AutosFAW's Jetta brand quietly enters russian market, Volkswagen denies involvement

FAW's Jetta brand quietly enters russian market, Volkswagen denies involvement

The Jetta brand, owned by the Chinese joint venture FAW and Volkswagen, has reportedly entered Russia, according to "Rossijskaya Gazeta." However, the headquarters in Wolfsburg firmly denies these claims.

Jetta VS5
Jetta VS5
Images source: © Press materials | Volkswagen AG

6:14 PM EDT, July 9, 2024

The new importer, FAW-Eastern Europe, boasts a network of 86 dealers spanning 50 cities in Russia, reports autostat.ru, referencing "AutoBusinessReview." As noted in April, the Volkswagen Group acknowledged that vehicles from joint venture companies could penetrate the Russian market through "unauthorized channels." More details on this process are provided below.

Unauthorized channels imply that the official importer is not involved. Cars have reached Russia from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, China, and Finland. While the scale of this phenomenon is difficult to quantify, it is known to be substantial.

Earlier reports stated that in January, Nie Qiang, deputy general manager of FAW-Volkswagen for commercial affairs, announced that "with the formal consent of both shareholders, Jetta has been authorized to export new cars."

Jetta VS7
Jetta VS7© Press materials | Volkswagen AG

FAW Group informed autonews.ru that they do not have concerns regarding sanctions. The Chinese side owns the rights. "We are speaking about a completely independent brand whose products cannot be compared with the cars of the German partner."

A contact with the Volkswagen brand representative was made to confirm this information. The headquarters in Wolfsburg stated:

The Jetta brand was created in 2019 to sell affordable Volkswagen models in China. As a foreign entity, VW could not manufacture in China, hence the collaboration with FAW.

An example model, the Jetta VA3, resembles the Volkswagen Polo but features a partially galvanized body. It is specifically designed for Chinese customers: it lacks heated seats in any configuration, and the rear bench backrest does not fold. Another issue with "gray" Jettas is the untranslated multimedia systems. The vehicle is equipped with an engine from the German EA111 family.

According to a news service from Chelyabinsk, Russia, the official introduction of the brand in Russia is merely a formality. Due to sanctions, dealers are expected to adopt a low-key approach and try to distance themselves from the Volkswagen name. Customers will learn about the brand primarily through word of mouth.

Related content
© essanews.com
·

Downloading, reproduction, storage, or any other use of content available on this website—regardless of its nature and form of expression (in particular, but not limited to verbal, verbal-musical, musical, audiovisual, audio, textual, graphic, and the data and information contained therein, databases and the data contained therein) and its form (e.g., literary, journalistic, scientific, cartographic, computer programs, visual arts, photographic)—requires prior and explicit consent from Wirtualna Polska Media Spółka Akcyjna, headquartered in Warsaw, the owner of this website, regardless of the method of exploration and the technique used (manual or automated, including the use of machine learning or artificial intelligence programs). The above restriction does not apply solely to facilitate their search by internet search engines and uses within contractual relations or permitted use as specified by applicable law.Detailed information regarding this notice can be found  here.