但分析人士说,要想改变日系车在中国这个全球第二大汽车市场上受欢迎程度日益降低的局面,
仅靠迅速实施一些补救措施是不够的。这些分析人士说,在中日间针对东中国海(East China Sea,
中国称东海)争议岛屿爆发争端前,日系车在华受欢迎程度就已经出现下降。中日领土争端不仅引发了抗议活动,还促使中国消费者抵制日本产品。
Japanese auto makers said prospects in
China were finally improving, having unveiled measures to win back
market share that fell amid tensions between Beijing and Tokyo.
But analysts said it will take more than marketing quick fixes to stem
the decline in popularity of Japanese brands in the world's biggest car
market, which they said predated the recent territorial dispute over
islands in the East China Sea. The spat unleashed protests and prompted
consumers to shun Japanese products.
To remain leading players in a cutthroat market, Japanese auto makers
and their Chinese joint-venture partners must increase the pace of new
model introductions and connect better with Chinese consumers, analysts
said.
Still, in humid exhibition halls jammed with gleaming new models at the
Guangzhou auto show on Thursday, there were early signs of optimism for
the future of Japanese cars in China.
'The market is recovering day by day. The situation is getting better,'
said Ye Lei, director of Venucia, Nissan Dongfeng's low-price brand for
China. He didn't give figures.
Natsuno Asanuma, a spokeswoman for Honda Motor (China) Investment Co.,
said there had been a noticeable increase in visitors to its showrooms
in China since the beginning of this month. 'But consumers are still
hesitating,' she said, adding that sales had not fully rebounded to
precrisis levels.
Honda Motor Co. and its China joint-venture partners will resume normal
production in China from the beginning of next month, she said. In light
of poor sales, many Japanese auto makers cut back production and
dispatched idle workers for extended training.
Mr. Ye said the Sino-Japanese joint venture is introducing a
quality-assurance program that promises to foot the bill if a Nissan
vehicle is damaged 'no matter what the situation.' Nissan Dongfeng is a
joint venture of Nissan Motor Co. 7201.TO +2.87% and Dongfeng Motor
Group Co.
Angry mobs in recent months damaged Japanese cars and attacked and beat a
middle-aged man in the city of Xi'an, leaving him partially paralyzed.
Those actions chilled sales of Japanese cars across China.
Mr. Ye said the program was designed to allay consumers' psychological concerns. Honda has introduced a similar program.
But such moves are unlikely to be sufficient to address a fall in the popularity of Japanese cars in China, analysts said.
The recent political dispute between China and Japan is only an
'additional hammer that is coming down,' said Ivo Naumann, a consultant
with Alix Partners.
Japanese brands' market share fell to around 21% last month from of over
31% in 2008, he said. He attributed the decline primarily to
miscalculation of demand growth in China and to intense rivalry. 'No
other country in the world has this amount of competition,' Mr. Naumann
said.
Japanese auto makers have been more conservative in China than rivals
such as Volkswagen AG, General Motors Co., who have developed products
specifically for the Chinese market, have communicated the strength of
their brands to consumers and cultivated high-quality dealer networks.
McKinsey & Co. consultant Paul Gao said Japanese auto makers in
China need to catch up. 'Unless they are prepared to fight a full
battle, their success will diminish further,' he said.
Given the importance of the market -- it will account for 35% of global
auto-market growth by volume between 2011 and 2020, according to
McKinsey -- failure in China isn't an option for any car maker.
Toyota Motor Corp. plans to introduce 20 new models in China over the
next three years to cater to increasing demand from Chinese consumers,
the company said Thursday.
Nissan Dongfeng's Venucia division will introduce up to five new models
by 2015, including its e30 electric vehicle, which will be produced in
China.
'Japanese, Korean, American…all cars have their benefits and
disadvantages,' said the company's Mr. Ye. 'Japanese cars enjoy a
reputation for quality. So in the face of competition, Japanese cars can
win.'
Honda's Ms. Asanuma conceded that other car makers have been overtaking
the Japanese auto maker in China. 'We need to make our brand stronger,'
she said. The company is pushing ahead with plans to put a third
production line at its factory in Zengcheng, outside Guangzhou, into
operation in 2014, she said.
'We used to have many models that were designed with the U.S. market in
mind and that was fine for the Chinese market of a decade ago,' she
said. 'Now that's not good enough.'