Recently, major joint venture automakers have released their November sales data. Unlike the impressive market performance of domestic automakers, joint venture automakers have shown a clear trend of 'uneven performance.' Among them, FAW-Volkswagen, GAC Toyota, Dongfeng Nissan, and GAC Honda have all achieved varying degrees of year-on-year growth.

Specifically, FAW-Volkswagen remained the top-performing joint venture automaker in November. Data shows that FAW-Volkswagen sold a total of 149,100 new vehicles in November, a year-on-year increase of 7%. Among them, the Volkswagen brand sold 85,000 units, up 1.4% year-on-year. FAW Audi contributed 54,000 units (including imported vehicles), ranking first in market share in the domestic luxury fuel vehicle market. The Jetta brand sold 11,000 units, accounting for 7% of FAW-Volkswagen's total sales.

In addition, FAW-Volkswagen is continuously expanding its new energy vehicle (NEV) market. At the 2025 Guangzhou Auto Show, FAW-Volkswagen unveiled several new energy models, including the Audi A6L e-tron and ID.AURA. It is understood that the ID.AURA is positioned as a pure electric compact family sedan, with its production version expected to launch in 2026. Meanwhile, the first new energy model developed by Jetta's new company will also hit the market in 2026. The arrival of these models not only enriches FAW-Volkswagen's product matrix but also enhances the electrification level of its product line.

As another Volkswagen joint venture in China, SAIC Volkswagen sold 90,000 units in November, with cumulative sales of 936,100 units in the first 11 months. From a market performance perspective, SAIC Volkswagen maintains a solid leading position and resilience.

Among them, the Passat family sold over 20,000 units in November, leading the B-segment fuel vehicle market. The Lavida family sold over 19,000 units, with the new Lavida Pro contributing to the growth. The Tiguan family sold over 18,000 units, continuing to lead the joint venture mid-size SUV market. SAIC Audi also performed well in the luxury market, with terminal sales reaching 5,500 units in November, a year-on-year increase of 57.1%.

In terms of new energy vehicles, SAIC Volkswagen unveiled its new product line, ID.ERA, at the 2025 Guangzhou Auto Show. Multiple ID.ERA models will enter the pure electric, hybrid, and extended-range power markets starting in 2026. It is understood that the first product of ID.ERA will become Volkswagen's first global 9-series flagship model. Additionally, AUDI's second model, the Audi E7X, was officially announced and is expected to launch in the first half of 2026. Currently, the Audi E5 Sportback is performing well in the market, laying a solid foundation for the arrival of subsequent new energy vehicles.

Besides Volkswagen, Toyota's joint venture camp (alliance) has also demonstrated strong risk resistance. In November, FAW Toyota sold 71,000 units. From January to November this year, FAW Toyota's cumulative sales reached 748,500 units.

Behind this performance lies the solid foundation accumulated in the fuel vehicle sector over the long term, providing strong sales support for FAW Toyota. Public data shows that in the first 11 months of this year, the Corolla family accounted for about 33% of FAW Toyota's total sales, while the RAV4 Rongfang recorded cumulative sales of 232,100 units. The positions of these two models remain unshakable. Notably, the sixth-generation RAV4 Rongfang and the all-new Intelligent Hybrid Corolla have been launched successively, further consolidating FAW Toyota's competitiveness.

In terms of electrification, FAW Toyota unveiled its IT'S TiME 3.0 technology at the 2025 Guangzhou Auto Show. This technology achieves comprehensive breakthroughs in intelligence, power, and software-hardware integration, with the new bZ3 Intelligent Home being a product of IT'S TiME 3.0.

Various signs indicate that while FAW Toyota may not be the fastest runner in the race, it is certainly the most stable one. As a result, when some joint venture automakers struggle amid market fluctuations, FAW Toyota consistently remains in the core camp (alliance).

Echoing FAW Toyota's stability, GAC Toyota is continuously advancing toward the goal of 'strong performance in both fuel and electric vehicles.' In November, GAC Toyota sold 73,500 units. From January to November this year, its cumulative sales reached 687,100 units, a year-on-year increase of 4%.

