifetime access to the vehicle's intelligent driver-assistance system are included as standard on every variant.

All three trims share a 1.5-litre turbocharged EA211 ERV engine rated at 105 kW (141 hp), acting solely as a generator. A dual-motor AWD system produces a combined system output of 380 kW (510 hp) and a peak torque of 660 N·m, with a claimed 0–100 km/h time of 5.6 seconds.

Source: SAIC-Volkswagen

Mid- and top-spec variants carry a 65.2 kWh NMC battery co-developed by CATL (HKG: 3750) and SAIC, delivering a CLTC electric-only range exceeding 400 km (249 miles) and a combined range of up to 1,651 km. The 800V architecture supports a 10-minute charge session that adds approximately 210 km (130 miles) of range.

During a Qinghai-Tibet Highway validation drive, the 9X recorded a combined fuel consumption of 4.57 L/100 km in charge-depletion mode — a figure that earned the vehicle a Guinness World Record for the lowest fuel consumption by a production EREV SUV on that route.

SAIC Volkswagen claims the EA211 range extender produces a power drop of only around 5% when the battery is depleted, with interior noise rising by less than 0.5 dB when the engine engages.

The 9X's dimensions — 5,207 mm × 1,997 mm × 1,810 mm, with a 3,070 mm wheelbase — make it the largest SUV in the Volkswagen Group globally. An active rear-wheel steering system reduces the turning radius to just 4.85 m, comparable to a compact hatchback.

Source: SAIC-Volkswagen

The chassis combines double-wishbone front and five-link rear suspension with dual-chamber air springs and a DCC continuously variable damper system offering 150 mm of total adjustment travel. A VMC chassis control hub integrates braking, drive, steering, suspension, and power management across all three axes.

Inside, nine screens are networked across the cabin, including a 15.6-inch dual ultra-high-definition front display, a 21.4-inch foldable ceiling screen for rear occupants, and three Smart Surface hidden panels embedded in interior trim that activate on demand.

A 12.8-metre, 255-colour ambient lighting strip runs through four cabin zones. Seating uses full-grain NAPPA leather carrying OEKO-TEX certification; body structure uses 77% high-strength steel or above, and the vehicle has passed more than 2,500 tests covering extreme cold, heat, and altitude.

The autonomous driving system features a 192-line LiDAR sensor paired with the global debut of Momenta's R7 reinforcement-learning world model, which the company says enables point-to-point navigation assistance across highways, urban roads, and parking without reliance on high-definition maps.

Source: SAIC-Volkswagen

The 9X is the first product of SAIC Volkswagen's self-described "Joint Venture 2.0" era, a shift from adapting global platforms for China to designing purpose-built vehicles for Chinese consumers.

Six new energy vehicles are planned across 2026. Whether the combination of German brand equity, competitive pricing, and China-first engineering can translate into sustained order volume in a segment where Li Auto and Huawei-backed AITO have deep user loyalty will become clearer when deliveries begin at the end of April.

Conversion rate: 1 USD = 6.91 CNY as of March 30, 2026