The first Lavida broke the mould for VW in China — considered the first mass-produced VW small family car mainly designed by its Chinese partner.
Median 200 hp across 291 similar cars
Lead trim: 1.6 (105 PS) · up to 129 hp
Volkswagen Lavida first generation2008–2012
- 0spots by members
- Unclaimednobody has spotted one yet
- 0sets it belongs to
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Volkswagen Lavida first generation 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.
FactThe first Lavida broke the mould for VW in China — considered the first mass-produced VW small family car mainly designed by its Chinese partner.
The first-generation Lavida, built by Shanghai Volkswagen for the Chinese market, is based on the Volkswagen Group PQ34 platform (PQ34L) and competes with a similar Chinese Volkswagen model produced by FAW-Volkswagen, the Bora. It was sold as the Lavida Classic from 2012 to 2018 alongside the second generation. At launch it was equipped with two engine options, a 1.6-litre or a 2.0-litre, and a 1.4 TSI Sport was added later.
Collectors Spotted in the Volkswagen Lavida Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Volkswagen Lavida yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 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 TSI (131 PS) | 2008–2012 | 1.4 L Inline-4 | 129 hp | 162 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 1.6 (105 PS) | 2008–2012 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 104 hp | 114 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 2.0 (120 PS) | 2008–2012 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 120 hp | 127 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
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
The fourth-generation Lavida, the Lavida Pro, launched on 17 November 2025 on the MQB Evo platform, completely restyled and longer.
The third-gen Lavida quietly stretched its wheelbase by 78mm over the old car when it switched to the MQB platform in 2018, extra legroom built into China's perennial best-seller.
This VW-badged Chinese bestseller is secretly a Škoda underneath — it rides on the first-generation Škoda Octavia's platform, stretched to a longer wheelbase.
The first Lavida broke the mould for VW in China — considered the first mass-produced VW small family car mainly designed by its Chinese partner.
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.