Volkswagen plans to stop making Santana cars in China, after producing them for over three decades to its first Chinese-made model.
The model in this period became a symbol of the country’s rising middle class and helped the automaker to gain a foothold in the country.
Volkswagen’s joint venture with SAIC Motor will put an end to the production of the Santana, Skoda’s Rapid, and a current version of Tharu sport-utility vehicles (SUV) at its plant in Yizheng, according to government documents.
That plant is the main factory that has been making Santanas in China. It has the capacity to manufacture 224,400 units annually.
Production of Santanas started in China in 1985.
Volkswagen made deliveries of more than 6 million Santanas in China.
It is yet to be confirmed if Volkswagen will continue making this model elsewhere.
Instead of Santanas and Rapids, the automaker in the Yizheng plant would make T-Cross and facelifted Tharu SUVs, Polo hatchbacks, and Lamando sedans, the document noted. These arrangements would be finished by 2023.
