Screen & Culture
Why China Loves Long-Wheelbase Cars: The Story of the L
Many cars sold in China come in long-wheelbase versions, marked with an L. The stretch, usually 6 to 14 centimetres, all goes to the rear seat. The first German car built this way for China was the FAW-Volkswagen Audi A6 of 2003, and BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo followed. Officials and state companies were early buyers, but today most are families, who get more room for the price. Electric cars, with long wheelbases by design, may make the L less necessary.
Look at the boot lid of a German saloon in Beijing and you will often see an extra letter: L. It stands for long wheelbase, and it tells you where the car’s owner expects to sit.
The rear seat comes first
A long-wheelbase car keeps the same front end, and adds length between the axles. All of it goes to the rear passengers, as legroom.
How it began
Chinese carmakers moved first. Chery’s Fengyun SQR7160 EL arrived in 2001, and there were long Hongqi saloons based on the Audi 100. The first German car stretched specially for China was the FAW-Volkswagen Audi A6, launched in 2003, and it set the pattern. (ChinaCarHistory)
Others followed, each with its own stretch:
| Model | Extra length |
|---|---|
| Audi A4 L | about 6 cm |
| Volvo S90 L | about 12 cm |
| BMW 5 Series Li | about 13 cm |
| Mercedes-Benz E-Class L (2013) | about 14 cm |
Why China wanted it
Status and the chauffeur. In the early 2000s the first buyers of these cars were often government officials and state companies, driven by chauffeurs. The rear seat was the seat of the person who mattered, and a longer car showed it.
Value. Today most long-wheelbase cars are bought by families and driven by their owners. A stretched mid-size saloon offers the rear space of a flagship for much less. That is why the L has spread from executive saloons to smaller saloons and SUVs.
The end of the L?
Electric cars are built around a flat battery between the axles, so they have long wheelbases by design. As China’s market turns electric, the dedicated L version may become less necessary, because the space is already there.
The longest L of all
The long-wheelbase idea is older than any of these cars. Its grandest form is the Pullman, a limousine stretched for the rear cabin. DARTZ built its Black Dragon Pullman of 2012 for China only, 600 mm longer than the standard car, with three doors on its right side. For the 2024 Year of the Dragon it announced the Black Dragon CLV, on the Mercedes-Maybach GLS, with a special Chinese version.
Read what a Pullman limousine is, the story of Hongqi and DARTZ in China.
About DARTZ
DARTZ is a Riga carrosserie that builds bespoke, opulent vehicles, armoured or non-armoured, in strictly limited numbers. It calls them BONDs: Bespoke Opulent Noble Drives.
Its heritage runs back to the Russo-Baltic Wagon Factory (RBVZ), founded in Riga in 1869, whose automobile department built its first car in 1909. Leonard F. Yankelovich revived that heritage as DARTZ in 1988. The group, DARTZ Grupa OÜ, is registered in Tallinn, Estonia.
Its Prombron’ models, from the Iron Diamond and Black Dragon to the Black Shark, Black Alligator and Black Stallion, have been covered by Top Gear, Forbes, Robb Report and Fox News, among many others.
Questions we are asked
What does the L mean on cars in China?
Long wheelbase. Cars such as the Audi A6L, the BMW 5 Series Li, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class L and the Volvo S90 L are stretched versions made for the Chinese market, with the extra length given to the rear seat.
How much longer are Chinese long-wheelbase cars?
It varies by model: about 6 cm for the Audi A4 L, 12 cm for the Volvo S90 L, 13 cm for the BMW 5 Series Li and 14 cm for the E-Class L of 2013.
Why do Chinese buyers prefer long-wheelbase cars?
For rear-seat space. Officials and state companies, often driven by chauffeurs, were early buyers, and a long car carried status. Today most are bought by families, who value the extra room for the price.
What was the first long-wheelbase car made for China?
Chinese brands came first, for example Chery with the Fengyun SQR7160 EL in 2001. The first German China-specific long-wheelbase saloon was the FAW-Volkswagen Audi A6 of 2003.
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