Is Audi a Domestic Car?
2 Answers
FAW-Audi is currently a domestic car, but a small portion of its components still need to be imported. Here are the specific details: 1. FAW-Audi is a domestic brand. Audi is a brand under FAW-Volkswagen, but its parent company is the Volkswagen Group; 2. There are both domestic and imported models. The entire A6 and A4 series (including RS series, S series, diesel engine series, wagon series, and A6 allroad) have been localized; 3. Among the three German automotive giants, Audi was the first to implement domestic production in China, manufactured by FAW. The first domestic Audi was the Audi 100 (now discontinued), which can no longer enter the inner ring roads and highways (due to emissions standards below Euro 3).
When it comes to whether Audi is a domestic car, it's actually a bit ambiguous. Audi itself is a German brand, a luxury vehicle line under the Volkswagen Group, with its origins in Germany. However, in China, it has a joint venture with FAW Group, forming FAW-Volkswagen Audi, and many popular models like the A4L and Q5L are produced locally in China. For example, they are assembled in factories in Changchun with a high degree of parts localization, which saves on import tariffs, making mid-range models affordable at around 100,000 to 200,000 RMB. Strictly speaking, the definition of a domestic car depends on the production location, not the brand origin, so Audis made in China are considered part of the domestic car category. However, purely imported Audis like the high-end A8 import version are still foreign-made. When driving these domestically produced Audis, they still feel distinctly German in terms of driving experience, but maintenance should be done at authorized service centers, and insurance is more cost-effective when treated as a domestic car. When buying a car, check the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)—if it starts with 'L,' it means it's made in China, making it easy to distinguish. In short, the brand isn't purely local in origin, but the products are localized.
