In the past, a joint-venture mid-size sedan would cost at least over 200,000 yuan, but now, under the strong competition from domestic new energy vehicles, many joint-venture mid-size cars are being sold for just 120,000 to 130,000 yuan. What is unexpected, however, is that SAIC Volkswagen is even more aggressive, launching a plug-in hybrid sedan specifically for the Chinese market, the ID.ERA 5S, with an official guide price starting at 119,900 yuan, and after subsidies and discounts, starting at just 89,900 yuan, which is already cheaper than many domestic cars of the same class.
The Volkswagen ID.ERA 5S measures 4836x1880x1505 mm in length, width, and height, with a wheelbase of 2766 mm. Its competitors include the Qin L DM-i, Chery Fengyun A8L, Geely Galaxy Starshine 7, and so on, but all of these cars are priced higher than it. So the question arises: why is the Volkswagen ID.ERA 5S sold so cheaply? Does it truly offer good value for money, or has it cut corners?
For a family car, what people care about most is certainly safety. The Volkswagen ID.ERA 5S's body-in-white uses 30% hot-formed steel and 86% high-strength steel. By comparison, the Qin L's hot-formed steel accounts for only 18%, and the Chery Fengyun A8L accounts for 20%. From this perspective, the Volkswagen ID.ERA 5S is quite willing to spend on materials. The front anti-collision beam uses 2 mm thick 1500 MPa hot-formed steel and is equipped with a protective crossbeam to prevent pedestrians from being dragged under. The roof uses laser welding and also adopts a one-piece door frame. A large area of the body uses galvanized steel plates plus cavity wax injection anti-corrosion technology. These details are handled flawlessly.
There is also the battery safety protection. It adopts the NESTA six-dimensional electrical safety system. The battery bottom impact resistance reaches 2000J (the national standard is only 150J), and the salt spray test lasts 1008 hours (7 times the national standard); the high-voltage circuit in a collision can cut off power within 2 ms. The battery cells are from Ruipu Lanjun, which is considered a second-tier brand supplier, so its performance and quality are certainly not as good as BYD and CATL.
The Volkswagen ID.ERA 5S adopts a P1+P3 single-speed DHT series-parallel architecture. This solution also appears in many domestic models, such as the Chery Fengyun A8, Geely Galaxy Starshine 7, MG 07, Nissan N6, and so on. It is estimated that this hybrid architecture may all come from the same supplier, and its advantage is that it is mature and reliable.
In terms of power, it is equipped with a 1.5L Atkinson cycle engine, with a maximum horsepower of 109 hp and a peak torque of 126 Nm. At the same time, it is paired with a 130 kW drive motor. The fastest 0-100 km/h acceleration time is about 8 seconds. Under CLTC conditions, the pure electric range reaches 160 km, and the fuel consumption per 100 km in feed mode is 2.82 liters. Overall, the performance of the Volkswagen ID.ERA 5S is similar to that of domestic cars of the same class. Although it is not as outstanding as the Qin L DM-i, people can still accept it in their hearts.
In terms of intelligent configuration, Volkswagen has learned its lesson this time. Whatever domestic cars have, it is all equipped with. For example, a 15.6-inch 2.5K large screen, front seat massage, L2-level assisted driving, and so on. This is much more generous than the Passat and Magotan. This also makes people curious: when did joint-venture cars become so generous? Or how much profit can Volkswagen make on the ID.ERA 5S?
As for the exterior design, the styling of the Volkswagen ID.ERA 5S is still very Volkswagen. Its mature and steady face makes it hard to find fault, but it also does not give people a sense of surprise. However, in rural areas, or in the minds of the older generation, its status is still stronger than that of domestic cars. This may be one of its major selling points.
The interior design is basically similar to domestic new energy vehicles, with no highlights. It seems that on the new energy track, homogenization is becoming more and more serious. If the car logo is covered, then no one can recognize what kind of car it is. The passenger space inside the car is quite large. On this point, one has to admire Volkswagen; its ability to carve out space is indeed stronger than that of other automakers.
Overall, the cost-effectiveness of the Volkswagen ID.ERA 5S is indeed very high, completely breaking people's perception of Volkswagen. In the 100,000-yuan-level mid-size family sedan market, its popularity and presence are both very low. Those who choose it were probably originally planning to look at the Lavida. Most people who truly choose new energy vehicles still prefer domestic brands. Therefore, if the Volkswagen ID.ERA 5S wants to defeat domestic cars in one fell swoop by relying on cost-effectiveness, it still needs to work hard on promotion and let more people know about it!
