Why is Mazda called Changan Mazda?
3 Answers
Suzuki and Mazda are both Japanese companies. According to national policies, foreign automakers cannot independently establish factories for sales in China, so they partner with domestic automakers for joint ventures. As a result, the manufacturers changed from Suzuki and Mazda to Changan Suzuki and Changan Mazda. Yidong is the name of this car, just like Jetta and Santana are Volkswagen-branded cars. Below are specific details about the Mazda CX-5: 1. Exterior: The second-generation Mazda CX-5 follows Mazda's new family design language, emphasizing a more fashionable and sporty look. The previous horizontal grille has been replaced with a more dynamic black mesh grille. The headlight design has also become sleeker and sharper. 2. Dimensions: The second-generation Mazda CX-5 measures 4555/1842/1685mm in length, width, and height, with slight changes in width and height compared to the current model, while the wheelbase remains unchanged at 2700mm. The interior of the second-generation model references the overseas version, featuring a now-popular floating center screen, redesigned air vents, and the latest steering wheel style. 3. Powertrain: The new model will continue to use the current 2.0L/2.5L Skyactiv-G engines, with the former delivering a maximum power of 114kW (155PS) and torque of 200N·m, and the latter offering a maximum power of 144kW (196PS) and torque of 252N·m. The transmission options remain a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic gearbox.
This story starts with China's automotive policies. When I bought my car, I was also puzzled - why add "Changan" in front of the perfectly good name Mazda? Later I learned that national regulations require foreign automakers to establish joint ventures with local companies to manufacture vehicles domestically. Mazda initially partnered with Hainan Auto for a period, then in 2005 teamed up with Chongqing's Changan Automobile, hence becoming Changan Mazda. However, things have changed again recently - FAW Mazda and Changan Mazda have merged into Mazda China, with all vehicle sales channels now integrated. Every time I see the "Changan Mazda" badge on rear ends at dealerships, it reminds me of this evolutionary process.
I've studied the development history of these automakers, and Mazda's story of setting up factories in China is quite a rollercoaster. Back in the 1990s, they initially partnered with Hainan Automobile Works to produce Hainan Mazda vehicles. Later, due to policy changes, they switched to collaborating with Changan Group in 2005 to establish a plant in Nanjing, which naturally became known as Changan Mazda. Actually, this naming convention applies to all joint-venture automakers—think Brilliance BMW or Dongfeng Honda—it's the same playbook. The funniest part is that if you look at new cars today, some still bear the Changan Mazda badge, even though the two joint ventures merged operations last year. New models like the CX-50 are now simply branded as Mazda.
