Pick up above: 40 years of joint venture brands – the cars you grew up with (16): Audi 100 (above)
As mentioned above, FAW chose Audi as its partner, and Chrysler regretted its exit. After the decision to introduce the Audi 100 assembly, the Audi 100 quickly occupied the domestic luxury car market. The story of the Audi 100 in China continues:
In 1992, FAW began to use imported parts to assemble a new generation of Audi 100 models, that is, Audi 100 (C4), let's take a look at its replacement in Germany:
4th generation Audi 100 (C4)
In 1990, Audi AG (formerly known as Audi-NSU Automobile Alliance AG) officially changed its name and released the fourth-generation Audi 100 model in Europe. This generation of the model can be seen as a deeply improved model of the previous generation C3, and the overall interior and exterior styling have not changed much, and the drag coefficient has been reduced from 0.3 to 0.29. The biggest change is that Audi has added two V6 engines, 2.8-liter and 2.6-liter, to this generation of models, which is a step towards the premium end of the brand and model. After the mid-facelift in 1995, Audi AG rebranded its products, the Audi 100 was renamed the Audi A6, and the low-level Audi 80 was renamed the Audi A4, the history of the Audi 100 ended, and the Audi A6 was about to usher in a new chapter.
Fourth-generation Audi 100
The fourth-generation Audi 100 assembled in China uses a 2.6-liter V6 engine with a maximum power of 102 kW and a maximum torque of 210 Nm, which is slightly lower than the overseas original, with a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 10.3 seconds and a 90 km/h constant fuel consumption of 6.8 liters. The exterior and interior styling are the same as those of the overseas original, with the most noticeable changes being the shape of the front and rear headlights.
The locally-produced Audi 100 (C4) rolled off the assembly line
- The basic parameters of the fourth-generation Audi 100 (C4) produced in China:
Length: 4,790mm
Width: 1,777mm
Height: 1,420mm
Wheelbase: 2,687 mm
Curb weight: 1,370kg
Maximum permissible gross mass: 1,920kg
Trunk volume: 510L
The taillight styling of the fourth-generation Audi 100 is the most distinctive from the third-generation appearance
Domestic Audi 200:
In 1996, the year after Audi joined the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture, FAW launched the Audi 200 (C3) model, which was based on the third-generation Audi 100 (C3) and developed for the Chinese market. On May 20, 1996, the first Audi 200 (C3) rolled off the production line, and the original Audi 200 was powered by a 2.6-liter V6 engine, followed by 2.4-liter and 1.8-liter engines.
Audi 200 (C3)
In general, at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, the Audi 200 was nothing new, and FAW-Volkswagen had already introduced the latest generation of Audi A6 at that time, that is, the renamed fifth-generation Audi 100, into China in 1999. The Audi 200, which is based on the third-generation Audi 100, actually played the role of maintaining the Audi product line after the Audi 100 (C3) and the Audi 100 (C4) until the new A6 was produced in China. At the same time, because the production of Buick and Accord at this time could not meet the needs of the market, the Audi 200, which was reduced to the price range of 30-400,000 yuan, could still find some private car buyers.
Audi 200 (C3)
- Basic parameters of the domestic Audi 200 (C3):
Length: 4,891mm
Width: 1,814mm
Height: 1,430mm
Wheelbase: 2,687 mm
Curb weight: 1,350 kg (1.8 T), 1,370 kg (2.4 V6)
Fuel tank volume: 80L
轮胎规格：205/60R15
Maximum power: 105 kW (1.8 T), 103 kW (2.4 V6)
Maximum torque: 200Nm (1.8T), 202Nm (2.4 V6)
90km/h等速油耗:7.3L/100km(1.8T);7.8L/100km(2.4 V6)
Reference price: 356,000 (1.8T), 420,000 (2.4 V6)
*From the 1998 Friends of the Car magazine
Audi 200 (C3)
Regarding the experience of the Audi 100 (C3), Audi 100 (C4) and Audi 200 in the Chinese market, it can be said that FAW and Audi made the most correct choice back then, and the localized Audi became the guide of the joint venture between FAW and Volkswagen. In addition to meeting the needs of mid-to-high-end sedans after Hongqi's discontinuation, FAW's purpose in introducing the Audi 100 is to use the platform and technology of the Audi 100 to transform and continue the production of Hongqi sedans. Of course, the subsequent development of Hongqi cars is highly controversial:
The third-generation Audi 100 has been transformed into a "little red flag"
With the gradual improvement of the localization rate of Audi 100, in 1992 FAW successfully trial-produced the CA7220 model, which is based on the Audi 100 platform and Chrysler 488 engine, the exterior and interior follow the Audi 100 model, but due to the change of powertrain, the engine compartment cover has been increased by 8mm, and the front grille has been replaced with the FAW LOGO. In 1996, the CA7220 model, which solved the problem of engine adaptation and improved the localization rate, was officially mass-produced. In the following years, FAW launched two series of models, CA7200 and CA7180, using 2.0L and 1.8L engines based on the Audi 100.
