The Volkswagen Lamando is proof that the sedan body style is not quite dead.

This rather good-looking car is the Volkswagen Lamando L and while there are some visual similarities between it and the striking Peugeot 508, there’s nothing shared mechanically between them.

It’s a sedan but not quite as we know it, with it technically being classed as a 5-door liftback. Think of the Audi A5 Sportback, with its 5-door setup, but it looks a bit like a coupe.

The Volkswagen Lamando features a sloping roofline and frameless side windows, and this new generation of Lamando is underpinned by the MQBevo platform, which can also be found under the current Golf and Caddy. As far as dimensions go, the Lamando is 4.78 metres long, which is just shorter than the big Volkswagen Touareg.

The exterior is good-looking, with lots of interesting quirks. As red is a deeply symbolic colour for the Chinese market with associations to luck, joy, and happiness, this Lamando is finished in Kings Red Metallic. Inside, the cabin gets the brand-new infotainment system that we’ve seen and experienced in the new-spec Volkswagen Tiguan and Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI.

You’d think a car of this size and stature would get a commanding engine range, but it appears that the only engine on offer is the turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol with 120 kW. Pity.

Sadly, this vehicle is earmarked for the Chinese market, which still has a strong desire for the sedan body style. The last sedan sold in South Africa was the Volkswagen Arteon, which was withdrawn from our market on the back of poor sales. There are still a few units floating around on our listings, with both petrol and diesel being available.

Further Reading

Volkswagen Arteon R headlines new range