You might be reminded of a French midsize sedan from the rear.
What is a Volkswagen Lamando, you ask? It is essentially a more modern version of the Sagitar (Jetta in China). The Lamando is, in other words, what the Arteon is for the Passat. It was the first model to debut in 2014, and is now ready for the second generation.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology published fully-revealing images of the vehicle’s outside in the People’s Republic as part of the homologation process. Lamando will get a new look in 2022. It adopts a smiley face that reminds us of the second-generation Mazda3. The headlights look great and are inspired by the VW electric ID models.
MIIT images show the Lamando in various trim levels. We’ll be at the back so let’s address the elephant in this room. Full-width taillights emit a strong Peugeot 508 vibe. We are curious if the second-generation model will have a more elegant rear end.
MIIT did not publish images of the interior. However, we are getting the impression that the cabin is dominated in part by two screens that extend from the dashboard. If we are correct, the Lamando will have an entirely different dash to the mechanically related Sagitar. The Chinese Jetta, on the other hand, has a traditional layout with the screens embedded in the dashboard.
The new Lamando measures 4784 millimeters (188.3 in) long, 1831 mm (77.2 in) wide and 1469 mm (55.7 in) high. It has a 2731 mm (107.5 inch) wheelbase which makes it smaller than the Arteon made in China under the old CC. The vehicle is listed on the MIIT website with wheels ranging in size from 16-18 inches. It has a 1.4 TSI engine that produces 148 hp (110 kW), which VW has used for over a decade.
Similar to the previous model, the Lamando next-gen will be a China-only affair. It is still the most populous country in the world, and this is why VW offers a variety of saloons locally. The flagship Phideon serves as an indirect successor to the defunct Phaeton. Although it might surprise you, VW still sells a Bora sedan in China.