CA488 with 7220 engine
CA7180
CA7200
In 1998, FAW launched a facelifted model of CA7220 - Hongqi 98 Nova (later renamed Mingshi), although it is a facelifted model, it can still be regarded as a rebranded model of Audi 100, but this time the logo was replaced with a new FAW LOGO. In 2000, FAW launched the Hongqi Century Star model, which used the chassis of the Audi 200 and Nissan's 2.0L V6 engine, and then launched the Hongqi Century Star in 2004 using the Audi 2.4L V6 engine. However, after entering the 21st century, FAW based on the Audi 100/200 platform launched these models have obviously not been able to compete with the cutting-edge Buick, Passat and Accord and other new generation players, the price of these "little red flags" has gradually dropped to less than 200,000 yuan, official cars and some taxi companies contributed most of the sales, but the individual market has not been able to make a breakthrough.
Hongqi Mingshi
Hongqi Mingshi 04 model
Hongqi Mingshi II
New Names
The Hongqi Century Star CA7242E6 is powered by an Audi 2.4-liter V6 engine
Hongqi Century Star using Audi 200 chassis
Red Flag Century Star Excellence
In addition to the regular sedan, FAW has also developed a variety of variants such as elongated cars, convertibles, courtesy cars, and bulletproof cars on the chassis of the Audi 100, but it has never gotten rid of the shadow of the Audi 100/200, and most of them have not been produced on a large scale. The later Xiaohongqi is still using the Audi 100 platform to change around, which has become the most concentrated point of people's verbal criticism of FAW back then, it is true that this does seem to be a bit "not enterprising", but if in terms of technical level, only by virtue of the domestic research and development strength of the year, FAW can just enter the 21st century in the years when what new models can be come up with?
CA7220EL2A2
CA7226L
CA7247L
Audi 100 Timeline:
- In 1986, FAW and Shanghai Volkswagen each assembled 100 Audi 100s.
- In 1987, FAW assembled 500 Audi 100s and Shanghai Volkswagen assembled 499 Audi 100s.
- In 1988, FAW assembled 891 Audi 100s and Shanghai Volkswagen assembled 1. Since then, all the domestically produced Audi 100 has been produced by FAW.
- On May 17, 1988, FAW and Audi signed the "Technology Transfer License Contract for the Production of Audi in FAW" in Changchun, and the contract with Volkswagen to transfer the old molds of the Audi 100 body at the South African plant to FAW, which was the first luxury car technology transfer contract in the history of China's automobile industry.
- In August 1989, after the official signing of the contract, the Audi 100 sedan rolled off the assembly line in China, with 1,922 units assembled that year and 4,200 units assembled in 1990, with localization rates of 6.68% and 13.66% respectively.
- In 1990, the FAW Audi car assembly line was completed.
- In 1992, the localization rate of the Audi 100 was 44%, in 1994 it increased to 62%, by 1995 when the pilot project was basically completed, the localization rate had reached 82%, and by the end of 1996 it had reached more than 90%.
- In December 1992, FAW began assembling the latest fourth-generation Audi 100 model in the form of CKD, and the new Audi 100 was called the 100-4 (C4V6) and was equipped with a V6 engine with a displacement of 2.6L.
- In 1994, annual production of the Audi 100 in China peaked at 20,000 units.
- In 1995, FAW-Volkswagen and Audi AG signed a Technology Transfer Agreement, and Audi series products will be officially incorporated into FAW-Volkswagen production as contract products.
- In 1996, FAW-Volkswagen launched the Audi 200 model, which was based on the third-generation Audi 100 model (C3) and developed specifically for the Chinese market, with 2.6-liter and 2.4-liter V6 engines and a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
- On May 31, 1997, the 100,000th domestically produced Audi sedan rolled off the assembly line.
Early domestic Audi 100 (C3) with Type 86 license plates
Early domestic Audi 200 (C3) with Type 86 license plate
Note: Some of the pictures in the article are from the Internet, and the copyright belongs to the original author. The content of this article is partly from "The History of Chinese Automobiles" published by the Machinery Industry Press, and "The History of Chinese Automobiles - Forty Years of Personal Experience" published by World Book Publishing Company. This article may not be reproduced without permission, and the Douyin account with the same name shares more car stories.