The new Volkswagen Touran L was unveiled on the Guangzhou Auto Show in China. It is called L to differentiate it from the last-generation Touran, which will continue to be sold on the Chinese market, alongside the Touran L. The Touran L is not stretched or extended, it has the same wheelbase (2791) and length (4527) as the European version.

Chinese buyers thus can choose between two Tourans. This is very common in China, where it is believed that a car that still sells should never be retired. There are, for example, three generations Mazda 6 available, two generations Toyota Camry, two generations Volkswagen Passat, and many many more. And earlier on we saw the debut of the Chevrolet Malibu XL, which isn’t XL at all, but needed a special name because the old Malibu continues too.

Both Tourans are made in China by the Shanghai-Volkswagen joint venture. The Touran L is based on Volkswagen’s new MQB platform. In China, the L will be available with two engines: a 150hp 1.4 TSI and a 180hp 1.8 TSI, both mated to a five-speed DCT. Price is expected to start around 150.000 yuan, and it will hit the Chinese car market in Q1 2016.

The L is not Long.