Guangqi Honda Automobile Co Ltd[1] (Chinese: 广汽本田; pinyin: Guǎng qì Běntián) is a Chinese automobile manufacturing joint venture company[2] based in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.[3]
A joint venture between Honda Motor and Guangzhou Automobile,[4] it operates two plants that, as of 2011, produce Everus, its own brand, and Honda-branded models comprising the Honda Accord, Honda City, Honda Crosstour, Honda Fit, Honda Odyssey, and Everus S1 for the Chinese market.[2] These vehicles may differ significantly from those sold in other markets under the same names.
In 2011 the company began sales of the first Chinese-only joint venture sub-brand, Everus,[5] which is aimed at entry-level consumers in inland cities.[6]
Originally named Guangzhou Honda it soon changed this to Guangqi Honda.[7] As of 2011, the company boasts a per year production capacity of 480,000.[8] While such unit counts may conflate engines and whole vehicles, this figure most likely refers to the latter only.
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Seeking to replace the loss-making[9] Guangzhou Peugeot Automobile Company for a joint venture with another foreign car-maker, the government of Guangzhou and Honda, which beat out a number of rivals for the privilege,[10] established Guangzhou Honda Automobile Co Ltd[11] in May[10] or July[2] of 1998.
By 1999 Guangqi Honda was producing its first model, an American version Accord.[9]
Making a product that the Chinese consumer had familiarity with through high quality imports as well as a pre-existing sales and service network for these cars may have contributed to the early success of Guangqi Honda.[9] A recently failed joint venture between the Guangzhou Government and Peugeot also helped to prepare the ground.
Beginning in 2009, Guangqi Honda has distributed automobiles by ship–reducing secondary transport distances and transport losses while also being environmentally responsible.[12] The company also uses rail and road transport.[12]
Everus (Li Nian[6] Chinese: 理念), Guangqi Honda's first China-only brand (as well as the first such brand for any Sino-foreign auto-making joint venture[5]), is targeted to consumers in places like Chaozhou[6] and Lanzhou[6] who can't afford its Honda-branded vehicles,[13] but desire the cachet and technological underpinnings foreign-tied brands offer.
The first model of Everus, the S1 subcompact, was unveiled at the 2010 Guangzhou Auto Show.[14] The S1 is based on an old model of the Honda City.[14]
Guangqi Honda ranked highest in customer satisfaction with authorized dealer after-sales service according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2009 China Customer Service Index Study.[15]