VW Launches Chinese-Designed and Built Lavida and New Bora in Beijing

Second to Germany, China is Volkswagen's biggest market, as it's selling over 780,000

units annually and commanding a massive 17-percent market share in the world's most populated country. Over the years, Volkswagen has given its Chinese division products that appeal to its consumers, but now for the first time it has allowed Volkswagen of China to develop its own vehicles. The result is the Lavida and New Bora, which have just been shown off at Auto China 2008 in Beijing.

The Lavida and the New Bora are both loosely based off of the old Mk.IV platform, and both use 1.6- and 2.0-liter inline-four engines with manual or automatic transmissions. And while they may be mechanically similar to cars sold here, Volkswagen is aiming the vehicles at two distinct buyers; the Lavida is a luxury-oriented model, while the New Bora is more of a family vehicle. To make things a little more confusing, Volkswagen also sells an updated version of the original Mk.IV Jetta called the Bora GP in China, while

the new Mk.V Jetta is marketed as the Sagitar.

On the outside, the Lavida commands a slightly more upscale appearance, drawing lines and details from the Passat CC, whereas the New Bora features the teardrop-style headlamps, different door panels as well as unique bumpers.

Inside, the Lavida's interior has been completely reworked from the Mk.IV Golf/Jetta with a new dashboard that features prominent circular vents, as well as available wood trim and a flip-up navigation system giving it a surprisingly upscale appearance. Heated seats and digital climate control are also available on the Lavida.