What does non-parallel imported car mean?
3 Answers
Non-parallel imported cars refer to vehicles authorized by brand manufacturers. Parallel imported cars, whose full name is parallel trade imported cars, abbreviated as parallel trade cars, are vehicles purchased by traders from overseas markets and introduced into the Chinese market for sale without authorization from brand manufacturers. Depending on the import source, they can be classified into US-spec cars, Middle East-spec cars, Canada-spec cars, and Europe-spec cars, distinguishing them from China-spec cars sold through authorized channels. Official parallel import car dealers must provide consumers with the following documents: 1. Certificate of Imported Goods; 2. Vehicle Inspection Sheet; 3. Vehicle Conformity Certificate; 4. Vehicle Purchase Invoice; 5. Imported Vehicle Electronic Information.
When I worked at the 4S store last time, I encountered customers asking about this. Non-parallel imported cars are what we commonly call 'China-spec vehicles', which are cars sold by automakers through officially authorized 4S stores in the Chinese market. These vehicles are fully controlled by the brand from production to transportation to the 4S store, unlike parallel imports, which are brought in by traders themselves from foreign markets. For example, the domestically produced BMW X5 bought at a domestic 4S store is a typical China-spec vehicle, while parallel imports are usually US-spec or Middle East-spec versions directly sourced from North America or the Middle East. The warranty for China-spec vehicles is provided by the manufacturer, the infotainment system comes with built-in domestic map navigation, and the headlights are specially adjusted to the lighting angle suitable for our roads.
Let me put it in simple terms. When I bought my car, I did three months of research. Non-parallel import cars are those officially introduced into the domestic market by brand manufacturers. For example, the new C-Class you buy at a Mercedes-Benz 4S store is called a China-spec vehicle. The biggest difference from parallel imports is that China-spec vehicles have configurations specifically adjusted by the manufacturer to comply with Chinese regulations, such as the China 6 emission standards and Chinese-language infotainment systems, which are all set before leaving the factory. I once compared a parallel-imported Sienna, and the seat fabric configuration was completely different from the China-spec version, not to mention the tire specifications. The most critical point is after-sales service. For China-spec vehicles, you can directly go to the 4S store if there's an issue, while for parallel imports, you have to contact the trader you bought the car from.
