Is the Lamando produced by SAIC or FAW?
4 Answers
Lamando is a compact car launched by SAIC, a Sino-German joint venture co-operated by SAIC Group and Volkswagen Group. It produces and sells products under the Volkswagen and Skoda brands, covering segments such as A0, A, B, C, SUV, and MPV. The Lamando is a compact car introduced by SAIC Volkswagen, with dimensions of 4615mm in length, 1826mm in width, and 1425mm in height, and a wheelbase of 2656mm. It is equipped with a 1.4T turbocharged engine with a maximum power output of 96kW, paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
As a veteran car enthusiast, this is quite a representative question. The Lamando is indeed SAIC Volkswagen's own child, just like the Lavida, both being SAIC's main models. I remember when it was first launched in 2015, it promoted the concept of a wide-body coupe, with its fastback design and frameless doors standing out in the A-segment. The recently launched Lamando L even uses Volkswagen's latest MQB Evo platform, with noticeably more spacious rear seating than the older model. Interestingly, many people often confuse it with FAW's Sagitar, but actually, the Sagitar is positioned against the Lavida. If you're torn between these two models when choosing a car, you might want to focus on comparing the Lamando's frameless door design with the Sagitar's classic three-box styling—the driving characteristics are quite different.
As a Volkswagen owner, I can tell you that most of the Lamados you see on the street have the SAIC Volkswagen badge on the rear. This model is specifically developed by SAIC for the Chinese market and, like the Passat, is produced at the Shanghai Anting factory. The most straightforward way to distinguish it is by looking at the front grille: FAW Volkswagen models usually feature a horizontal chrome strip, while SAIC models like the Lamando and Lavida sport a starry sky dot-matrix grille. Last week, I accompanied a friend on a test drive of the new Lamando L. The 1.5T engine provides adequate power, and the hatchback trunk is particularly spacious for strollers. If you're considering buying one, I recommend opting for the matrix headlights, as they significantly improve nighttime illumination.
After three years of car-watching, I've figured out a trick to distinguish between FAW-Volkswagen and SAIC Volkswagen: models with 'Teng' in their names belong to FAW-Volkswagen in Changchun, such as Magotan and Sagitar. Meanwhile, Shanghai-produced models favor the 'Du' naming convention, like Lamando and Passat. Lamando's coupe styling stands out uniquely among domestic cars, especially the eye-catching full-width taillight cluster on the new model. A friend drives the 2023 'Spicy Bun' (car enthusiasts' playful nickname for Lamando) and reports urban commuting fuel consumption can be kept just over 6L/100km. With current terminal discounts around 20,000 yuan, it's worth considering for those who love sporty styling but have a limited budget.
