With the steady growth of domestic automobile production and sales, China's automobile industry has come to a key intersection from large to strong. Chinese brands have also pressed the acceleration button when they go to sea, and it is reported that many Chinese auto companies have gone out and achieved good results. Taking Changan Automobile as an example, its footprint has spread to more than 50 countries and regions around the world, such as Saudi Arabia, Peru, Bolivia, and Pakistan, and has gained a firm foothold in a number of markets with different cultural backgrounds. Last year, overseas sales reached 114,000 units, up 114.3% year-on-year.
In the past few years, Changan Automobile has maintained a growth rate of more than 30% overseas, which is higher than the industry average. And in Saudi Arabia, Chile, Peru, Pakistan and other markets to achieve Chinese car brand sales leading. Looking back at the centennial development process of Changan Automobile, the history of the company can be traced back to 1862. With 160 years of history and 38 years of car manufacturing accumulation, it has 14 production bases and 33 vehicle, engine and transmission plants around the world. Before the car was built, clocks, drills, hardware and other objects were produced. In the 1950s, China's first jeep, the "Yangtze River Brand" Type 46 jeep, was produced, filling the gap in the domestic automobile industry.
In the 1980s, Changan was one of the first enterprises in China to produce small cars. Aiming at market opportunities, Changan Automobile, which has accumulated technology, began to vigorously develop the passenger car field, and achieved excellent results, becoming the first independent car company with sales of more than one million. At the same time, Changan Automobile noted the broad prospects of overseas markets and established the Italian Design Center, which is the first overseas R&D subsidiary established by Changan Automobile. It has successively entered Saudi Arabia, Peru, Qatar and other overseas markets to open a globalization strategy. Changan Automobile has carried out product suitability testing in Saudi Arabia for many consecutive years, comprehensively verifying the localization adaptability of products, and is one of the best Selling Chinese auto brands in Saudi Arabia. From coasts to mountains, from cities to deserts, from the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf, Chinese automotive products have withstood the rigors of overseas users.
About four years ago, Changan Automobile and Pakistan's Master Motors founded "Master Changan". From laying the first pile of construction of the factory on a blank land to the first car of the joint venture company rolling off the production line, in just ten months, breaking the record of the fastest production speed of Pakistani automobile manufacturers, Changan has since made great strides in Pakistan. It also successfully put Changan Automobile's first right-hand drive SUV into production, and provided more advanced technology and safer features than rival Japanese and Korean cars, and had a competitive advantage in price. Many local people are proud to drive Chinese cars, and changan currently has more than 20 4S sales channels in the local area, covering 10 key cities such as Karachi and Islamabad. Last year, about 18,000 vehicles were sold, a 293% year-on-year increase, and sales ranked first in the export of local Chinese brands.
Changan Automobile's senior management confidently said: "In the next 10 years, the world will definitely give birth to world-class Chinese brands, and there will be a seat for Changan Automobile." Industry insiders believe that after decades of trial and error, the way Chinese car companies go to sea has gradually evolved from a simple export model to a localization model of building factories, production and sales overseas. In addition to traditional car companies such as SAIC, Changan and Great Wall, new car-making forces such as Xiaopeng and Weilai have also actively used high-end new energy products to lay out overseas markets. It is difficult for Chinese car brands to go global, but no matter how difficult things are, someone always has to do them.