
Volkswagen launched this all-new Santana in Wolfsburg in October 2012 as a subcompact — while the OLD three-box Santana sedan it was meant to replace kept selling in China for another three months.
Lead trim: 1.4 EA211 (petrol)
Volkswagen Santana A052012–2022
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Volkswagen Santana A05 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactVolkswagen launched this all-new Santana in Wolfsburg in October 2012 as a subcompact — while the OLD three-box Santana sedan it was meant to replace kept selling in China for another three months.
On 29 October 2012 the new Santana was introduced in Wolfsburg as a subcompact B-segment car built to fulfil Chinese market demand, built in Anting and Ürümqi on the Volkswagen Group A05+ platform, sharing the platform with the Volkswagen New Jetta. It was redesigned for more power and a sleeker design, and production commenced in December 2012. A hatchback variant known as the Gran Santana was sold after the facelift from June 2015, and the Cross Santana was launched a year later. In May 2018 the Santana, together with the Tiguan, Lavida and Lamando, was launched in the Philippines. Although production ended in 2022, remaining inventory still sold until it was discontinued in September 2025, and it was replaced by the Virtus-based Lavida XR launched on 7 June 2023.
Collectors Spotted in the Volkswagen Santana Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Volkswagen Santana yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 EA211 (petrol) | 2012–2022 | 1.4 L Inline-4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1.5 EA211 (petrol) | 2012–2022 | 1.5 L Inline-4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs



Volkswagen launched this all-new Santana in Wolfsburg in October 2012 as a subcompact — while the OLD three-box Santana sedan it was meant to replace kept selling in China for another three months.

The Santana Vista's taxi version kept working Shanghai's streets years after this generation ended production, only retired in October 2018 for a fleet of new electric cabs.

The Santana 3000 was the first car Shanghai Volkswagen's own designers created entirely by themselves, rather than adapting an imported German design.

China's Santana 2000 wasn't engineered in Wolfsburg — Volkswagen do Brasil helped develop it, stretching the wheelbase and adding rear doors beyond its Brazilian cousin.

Unlike its Brazilian cousin, which came as a coupe and wagon too, the Argentine-built Carat was sold only as a 4-door sedan — no 2-door, no estate, ever.

Volkswagen de México sent the utilitarian Corsar out in style — a black-and-silver two-tone limited edition with leather trim, released just months before the model was discontinued.

Thanks to VW's AutoLatina tie-up with Ford, the very same Brazilian-built Santana was also sold badged as the Ford Versailles — and as the Ford Galaxy next door in Argentina.

Building the Santana for Japan, Nissan redesigned the whole bonnet just to relocate the wiper pivots for right-hand drive — far more than a simple mirror-image swap.

The Chinese-built Santana jump-started an entire industry — local parts content went from under 6% in 1986 to 89% by 1995.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.

It briefly served as senior sibling to Marquette, a GM companion brand cancelled after just one year.

Nissan hired former BMW engineers to help develop the 510's suspension, which is why period reviewers frequently compared its handling to the BMW 1600/2002.

A Trabant 601 won its class at the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally, with a second 601 right behind it in second.

The 600 was a stopgap: the P50's body over the 601's mechanicals, and for a while its estate was built alongside the new 601 saloon.

The G80 Sport brought a 370 PS twin-turbo 3.3 V6, a mesh grille and copper-tinted chrome with copper stitching to match.

The Vigor was sold only with a five-cylinder engine, an unusual configuration Honda used to fit a longer engine transversely under a short hood.

The GS/E coupe earned the nickname "German Charger" for its long hood, short deck stance borrowed from Detroit muscle cars.

This DeVille/Fleetwood was the first production car anywhere to mount its V8 sideways, Cadillac's front-drive gamble on the new C-body.