
CX4 is a joint venture model. Mazda is a Japanese automobile manufacturer headquartered in Hiroshima, Japan, with major sales markets including Asia, Europe, and North America. The Mazda CX4 is a compact SUV under the Mazda brand, produced by FAW Mazda in Changchun. It is equipped with a 2.0L naturally aspirated engine, delivering a maximum horsepower of 158 hp and a maximum torque of 202 Nm. The dimensions of the Mazda CX4 are 4637mm in length, 1855mm in width, and 1524mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2700mm. The transmission system is paired with a 6-speed automatic manual transmission.

















The CX4 is indeed a joint venture vehicle, I can confirm that. It is manufactured by FAW Mazda, a joint venture established between China's FAW Group and Japan's Mazda, with the production plant located in Changchun. Although it bears the Mazda logo, all parts are assembled domestically. The joint venture model helps control costs to make the vehicle more affordable, and with localization, parts supply is convenient while maintenance becomes worry-free. I remember my friend just bought a titanium gray CX4 last month, and even deliberately added a domestic joint venture badge on the rear. The newly launched 2021 model now comes with a panoramic sunroof, showing that joint venture models are continuously upgrading their localized designs.

As a car enthusiast, I've studied Mazda's production line situation. The CX4 is a genuine domestically produced joint-venture vehicle. In earlier years, it was manufactured by FAW , but since last year it has been transferred to the Changan Mazda system. You can see it has dedicated testing grounds in China, with a nearly 1:1 ratio of Chinese to Japanese engineers in the design team, and even the user manual has a customized Chinese version. Unlike pure imported vehicles, the CX4 comes with tires from domestic suppliers upon leaving the factory, and its fuel consumption label bears the Chinese MIIT certification. If it were fully imported, the price would be at least 70,000-80,000 yuan more expensive. Currently, its pricing is strategically positioned between the CR-V and Tiguan, making it quite suitable for urban middle-class family budgets.

I just asked the salesperson at the 4S dealership last week about this. The CX4 is a joint-venture vehicle. Although its engine and transmission utilize Japanese technology, the entire vehicle is assembled on domestic production lines. The salesperson mentioned that the Changchun factory currently has a monthly production capacity of 5,000 units, primarily supplying the domestic market. Compared to parallel-imported vehicles, the joint-venture version has more service outlets, with authorized dealerships available in nearly every prefecture-level city, and parts typically arrive within 2-3 days. Another notable difference is the warranty policy: imported vehicles usually offer a 3-year/100,000 km warranty, while the CX4 provides a 5-year/150,000 km warranty—this confidence clearly highlights the advantage of joint-venture domestic production.

From the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), it's clear that the domestically produced CX-4 has VIN codes starting with LFM, indicating it's made in China. When I was repairing the car, I specifically checked the chassis number, and it indeed matches the characteristics of a domestically produced joint-venture vehicle. In fact, the CX-5, which shares the same platform, is manufactured in Japan, while the CX-4 was specifically designed for the Chinese market with its fastback styling, and even the suspension tuning is more adapted to domestic road conditions. The biggest advantage of joint-venture production is the affordable price—you can get the 2.5L version for just over 200,000 RMB, whereas an imported SUV with the same configuration would start at least from 300,000 RMB. By the way, its telematics system was developed in collaboration with Tencent.

As a veteran driver who has owned three generations of Mazdas, I can confirm the CX-4 is a typical joint-venture model. When helping my son purchase a car last year, I carefully compared it. The front windshield bears the green eco-label commonly seen on joint-venture brands, while the rear window is printed with 'FAW Mazda'. The mechanic told me its ECU program is specifically optimized for China's fuel quality - it runs smoothly on 92-octane gasoline, which imported models don't accommodate. The latest version features an enlarged 10.25-inch central touchscreen, such localized upgrades being rare in pure imports. To identify a joint-venture model, check the production date plate location: imported cars place it on the door frame, whereas the CX-4 directly sticks it on the B-pillar.


