Now its own brand, Jetta presents its first sedan model in China

Volkswagen is preparing Jetta’s first all-electric sedan. The phrase may sound strange, but it refers to the new sub-brand that VW launched in China. Named M6, the model had images and specifications revealed by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (MIIT) and opens up a curious movement: while the name Jetta becomes its own line of cars in the Chinese market, the Jetta sedan that has traveled the world for almost four decades may be discontinued amid the Volkswagen Group’s cost cutting.

Created in 2019 from the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture, the Jetta is no longer just a model to become a brand aimed at the Chinese consumer looking for low prices. Now the strategy takes on the air of an electric offensive, with the announcement that, at the beginning of the year, it will launch five new models by 2028, being electrified. The M6 is the first electric sedan of this new phase and should be closely followed by the production version of the Jetta X Concept SUV.

Visually, the M6 draws attention for its resemblance to the Tesla Model 3. The narrow, angular headlights and the front bumper without grille follow almost the same footprint as the American electric car. The rest of the design is more discreet, even by Chinese standards: conventional door handles, marked creases on the sides and a charging port positioned on the front fender, on the passenger side.

At the rear, the sedan features narrow LED taillights interconnected by a light bar and a lower bumper finish in black. According to MIIT data, the M6 measures 4.81 m in length, up to 1.90 m in width and 1.50 m in height, with a wheelbase of 2.82 m. The weight varies from 1,557 kg to 1,628 kg, depending on the configuration.

The mechanical set escapes the exaggeration of power common among Chinese electric vehicles. The M6 will have a single electric motor, offered in two configurations: one of 154 hp and the other of 197 hp. Jetta has not yet revealed the battery’s capacity, but has confirmed that it will employ lithium-ion cells supplied by CALB, with production linked to the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture.

The advance in China contrasts with the scenario of the traditional Jetta: the German newspaper Bild published an alleged list of models that the Volkswagen Group intends to discontinue as part of a plan to reduce the global portfolio by up to 50%, and the sedan — on sale since 1979 and one of the brand’s best-known entry-level cars — would be among them.

The automaker did not confirm the cut: the director of product communication, Stefan Voswinkel, said that the company does not comment on speculation about the life cycle of its products, and Volkswagen of the United States said there is, for now, no confirmed change in its lineup. According to estimates cited by the German press, the reductions could generate savings of around €6.5 billion ($7.4 billion) by 2031.