How many versions of the Volkswagen Santana are there?
4 Answers
There have been a total of five versions of the Volkswagen Santana. Introduction to the five versions of the Santana: The first version is the Santana 87, the oldest generation of the Santana model. The second version is the Santana 2000, the third version is the Santana 3000, the fourth version is the Santana Vista, and the last version is the all-new Santana. Manufacturer of the Santana: The manufacturer is SAIC Volkswagen. SAIC Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. was established in October 1984 as a joint venture between SAIC Group and Volkswagen AG. The company primarily produces Škoda brand models and some Volkswagen brand models. The company headquarters is located in Shanghai. It is one of the earliest automotive joint ventures in China.
I've been driving the Volkswagen Santana for over a decade, and this car has had quite a few versions. The earliest was the standard three-box sedan with that boxy design, which dates back to the 1980s. Later came the station wagon version with an especially long rear end, which we nicknamed 'Big Butt Santana'—it was super convenient for hauling stuff. In the mid-90s, the Santana 2000 was introduced, featuring a more rounded front end and a longer wheelbase for better comfort. In 2004, it was upgraded to the Santana 3000, with vertical-strip taillights and a redesigned dashboard. The final version was the Santana Vista, which was produced until 2012 and featured a three-chrome-bar grille. All in all, there were five main versions, each with distinct characteristics for its era. You can still find the Vista in the used car market today, but the other versions have become quite rare.
Last time I visited the used car market, I specifically counted the versions of the Volkswagen Santana. The dealer said the most common ones fall into five categories: the most classic is the standard three-box sedan, which had the longest production run; the station wagon version is now rare, but its trunk is super practical; the Santana 2000 was the main model in the 1990s; followed by the 3000 model, which improved many details; and finally the Vista, which can be considered the ultimate upgraded version. In fact, each version also has different configurations, such as carburetor and fuel-injected engines, and manual versus automatic transmissions. Some limited editions like the Century New Star are even rarer. I once saw a particularly well-maintained 2000 model with an almost brand-new interior—the owner said it was a company-assigned official car back in the day.
After researching, it was found that the Volkswagen Santana underwent a total of five generational changes: the original model introduced in 1983, which was the earliest sedan version; the station wagon version launched in 1992; the Santana 2000 born in 1995; the upgraded 3000 model in 2004; and finally the Vista introduced in 2008. Each generation was produced for many years, with the original model having the longest lifecycle, being sold from the 1980s until 2012. Besides these five main versions, there were also special editions like police cars and driving school vehicles, but the basic design didn't change much. Nowadays, you can occasionally still see the Vista on the road, while other versions have become antiques.
