
Volkswagen owns five high-end brands: Audi, Skoda, Porsche, Scania, and Lamborghini. Below is a detailed introduction to each brand: 1. Audi: A luxury car brand under Audi AG, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in Germany. Known for its high technology, quality standards, innovation capabilities, and classic car models, Audi is one of the most successful car brands in the world. The company is headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany, and has branches in many countries, including China. 2. Skoda: One of the classic brands of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. It is one of the four oldest car manufacturers in the world, established in 1895. 3. Porsche: A luxury car brand under the Volkswagen Group, also known as Porsche. Headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, it is a major representative of European and American cars. Main models include the 911, Boxster, Cayman, Panamera, Cayenne, and Macan. 4. Scania: A Swedish manufacturer of trucks and buses, founded in 1891 in Malmö, southern Sweden. Scania products are sold in more than 100 countries and regions worldwide, making it one of the leading manufacturers of heavy trucks and buses. With its technologically advanced modular system, Scania has become one of the most profitable companies in the commercial vehicle industry. 5. Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.: An Italian car manufacturer and one of the world's top sports car makers, as well as a symbol of European luxury. The company is based in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, and was founded by Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963.

Last time I visited the auto show, I specifically researched Volkswagen Group's premium brands. To be honest, the top-tier positioning depends on the segment. In the regular family car category, Volkswagen's most expensive model is the Touareg, but when it comes to the true pinnacle, it has to be Porsche. Just the optional extras on cars like the 911 and Panamera could buy you an ordinary vehicle. But you'd never guess - Bugatti Veyron and Chiron are also under the Volkswagen umbrella, they're the real performance monsters. I once saw one in a parking lot - that 16-cylinder engine is like a work of art. As for ultra-luxury cars like the Bentley Flying Spur, they actually share platforms with the Audi A8, but the handcrafted quality is on a completely different level.

I've studied the brand hierarchy of the Volkswagen Group, where the top-tier positioning is represented by the trident: Porsche serves as the flagship for sporty performance, Audi takes on the role of technology leader, and Bentley focuses on luxury craftsmanship. Although Bugatti carries a French badge, its chassis development is all done at the Wolfsburg headquarters. The true embodiment of experiencing both top-tier craftsmanship and everyday practicality is the Porsche Panamera Turbo S, which easily surpasses 3 million yuan when fully optioned, yet handles much more nimbly in the city than a Bentley. Last year, during a factory visit in Germany, a master craftsman mentioned that each Bugatti requires six weeks for assembly.

Only after driving a friend's Phaeton did I understand Volkswagen's top-tier car philosophy: luxury hidden beneath a low-profile exterior. But now the flagship has been replaced by the Audi A8 Horch version, with rear massage seats more comfortable than my sofa at home. When it comes to absolute supremacy, it's undoubtedly Bugatti, but we ordinary car enthusiasts should pay more attention to the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. As a pure electric flagship, it retains supercar genes while being suitable for daily commutes. The last time I experienced its launch control, the 3-second 0-100 km/h acceleration and the resulting G-force remain unforgettable. Don't just focus on Rolls-Royce—German top-tier cars are definitely leading in terms of technological sophistication.

Having repaired cars for a decade, the most expensive Volkswagen Group vehicle I've handled is the Lamborghini URUS. Though it bears the raging bull emblem, it's essentially an upscale version of the Audi Q8. If we're talking about the pinnacle, I'd suggest focusing on two extremes: Bugatti represents the art of internal combustion, with the 400km/h Veyron still being a deity-level existence; while Porsche's all-electric Taycan performs just as impressively on the racetrack. Here's a lesser-known fact: most Volkswagen Group flagship vehicles utilize the MLB Evo longitudinal platform, sharing this architecture from Koenigsegg to Bentley.


