New Volkswagen Lavida Revealed in Beijing

Styled on a Passat and about the same size as a Jetta, the new VW Lavida hopes to emulate the success of previous made-for-China models. VW is hoping to match the success of the previous Chinese-designed Lavida that sold 700,000 units with the new 2013 model, unveiled this week in Beijing.Inspired by the North American Passat but closer in size to the Jetta, the model has a particularly uninspiring design with instantly recognizable front and rear fascias. From launch the car will be offered with three engines: a 2.0-liter, 1.6-liter and a turbocharged 1.4-liter good for 140hp, all with an "excellent price-to-performance ratio."All cars are FWD with power sent to the wheels via a manual six-speed or via VW's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. ABS, ESP and front airbags come as standard.