Following the brand, Daihatsu cut off the capital link with the Chinese market again. The Japanese second-largest car giant, which is affiliated with Toyota, announced recently that it would sell its entire share of FAW Daihatsu (Jilin) ​​Body Parts Co., Ltd. to FAW Jilin, but it did not announce the specific amount involved in the transaction. .
This company was a body part manufacturing company jointly established by Daihatsu and FAW Jilin in a 50%:50% peer-to-peer ratio in April 2006, and it is also Daihatsu’s sole joint venture in China with a registered capital of US$28.7 million. , producing the body of the Senya model.
According to informed sources, since Daihatsu announced the withdrawal of its brand from the Chinese market in July of last year, the two sides began negotiations on whether the joint venture will continue. This divestment also means that Dafa and FAW Jilin have completely shot and scattered, and will completely withdraw from the Chinese market.
"But before the expiration of the technology license, Daihatsu will continue to perform the agreement and share technology related to the production of engines and transmissions with FAW Jilin," said the person familiar with the situation.
At the same time, the staff of Dafa China Office began to lose a lot, and some core players have already found a way out. The reporter called Dafa Beijing Office, but the person in charge of the public relations affairs at the institute had left the company. The other party rejected all questions raised by the reporter on the grounds that the director was absent.
Obviously, the sudden departure from the world's largest auto market is an irreversible fate. In 2008, the sales volume of Xenia Motors, which carried the Daihatsu brand logo, was only 5,000 units. However, since the car brand of FAW-brand was changed in July last year, Senya sold 4000 units in just 3 months.
According to sources inside Daihatsu, since the Dafa brand's influence in China is minimal, when the Sunya model was used to fly the Daihatsu brand logo, Daihatsu did not charge the branding fee to its partners like other foreign brands.
Previously, Dafa Motors related persons said in an interview with reporters that the change of the Senya model from the Daihatsu brand to the FAW brand was to give full play to FAW's brand strength and comprehensive strength and maximize operating efficiency. However, judging from the current state of development, this is actually a sign that Daihatsu is declining and its status is not guaranteed.
Dafa’s defeat in China is also awkward. Twenty-five years ago, Tianjin Automobile was able to produce Xia Li that was popular throughout the country through technical cooperation with Daihatsu. The latter’s inventory in the Chinese market had exceeded 1 million vehicles as early as in 2005, but Daihatsu was among them. "Contribution" but few people know.
In 2003, Daihatsu, which first tasted the sweetness of the Chinese market, began to cooperate with FAW-Wahly. The first multi-vehicle city car "Daloo Terry" was launched in China. However, this test had 200 cars. The average monthly sales volume has failed, and "Daluther" has also been forced to announce production suspension in 2006.
In June 2007, with the technical cooperation with FAW Jilin, Dafa once again announced its return to the Chinese market and launched the new car Xenia, which carries the Dafa brand logo. This time, Daihatsu appeared confident and not only promised to introduce more and more advanced models to China, but also put forward the goal of “3% market share in 2010â€.
However, none of the big hair was honored. Due to its weak brand influence, Daihatsu is increasingly marginal in joint venture and cooperation with the Chinese side. In addition to market strategy mistakes, “Senya†is once again on the footsteps of “Daluthruiâ€, with an average monthly sales of only 400. More than one vehicle. Daihatsu tested the water market in China for two times and ended in failure.
In fact, the loss of Daihatsu in China was related to its lack of independent sales channels and its failure to achieve joint ventures with its partners in vehicle production and sales.
From Dalu Tecui to Senya, the sales of the Daihatsu models are always under the hedge, the former is to use FAW Toyota's sales channels, while the latter is to use FAW Jilin Jiabao's sales network. Although this is a shortcut, it can achieve production and sales in China as soon as possible with the minimum investment, but it has a fatal lethal effect on the Daihatsu brand.
However, people in the industry believe that Daihatsu still has the opportunity to re-enter the Chinese market. As the controlling shareholder of Daihatsu, Toyota holds 51.2% of its shares. For Daihatsu, an important opportunity is that Toyota Motor, which has experienced the trough of 2009, has begun to re-evaluate China's market strategy and product strategy. The future strategy will be further tilted toward small cars, and the company will be known for small cars. Daihatsu is very likely to become an important part of its new strategy.
For Daihatsu who has repeatedly failed in the Chinese market, perhaps this is the best way out.
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