Among them, the Camry, Frontlander, and Wildlander remain the absolute pillars of GAC Toyota, with strong overall sales performance. In the new energy market, the pure electric model bZ4X has become a new growth engine for GAC Toyota. In November, the bZ4X sold 10,010 units, with deliveries exceeding 10,000 units for two consecutive months. Since its launch, cumulative sales of the bZ4X have reached 62,000 units. Recently, the flagship D-segment sedan, bZ7, was officially released and opened for pre-orders. The biggest highlight of the new car is its integration of Huawei's intelligent cockpit, Momenta's intelligent driving algorithm, and Xiaomi's hardware ecosystem. It is understood that the bZ7 will launch in the first quarter of next year and is expected to continue the hot sales trend of the bZ4X.

Overall, GAC Toyota has achieved positive results with its dual-line strategy of 'maintaining the fuel vehicle base and expanding new energy vehicle growth' amid a generally adverse market environment for joint venture automakers.

Recently, Dongfeng Nissan has also performed well in the market. In November, Dongfeng Nissan sold 66,200 units, a year-on-year increase of 16%. From January to November this year, its cumulative sales reached 575,600 units.

Among them, models such as the Sylphy, Qashqai, Teana, and X-Trail continue to deliver stable sales. Recently, the new Teana was officially launched, with a starting official guide price of 129,900 yuan, becoming the world's first fuel vehicle equipped with HarmonyOS cockpit. In terms of electrification, Dongfeng Nissan has successively launched the Nissan N7 and Nissan N6. Among them, the Nissan N6 officially launched earlier this month, with an official guide price ranging from 99,900 to 129,900 yuan, continuing the cost-effectiveness strategy of the Nissan N7. It is reported that the new car received 11,763 firm orders within 10 days of its launch. Based on its performance, the Nissan N6 is expected to become a new sales growth point for Dongfeng Nissan. Not long ago, the company officially announced the first SUV model in its N-series lineup, the Dongfeng Nissan NX8, which is expected to debut in the first half of next year.

The dense (intensive) release of new models is expected to continuously enhance Dongfeng Nissan's market competitiveness.

According to the production and sales report released by GAC Group, GAC Honda's sales reached 41,400 units in November, a year-on-year increase of 6%. From January to November this year, GAC Honda's cumulative sales reached 300,900 units.

Specifically, the Accord sold 21,700 units across all trims in November, a year-on-year increase of 63.3%. The Breeze Shadow (Breeze) sold 12,200 units across all trims, a year-on-year increase of 2.8%. It is reported that GAC Honda launched a 'Double 11 Car Purchase Promotion' in November, which to some extent stimulated potential consumers' enthusiasm for car purchases.

However, the market performance of GAC Honda's electrified models has been relatively lackluster. Public data shows that models such as the e:NP1, e:NP2, and GAC Honda P7 have monthly sales of less than 300 units. For GAC Honda at this stage, there is still a need to accelerate its transition to the new energy sector.

To address this, GAC Honda is attempting to reverse its declining trend by appointing a new leader and launching new products. The future development of GAC Honda remains to be seen.

According to the production and sales report released by Dongfeng Motor Group, Dongfeng Honda sold 30,800 units in November, a month-on-month increase of 4%. From January to November this year, Dongfeng Honda sold a total of 382,700 units.

Among them, although Dongfeng Honda has the 'evergreen' model CR-V propping up the overall sales, its overall sales are under pressure. To keep pace with the electrification trend in the automotive industry, Dongfeng Honda is actively introducing new energy models to the market. However, to everyone's surprise, models such as the Dongfeng Honda S7, e:NS1, and e:NS2 have shown lackluster market performance. Public data shows that in the first 10 months of this year, cumulative sales of the Dongfeng Honda S7 were only 446 units, while cumulative sales of the e:NS2 were just 101 units.

Nevertheless, Cao Dongjie, the newly appointed Executive Deputy General Manager of Dongfeng Honda, stated that while expanding its 'circle of friends,' Dongfeng Honda will also combine the strengths of both Dongfeng and Honda in its new generation of electrified models. It is reported that he has taken the lead in establishing the 'China New Energy Strategy Office,' with its first task being to lock in local battery, electric motor, electronic control, and intelligent cockpit solutions for the 2026 pure electric platform models.

Summary:

In November, the sales of joint venture automakers presented a significant divergence. Some joint venture automakers with impressive sales performance have a solid fuel vehicle base and are actively layout (laying out) their electrification strategies. Other joint venture automakers, affected by lagging electrification transitions and insufficient product competitiveness, still face certain market pressures. Overall, joint venture automakers are showing a development trend of 'the strong getting stronger and the weak facing pressure.'

Next year, market competition will become even more intense. How the situation for joint venture automakers will evolve remains to be seen.

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