FAW Toyota’s China strategy

Toyota employees talk about five reasons not to buy Japanese cars!

Toyota employees talk about five reasons not to buy Japanese cars!

1. Introduction

First of all, I am originally an employee of Toyota’s wholly-owned "Toyota Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd. After-sales Service Department". At the beginning of this year, after the company was restructured, Officially transferred to the "After-sales Service Department of FAW Toyota Motor Sales Co., Ltd." a joint venture between FAW and Toyota. If anyone has doubts about my identity or thinks I'm spreading some falsehoods, don't. Because the following content is just my personal opinion.

(1): 2. Japanese cars and European cars First of all, let’s not talk about national sentiments and objectively analyze Japanese cars. Many people like to compare European cars with Japanese cars, but I think due to different regional cultural differences and different vehicle design guidelines, it is difficult to say which one is better. For example, Japanese cars don't feel strong, but the front steel frame structure is not necessarily as strong as possible. When the vehicle is hit, it is best to deform quickly and absorb the impact energy. From what I have seen while working in Japanese companies, Japan’s automotive technology is quite unique. The technical content of hybrid power and fuel cells is quite high, and the after-sales service system of Japanese manufacturers is also quite complete. In Europe and the United States, Japan The repair rate and customer satisfaction rate of cars are much higher than those of European cars. In these aspects, it is indeed worth learning from our domestic automobile manufacturers.

(2): 3. Typical Toyota cars sold to China

1. What are domestically produced Japanese cars! However, there is one thing I want to say. As a Chinese, I want to remind everyone: what are domestically produced Japanese cars! What is the Japanese attitude towards the Chinese market! ! ! Japanese cars are good, but the ones with good quality are those sold in Japan and sold to Europe and the United States, not the cars sold to China! ! ! When I went to Japan for further study, I saw that the quality of Toyota cars running on the streets in Japan was indeed good, but they were completely different from the Toyota cars produced in our country.

2. Typical Toyota cars sold to China. Did you know that there is a term within our company called "Typical Toyota cars sold to China?" What's the meaning? I don’t understand how European cars are made, but the cars the Japanese sell to China are N times worse than the cars sold to Europe and the United States! You can compare the European and American versions of Toyota cars with domestically produced Toyota cars. Even the cars sold in the Middle East are better than those made in China. (The last letter of the Toyota vehicle code sold to Europe is W, North America is A, the Middle East is V, and China is C. It is engraved on the nameplate in the engine compartment.) Anyone who knows anything knows that when importing domineering (PRADO) ) and CAMRY are equipped with VSC (vehicle stability control), TRC (traction control), BA (braking assist) and other systems, but none of them can be seen on domestic Toyota cars!

3. Domestic Toyota Corolla Take Toyota Corolla (COROLLA) as an example, the world’s single-model sales champion! What a great car, but what did it become when brought to China? ! ! I spent two weeks with four Corolla prototypes in Beijing at the end of January, and I was deeply impressed. This Corolla is based on the Taiwanese Corolla, which was modified and sold to China. I went to Taiwan last year and saw the actual car of the Taiwanese version of the Corolla, and it was so different. Our colleagues in the technical team only said one thing after seeing this car: "A typical car sold by Toyota to China." The visible parts are well done, but the invisible parts, such as the quality of the chassis, are N times rougher than those in Taiwan! Moreover, the VSC, TRC, BA, and EMPS (electronically assisted power steering) available in Taiwan are all gone! The rough spots can be said to be that the domestic processing quality is not high, but what does it mean that there is no electronic system? Explain the Japanese attitude towards Chinese consumers! The quality in Taiwan is not as good as in Japan. We are not even as good as Taiwan. The Japanese just throw backward things to us! If it weren’t for competing with European and American manufacturers, I’m afraid I wouldn’t even be able to do this!

4. Domestic Vichi Let’s talk about Vichi. Its predecessor is the so-called Toyota T-1 “tailor-made for the Chinese market”.

What a big joke! Is the Chinese market so bad? It is equipped with a 1.5L displacement 5A engine that was not used in Japan N years ago and does not even have VVT-I. There is basically no new technology in the chassis and safety system. It is sold for 190,000 with a gorgeous and impractical DVD navigation installed. , none of us thought that such a car could achieve such sales volume. The Japanese were already secretly laughing. I can even tell you that the repair rate and claim rate of Vichi in China are very high, which is absolutely not the same as the quality of Toyota cars in North America!

5. Price issue There is also price. Many people say that Japanese cars are cheap? That was abroad! The Camry 2.4 four-cylinder top luxury sports version is sold in Australia for 32,000 Australian dollars, about 192,000 yuan, and the 3.0 six-cylinder top sports version is 39,000 Australian dollars, about 234,000 yuan. In Taiwan, the Camry 3.0 six-cylinder DVD navigation deluxe version sells for about RMB 260,000. What about at home? Even if GAC and Toyota negotiate to produce the Camry in Guangzhou, it is impossible to sell it at such a low price. If so, the technical content will be absolutely low.

3): 4. The backlog of products is sold to the Chinese at high prices. Having said so much, I do not intend to judge everyone’s principles of buying cars, nor do I want to discourage everyone; I just want everyone here to One understands what is the Japanese attitude towards the Chinese market. There is an old saying in China: "A good person will be bullied by others, and a good horse will be ridden by others." There are some people who may not appreciate your kindness even if you treat them well, because they look down on you deep down. That's the Japanese. Please don’t forget, the Japanese once said: First-rate products are sold at home, second-rate products go to Europe and the United States, third-rate products are sold to Asia, and products that are suppressed are sold to the Chinese at high prices! ! ! It is an individual's right to drive any car. I have no objection to everyone driving Japanese cars, because that is our right, but I hope every Chinese will remember: loving our motherland is also the obligation and responsibility of each of us! ! Just because Japanese products are good does not mean that the Japanese are good; just because the Japanese are good does not mean that they will be good to the Chinese!