{"id":73982,"date":"2026-08-17T20:16:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T20:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/73982\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T20:16:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T20:16:14","slug":"chinas-price-war-reaches-volkswagen-as-new-sedan-drops-below-18000-with-massaging-seats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/73982\/","title":{"rendered":"China’s price war reaches Volkswagen as new sedan drops below $18,000 with massaging seats"},"content":{"rendered":"

China is getting a Volkswagen-badged sedan at an unusually low entry point. As The Next Web detailed<\/a>, the new ID. Era 5S starts at about $17,175.<\/p>\n

For that money, the car offers 99 miles (160 kilometers) of electric-only range, a large touchscreen, and front seats with heating, ventilation, and a 10-point massage feature.<\/p>\n

Here’s what to know<\/p>\n

Ahead of the ID. Era 5S going on sale in China on Aug. 21, SAIC Volkswagen, Volkswagen’s joint venture with China’s state-owned SAIC Motor, has begun taking preorders. The Next Web says the launch price is 115,900 yuan, which Digital Trends converts to about $17,175.<\/p>\n

Its plug-in hybrid setup combines a 130-kilowatt electric motor with a 19.1-kilowatt-hour lithium-iron phosphate battery<\/a>, and a 91.5-cubic-inch (1.5-liter) gasoline engine. On China’s CLTC testing standard, Volkswagen lists 99 miles (160 kilometers) of electric-only range for that package.<\/p>\n

The outlet added that the cabin equipment includes Apple CarPlay, wireless charging, an 8.8-inch instrument screen, and a 15.6-inch center touchscreen. Heated rear seats are included too, along with front seats that provide heat, ventilation, and massage.<\/p>\n

The model is Volkswagen’s first sedan with the company’s Navigate on Autopilot for city streets and highways, The Next Web noted. It still remains a Level 2 system, meaning drivers must continue paying attention behind the wheel.<\/p>\n

China’s EV price war has only intensified, the outlet said. BYD quickly responded by launching the 2027 Seal 06 plug-in hybrid at roughly $14,700, while the all-electric version starts at about $16,100.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The electric model uses the Blade 2.0<\/a> 800-volt charging architecture, and higher trims add LiDAR-based driver assistance.<\/p>\n

More background<\/p>\n

Entry-level EVs in the U.S. are still much more expensive. The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt starts at $28,995, and the 2026 Nissan Leaf starts at $29,990 before destination charges. Even a more expensive ID. Era 5S trim is still priced well below both, as The Next Web noted.<\/p>\n

The Volkswagen is a plug-in hybrid rather than a fully electric vehicle<\/a>, and China’s CLTC range standard is widely considered optimistic, the outlet did caveat. Even so, the price gap still stretches into five figures.<\/p>\n

Lower-cost EVs and plug-in hybrids can help households spend less<\/a> on fuel and routine maintenance while also reducing tailpipe pollution. Due to external factors like tariffs, supply chain inefficiencies and more, the ultra-low-priced EV or hybrid is elusive in the U.S.<\/p>\n

What can be done?<\/p>\n

For automakers, pressure is growing to lower costs without cutting coveted features. Through its China joint venture, Volkswagen has shown it can pack advanced tech and comfort options into a much cheaper vehicle, The Next Web argued<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Whether that indicates Volkswagen could do that in the U.S.<\/a> or Europe is murkier. The global EV race is increasingly about who can deliver the most practical, comfortable, and lower-cost electrified car first. It doesn’t end there, though. What markets they can realistically bring it to is an important question to answer.<\/p>\n

If you’re considering buying an electric vehicle<\/a>, fuel savings, fewer oil changes, and less routine service can make a big difference over time.<\/p>\n

Charging an EV at home often costs half as much as using public chargers, but basic Level 1 charging tends to be slow. Qmerit<\/a> provides free, instant installation estimates for faster Level 2 home charger installations.<\/p>\n

Get TCD’s free newsletters<\/a> for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Cool<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"China is getting a Volkswagen-badged sedan at an unusually low entry point. As The Next Web detailed, the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":73983,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20947],"tags":[27550,1098,5247,27552,29011,29014,5356,29015],"class_list":["post-73982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-volkswagen","tag-change-the-way-you-get-around","tag-electric-vehicles","tag-home","tag-make-your-next-car-an-ev","tag-non-solar-ev-showcase","tag-tech-showcase","tag-volkswagen","tag-yahoo-autos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73982","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73982"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73982\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73983"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}