The Bora was a previous generation Jetta in Europe, but it continues to thrive in China via the FAW (First Auto Works) VW joint venture, the Livida on the other hand, is a completely new car from SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp) and VW. The two cars are roughly the same size, they are on a different generation of platform, they both wear VW badges and are aimed at a similar type of client, but what is different about them? China Car Times cant help but feel that VW has become the British Leyland of China with different products competing against each other in the same market segment!VW FAW unveiled the latest incarnation of the Bora out at the Beijing Auto Show, and VW SAIC unveiled the Livida, which gave a lot of people the chance to compare between the two cars!
The Stats:
Car - Length - Width - Height - Wheelbase - Engine Offerings - Gear Box
Bora - 4540mm - 1775mm - 1467mm - 2610mm - 1.6/2.0l - Tiptronic 6 speed or 5 speed manual
Lavida - 4608mm - 1743mm - 1465mm - 2610mm - 1.6/2.0l - Tiptronic 6 speed or 5 speed manual
So the Lavida is slightly longer, but not as wide as the Bora. Both are the same height and pack the same engine displacement. But the platforms are a different story, the Lavida sits on the PQ35 platform, and the Bora on the older PQ34 platform. The PQ35 has fully independent suspension, where as the PQ34 does not. The PQ35 platform is shared across the VW/Audi range, and runs underneath the Audi TT II, 06 Passat, Seat Leon II etc
Exterior:
The new Bora:
The Lavida:
Interior:
The Bora interior (above) is a bit spartan, but that works fine. Everything is in easy reach, and the wood will no doubt appeal to the more mature buyer, note that the airvents are square. The Lavida carries on with the same spartan design features as the Bora, but the air vents are round, and the plastics are silver, which may indicate the Lavida is aimed at a younger audience. One Chinese automotive publishing house described the Lavida’s interior as being a ‘China Special’ whatever that means,
Next year, VW plan to drop a 1.4 TSI and a 1.8TSI into the Lavida to give it a bit more punch. The 1.4TSI would be great around the city, and the 1.8TSI would be better for longer journeys. FAW are currently offering a 1.6 and 1.8 engine with the new Bora, but they could be offering a 2.0l pretty soon.
China Car Times is still unsure - VW have the new Bora which is being slated as a Jetta replacement, and now the Lavida, which is to be a Santana replacement, but will VW actually stop producing the much loved Jetta/Santana line up? And how will the Lavida/Bora match up against VW’s other offerings in China namely the Magotan (current Euro Passat), Passat Lingyu (last gen Euro Passat), and VW’s other brands offerings, such as the Skoda Octavia etc. G.M. does a similar trick to VW, except they brand their cars under different names, whilst still competing against each other (i.e. Buick Excelle against Chevrolet Epica) they also build up brand awareness for each individual brand which give G.M. 5 strong brands, rather than 1 rather diluted brand, which is what VW seems to be heading towards.
The similarity between VW Bora and VW Lavida can be compared with Dacia Logan and Renault Logan.
Sorry Moldova your are not fully aware of the facts. Dacia Logan and Renault Logan are one and the same vehicle. Just different badges! Same platform, same mechanicals. The Dacia name is not as strong a name as Renault in some European markets. Try selling a Dacia Logan in France and you will get a very big “Non”.
Well, Patrick, actually you’re wrong since the Logan is sold in France under the Dacia brand. Precisely not to damage the still awaited “Renault new identity”. But some costumers were so annoyed with that middle-age herald that Dacia “designers” have decided to modernize the logo. And the new one will be as different to the previous one as the yearly change of logo assumed by any kind of Chinese automaker.
Here in Chile, is very common that things like this happen.
VW for instance, started selling the Bora in 1999 or 2000. Since then, it body have been updated a couple of times and now it’s manufactured in Brazil. Last year VW have introduced the Vento, which in europe replaced the Bora a couple of years ago, meaning that VW is selling 2 different generations of the same car at the same time in the same market. Audi and the A3 were doing exactly the same move during last year(building the previous one in brazil and selling it cheaper than the German newer gen).
The same thing happened with the Corsa some years ago, but people remained buying the old version (Corsa “B”, which is still being sold nowadays) while the Corsa “C” was retired from the market. Peugeot, at the end of 2007 introduced the 207, the natural replacement of the 206, but the’ve not retired the 206 from the market and both are being sold simultaneously. Same thing with the 307/308.
Now, a common factor in all this cases, is that all the previous gen models are now made in Latin America (Peugeot makes them in Argentina, while VW and Chevrolet also does them in Brazil) and the new ones, are being imported from Europe, which leads to higher prices.
Funny story, when the Vento seems to have succeeded to the Bora in Latin America, in Europe it is quite the contrary since we had the Jetta I (Golf I), the Jetta II (Golf II), the Vento (Golf III), the Bora (Golf IV), then again the Jetta (III?!) (Golf V).
Anglophones found that Bora sound like “boring cars” when Romanophones found that Jetta sound like ” voitures jettables” !
As for the 206 and 207 the different in size is quite obvious and they’re sold simultaneously in various European countries as are the Clio II (now Campus) and Clio III. The older versions are popular among students.
Great article. This is the first time the platform question in terms of the Chinese New Bora versus the Lavida has REALLY been answered. I used to drive the Seat Leon I, which is PQ34-based. I now drive a Leon II, which is PQ35-derived. The difference, handling-wise between the PQ34, with its ridged axle, and the PQ35, with the “live” axle, is revolutionary. The newer platform also addresses many noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) issues. The Lavida appears to be a close cousin of the European Skoda Octavia and the US-market VW Jetta, which places it more up-market than the New Bora. The New Bora is just an attractive re-skin. The two vehicles won’t compete with one another in the marketplace.
Well, Brian and Ash you’re not precised enough…
Ash, the Bora you show on the main picture of your article is not the New Bora but the current facelifted Bora. The New Bora is the blue car you show further down your article
Brian, I never drove a Leon I, but having driven a Leon II last summer in Ibiza, I can tell you that its gearbox is far more dangerous than revolutionary ! They’re enough deaths from car accidents in China for that kind of threat to be added !
I agree with you that the SAIC Lavida shows ressemblance with the old Octavia, like it would be an ugly and maladroit looking sedan version of it. Indians are far more lucky than Chinese since they can benefit from the two generations of the Skoda Octavia (the current one being sold as Laura). Hopefully the Chinese can rejoy since they can drive the Skoda Superb I, even if it sold there as the Passat Lingyu.
However neither the Lavida nor the New Bora look like the US and European current Jetta. This one is sold in China as the FAW-VW Sagitar since FAW-VW still sell the Jetta II (overly facelifted lol). Finally the facelifted Bora wrongly shown by Ash on the main picture of its article may be a reskin (actually it dates back 2006) but the New Bora is not a reskin at all. It is just quite a dull new Volkswagen sedan with a Tiguanish front face and worse : a Nissan Tiida sedan’s profile…
Caroline — all good points! I’ll have to agree with Ash that VW is in danger of overloading the market for small sedans, even though we’re talking about several different corporate partnerships. BTW, which transmission did you drive with? The six-speed transmission in my Leon’s been flawless so far . . .
Furthermore Ash, the Buick Excelle is not based on the Chevrolet Epica but on the Chevrolet Nubira, the smaller sedan.
man…
the lavida rides in the same plataform as this Bora (PQ34)
it is NOT PQ35