Why are reliable, fuel-efficient and value-preserving Japanese cars gradually not sought after by Chinese people?

It cannot be denied that Toyota, Honda and Nissan, the "Japanese top three", have achieved great say in the domestic market, enough to compete with German brands, and even the more niche Mazda has attracted many iron fans with its unique personality. However, in the past two years, with the rise of independent brands, fierce competition in the fuel market and the development of new energy vehicles, the decline of Japanese cars is obvious to all. In the first half of this year, the sales of Japanese brands in China have declined comprehensively, even Toyota has not been spared, and the "single-handed" Mazda is close to cutting its waist.

First of all, look at the "big brother" Toyota, from January to June this year, Toyota's cumulative terminal sales in China were 879,400 vehicles, down 2.8% year-on-year. Among them, monthly sales in June were 174,500 units, down 12.8% y/y, and FAW Toyota's decline was more pronounced (June sales were 71,400 units, down 23.1% y/y), while GAC Toyota sold 86,300 units, down 4.6% y/y. Because Toyota is large overall, the 2.8% decline still has a certain impact, but compared with other Japanese brands, you will find that "the student who scored 59 points is already the highest score in the class."

Honda's attractiveness and influence in the domestic market are also the leaders among Japanese cars, and its explosive models are many. However, since the first half of this year, Honda's cumulative sales have been 529,700 units, down 22% year-on-year, and the decline in sales is still obvious. In terms of monthly sales in June, Dongfeng Honda's sales were 47,500, down 32.4% y/y, much more serious than Hiromoto, which sold 65,600 units and fell 7.3% y/y.

As for Nissan, in fact, it has long been left behind, and the sales of Tiane, known as the "Japanese Three Musketeers" with Camry and Accord, have been very unstable since the replacement, and Xuanyi, which has always been a stand-out, is also difficult to support alone. From January to June, Nissan's sales in China were 69,100 units, down 28% year-on-year, and its sales volume could not be compared with that of "two fields".

However, to say that the most "miserable" is Mazda. In the first half of this year, Mazda's cumulative sales were only 32,200 units, down 49.4% year-on-year. Since FAW Mazda withdrew from the Chinese market, only Changan Mazda supported the brand, and the market influence further declined, and Changan Mazda's sales in June were 7411 units, a year-on-year decline of 28.7%... Despite the introduction of new cars such as the CX-50 and the all-new Unxela, Mazda is still unable to stop its decline, and has recently regained its vitality by relying on "price for volume".

Looking at the market development trend, the passive situation of Japanese brands in the market today is not unrelated to their unsatisfactory performance on the new energy track. Even Toyota, the bZ4x launched has attracted ridicule due to shortcomings such as simple configuration and mediocre battery life; The Nissan ARIYA, which has high hopes, has just been launched in July, but compared with the Xpeng G6 at the same price: smaller size, weaker power, lower configuration... If it were not for the belief in the joint venture brand, it would be difficult for ARIYA to turn the market around for Nissan in the second half of the year.

Of course, from the perspective of product planning, Japanese brands still seem to be expected, from Toyota Fine- Comfort Ride to Honda EV-Ster, and then from Nissan IDS to Mazda CX-90 EV... Each brand exhibited a variety of concept electric vehicles. However, before the real landing of products, many brands will have to wait until after 2026, when the competition in the new energy market will only become more intense. To put it simply, although the strength of "Liangtian" in the field of hybrid can not be underestimated, on the whole, Japanese brands have not gained the right to speak in the field of new energy, and the original market share is gradually being divided by car companies such as BYD and Tesla.

The new energy track has lagged behind, why is the fuel field, which was once popular, also inadequate? When it comes to Japanese brands, many consumers think of durable leather, cost-effective, value retention, etc., with good quality to get off to a good start, such an inherent impression has brought dividends to Japanese brands for many years, especially when the independent automobile industry is not yet developed, the brand effect of Japanese cars is more obvious. However, with the strong rise of independent brands, the gap between independent and joint ventures in design and hardware continues to narrow, and the richness of independent models in terms of configuration makes some joint venture vehicles of the same price "dwarf".

Nissan Ariya interior

Xpeng G6 interior

Of course, a good car can not only pursue the stacking of configurations, the durability of the three major parts and parts can withstand the test of time is the most important, and this aspect is still the "moat" of Japanese cars. However, this advantage is being equalized by independent competitors, and the gap between the two in terms of configuration and other aspects has been further amplified in the current market wind of pursuing electrification, intelligence, and high-end. When new energy models of the same level focus on selling points such as integrated screens, intelligent interaction, and automatic driving, Japanese cars still retain narrow vehicle screens and decent designs, when "leather" becomes the standard equipment of competing models, how can leather sofas and other configurations become unique selling points?

In short, as consumers increasingly pursue the sense of technology and high configuration of automobiles, Japanese brands, which are slow to promote products in new energy and do not innovate and change products in traditional fuels, are facing market questioning. In the short term, Japanese cars may be able to reap a wave of sales with the remaining brand effect through measures such as price reductions and allocations, but in the long run, Japanese cars are expected to regain their vitality only by actively embracing changes such as electrification and intelligence. After all, there is no evergreen tree in the car market, and no matter how strong the brand halo is, it will be eclipsed in front of more cost-effective and product rivals. What do you think about this? Welcome to follow "Boundless Cars" and leave a message in the comment area below to share your views.