Volkswagen's new strategy states: the future is in Chinese assembly and development. The Autohome portal spoke with SAIC-Volkswagen Deputy General Manager Fabio Stölzel and SAIC-Volkswagen Marketing Executive Li Jun. The senior managers confirmed the transition to the "in China, for the world" strategy: the new paradigm will gradually replace the current "in China, for China" doctrine.
Fabio Stölzel said that the SAIC-Volkswagen joint venture has celebrated its 40th anniversary and has signed a new agreement that will be valid until 2040. The parties have agreed to follow the "in China, for the world" strategy, i.e. to combine Chinese resources with German quality. Li Jun reiterates the same strategy: in the future, all new SAIC-Volkswagen products will meet international quality standards and be exported to markets around the world.
The Autohome source, who requested anonymity, specifies that future Volkswagen models assembled in China will be sold not only in the domestic market, but also exported to a number of other countries. Moreover, the “in China, for the world” strategy implies not only local assembly, but also development. Li Jun believes that Chinese products will be better than foreign ones: China has conscientious subcontractors who make cars smarter.
SAIC-Volkswagen senior managers recall that 10 or 20 years ago, the phrase “made in China for China” meant reduced configuration and lower quality. But now the situation is different. For example, the Volkswagen Passat Pro is one and a half times cheaper than its European counterpart, and its basic equipment is richer. The level of intelligence of Chinese "Volkswagens" is already higher than that of their European counterparts.