Are Joint Venture Brands Considered Domestic?
2 Answers
Joint venture brands are not considered domestic. The following are the specific differences between joint venture cars and domestic cars: Design: In terms of exterior design, domestic cars may have less independent research and development, often still in the imitation stage. In contrast, joint venture cars combine their own product advantages and make improvements based on domestic consumer market demands, making them more market-friendly. In terms of appearance, joint venture cars have an advantage over domestic cars. Engine Technology: The engines of domestic cars are not as technologically mature as those of joint venture cars. From the perspective of car users, there are gaps in engine smoothness, noise, fuel consumption, power, and durability.
This is actually a quite common question, and I think we should look at the official definition. Domestic cars refer to vehicles produced within China, regardless of whether the brand is a joint venture or purely local. Most joint venture brands like Volkswagen and Toyota have factories in China, with production lines located locally. Common models like the Lavida and Camry are assembled and manufactured domestically, so strictly speaking, they are domestic cars. However, since the brands belong to foreign companies, consumers sometimes feel they have a bit of a 'foreign flavor.' The key point lies in the localization rate. Nowadays, many joint venture cars have over 70% of their parts sourced domestically, which is no less than purely domestic cars in terms of pricing. Overall, from a legal and standard perspective, joint venture cars produced in China are considered domestic, and there's no need to split hairs too much, as it doesn't have any practical impact on buying or maintaining a car.