Volkswagen SOL budget EV brand to be introduced

    Company’s second electric brand, after the ID sub-brand, is a joint venture between VW and Chinese carmaker JAC.

    Published On Mar 13, 2018 12:37:00 PM

    11,256 Views

    Volkswagen has partnered with China’s Anhui Jianghuai Automobile (JAC) to introduce SOL, a new all-electric brand for China. The first model from the new brand, which is meant to churn out affordable electric cars, is a crossover whose name is yet to be announced. Based on the images, the model’s name will carry an ‘e-’ prefix.

    The new EV is closely related to JAC’s iEV7S, which is powered by a 116hp/270Nm electric motor with a range of 280km on a single charge. The SOL-badged model is expected to be priced slightly higher than the JAC one and be powered by the same motor tuned to develop 114hp and hit a top speed of 130kph. Other details concerning the powertrain, like range, are not available as of now.

    Both the JAC and SOL models share the same dimensions at 4,135mm in length, 1,750mm in width, 1,560mm in height and a 2,490mm-long wheelbase.

    The German carmaker had signed an MoU with JAC back in September 2016 to form a joint venture to build EVs in China. The name of the brand was a point of contention between the two brands, with VW wanting to use the Seat name while JAC wanted to use a Chinese name. The name SOL, means ‘sun’ in Spanish. However, the Chinese name is Sihao (思皓), which loosely translates to ‘thinking’.

    The SOL brand is VW’s second all-electric brand, after the introduction of the more up-market ID brand that includes models like the ID Vizzion concept sedan, ID Crozz crossover, ID Buzz MPV and others.

    IMAGE SOURCE

    Volkswagen Cars

    Copyright (c) Autocar India. All rights reserved.

    Comments

    ×
    img

    No comments yet. Be the first to comment.

    Ask Autocar Anything about Car and Bike Buying and Maintenance Advices
    Need an expert opinion on your car and bike related queries?
    Ask Now

    Search By Car Price

    Poll of the month

    The Creta will be the third Hyundai N-Line model in India. Should more mass-market brands have sporty sub-brands?

    Yes, it's something special for enthusiasts

     

    18.53%

    Yes, but only if there is increased performance

     

    44.29%

    No, it's just a gimmick to increase the price

     

    29.31%

    It doesn't always work; just look at Tata JTP

     

    7.88%

    Total Votes : 1549
    Sign up for our newsletter

    Get all the latest updates from the automobile universe