Daihatsu quits China!
Daihatsu was was one of the early players in China, and soon set up shop with local players to produce the iconic kei van, which became the mian bao che in China, then they set about building Charades in partnership with Tianjin Xiali, many of which still ride the streets of Tianjin en masse every day. In recent years Daihatsu hasn’t had much luck in China, despite its early entry into the market it has floundered with a lack of products, and arguably vision in the worlds largest market.
More info:
Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd., a mini car producer in Japan, announced on January 7 that it had withdrawn from a 50-50 joint venture in China in partnership with China’s FAW Jilin Automobile Co., Ltd.
The Japanese automaker has made such a decision after it adjusted its sales strategy in the Chinese auto market. It will sell all its shares in FAW Daihatsu (Jilin) Body Parts Co., Ltd., an auto parts maker in China, to FAW Jilin.
From January to December 2008, Daihatsu sold 1.033 million vehicles, with a growth of 4 percent from a year earlier. However, its sales and net profit had witnessed the first decline in the past six years. Moreover, the Xenia, the only model that has been made in China in the form of technology transference, could hardly have a satisfactory performance.
The Japanese automaker stressed that it would continue the licensing agreement with its Chinese partners, and shared technology targeted at engines and gearboxes with them.
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Daihatsu should focus their attention on Japan alone. They have no presence whatsoever in any other market.
I would’t be at all surprised if they decided to pull out of Europe also.
Well, Daihatsu sold product that was easily pirated by Chinese copycar makers.
High-end product is harder to pirate and impossible to match quality wise.
I rather drive a Daihatsu instead of a Korean shitbox!
Hyundai and Kia had 8 and 9 percent gains in the U.S. market repectively, in the year just ended.
Daihatsu quit the U.S. market in 1992.
Could all those people be wrong?
@ dragin
> Could all those people be wrong?
Hyundai-Kia had a 7.2% US market share in 2009, projected to grow to 13.5% by 2014 by Merrill Lynch. Ford, the only American automaker not bankrupt, has a 15% US market share, so you begin to realize the size of Hyundai-Kia’s presence in the US.
Anyhow, there is a good reason why Honda CEO Takanobu Ito said back in September that he was not afraid of Chinese and American automakers, but only Korean automakers.
Yep, going gangbusters! “Chinese”, Why them? they’re not quite ready yet.
For the New Year why not change your name to something more sociable?
Good. Daihatsu sucks.