VOLKSWAGEN Lavida 2008-2012 Photos, engines & full specs

Volkswagen began to build the Lavida range in 2008 and introduced it on the Chinese market in the same year.

Volkswagen Automobile Group started cooperating with FAW in the late '80s when the Chinese carmaker assembled the Audi 100 in Chengdu – Sichuan. Later on, in 1991, they formed the FAW - Volkswagen Automobile Co., Ltd. Their mission was to create, develop, and produce vehicles for the Chinese market. The Lavida was one of their joint projects. They made it on the same platform as the Golf MKIV and Bora/Jetta MkIV, but with a 10 cm (3.9") longer wheelbase.

The car's look was completely different than the Bora/Jetta. It featured swept-back headlights with an elliptic shape and a chromed grille that sported two twin slats. While the front doors were regular-sized, the rear ones were longer than those installed on the Bora/Jetta, and the raked-forward rear windscreen left the illusion of an even longer car. At the back, the corner-mounted taillights followed the same shape as the headlights.

Inside, the designers created a dashboard with a rounded front and an option with a pop-up navigation screen above the center stack. The instrument panel sported a different design than on a regular Volkswagen, with the two large dials for the speedometer and tachometer connected with another circular rim. An LCD took center stage, and it showed the onboard computer information. Unlike the Bora/Jetta, its Chinese cousin offered enough legroom for the rear passengers, although its sloped cabin didn't provide enough headroom for taller passengers.

Under the hood, Volkswagen installed a choice of two gasoline engines: a 1.6-liter and a 2.0-liter, respectively, paired to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.