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Japanese cars from China
Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda all build cars in China through joint ventures with Chinese carmakers. Tongda Motors exports these China-built cars, new, zero-mileage and used, to dealers and fleets outside China: left-hand drive, with hybrid versions and electric models developed in China. From 10 units per order.
- BRANDS
- TOYOTA · HONDA · NISSAN · MAZDA
- PARTNERS
- GAC · FAW · DONGFENG · CHANGAN
- DRIVE
- LHD
- ORDERS
- 10+ UNITS
BUILT IN CHINA
Japanese brands, Chinese joint ventures.
From 1994, Chinese rules kept a foreign carmaker's stake in a local car venture at 50% or less. That is why Japanese brands build in China with Chinese partners: Toyota with GAC and FAW, Honda with GAC and Dongfeng, Nissan with Dongfeng, and Mazda with Changan. The cap was eased from 2018 and lifted for passenger cars in 2022, but all four still build their China-market cars through these ventures, often under names of their own.
Why buy them in China? The cars are left-hand drive and available new, which matters in markets that restrict used or right-hand-drive imports. The range also covers hybrids and versions built for China: Toyota offers its self-charging hybrid on most petrol models, Honda's e:HEV hybrid covers the Civic, Accord, CR-V and Odyssey, and China's RAV4 is still sold with a non-hybrid 2.0-litre petrol engine, while the global RAV4 is hybrid-only. Then there are electric models developed in China, such as the Toyota bZ3X, the Honda P7 and S7, the Nissan N7 and the Mazda EZ-6.
WHO BUILDS WHAT
Who builds Japanese cars in China.
01Toyota
GAC TOYOTA · FAW TOYOTA
02Honda
GAC HONDA · DONGFENG HONDA
03Nissan
DONGFENG NISSAN · ZHENGZHOU NISSAN
04Mazda
CHANGAN MAZDA
Korean brands are built in China too: Hyundai by Beijing Hyundai, its joint venture with BAIC, and Kia by Yueda Kia in Yancheng. Each brand page lists the models built in China.
BEFORE YOU ORDER
What to check before you order.
China-market names
Many models carry a different name in China, and some have two. The Levin is GAC Toyota's Corolla and the Wildlander its RAV4, the Breeze is GAC Honda's CR-V, the Teana is China's Nissan Altima, and Mazda's EZ-6 is sold in Europe as the 6e. Each quotation gives the China-market name, the VIN and the nearest export equivalent.
Left-hand drive and China 6 emissions
Every China-market car is left-hand drive and meets China 6 emissions, broadly aligned with Euro 6. That suits markets that drive on the right, but engines and equipment can still differ from the version sold in your country, so each quotation states the exact version.
Software language
China-market cars come with software set up for China. The languages available differ by model and are confirmed on the quotation before you order, so your customers know what they get at handover.
Factory warranty outside China
Do not assume the brand's factory warranty travels with a China-built car. Coverage in your market is not guaranteed: confirm it with the brand's local distributor before ordering, and plan your own after-sales support.
Homologation
Whether a car can be registered in your country depends on the exact China-market version, not just the model name. Check it per model with your customs broker or vehicle authority before you order.
Parts and service
China-only models and versions can use parts that dealers in your market do not stock. The quotation states which joint venture built each unit, so your workshop can confirm parts supply and diagnostics before you order.
CHILE AND PERU
Looking for Japanese cars in Chile or Peru?
Japan drives on the left, so cars built for its home market are right-hand drive. Chile and Peru drive on the right, and both restrict used imports. In Chile, article 21 of the Automotive Statute (Law 18,483) prohibits importing used vehicles, with exceptions such as the free zones. In Peru, a used car must have left-hand drive from the factory, and right-hand-drive cars converted to the left are refused. It must also be no more than two years old by model year, a used passenger car may have no more than 32,000 km, and used diesel cars are not admitted.
New Japanese-brand cars built in China meet these rules: they are left-hand drive as built, and we ship them new, from 10 units per order. Zero-mileage cars are registered in China, so ask your customs broker whether your market treats them as new or used. Every shipment carries a Chinese certificate of origin, and homologation should be checked per model with your customs broker before you order.
See our pages on importing cars from China to Chile and Peru.
MODEL PAGES
China-built Toyotas in detail.
For other models, see the brand pages above or all brands.
QUESTIONS
Japanese cars from China: what buyers ask.
Is a China-built Toyota the same as a Japanese-built one?
Not exactly. It is a Toyota model built in China by GAC Toyota or FAW Toyota for Chinese buyers, so names, engines and equipment can differ from the Toyota sold in your market. The Levin is GAC Toyota's Corolla, and China's RAV4 and Wildlander are still offered with a non-hybrid 2.0-litre petrol engine, while the global RAV4 is hybrid-only. Every China-market Toyota is left-hand drive, and we state the exact version per VIN on the quotation.
Which Japanese car brands are built in China?
Toyota (GAC Toyota and FAW Toyota), Honda (GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda), Nissan (Dongfeng Nissan, with pickups from Zhengzhou Nissan) and Mazda (Changan Mazda in Nanjing). The Korean brands Hyundai and Kia are built in China too, by Beijing Hyundai and Yueda Kia. We export all six, from 10 units per order.
Can I import Japanese cars to Chile or Peru from China?
Yes, new ones, from 10 units per order. Chile prohibits used-vehicle imports outside its free zones, with few exceptions, and Peru admits used cars only if they are left-hand drive from the factory and no more than two years old by model year. China-built Toyotas, Hondas, Nissans and Mazdas are left-hand drive as built, and we ship them new. Check homologation per model with your customs broker; see Chile and Peru.
Does the factory warranty apply outside China?
Do not assume it does. Coverage for a China-built car in another country is not guaranteed and must be confirmed with the brand's distributor in your market before you order. We are an independent exporter, not affiliated with any manufacturer; what we provide is a per-VIN inspection with photos before you pay, plus the full export document pack.
Do you export used Japanese-brand cars from China?
Yes. Tongda Motors is approved by the Chinese authorities to export used vehicles, and supplies zero-mileage and used China-built Toyotas, Hondas, Nissans and Mazdas. Each unit is photographed and inspected against its VIN before you pay, and hybrids come with a battery state-of-health reading. Used-import rules differ sharply by country, so tell us your destination first; see used cars from China.
Get prices for China-built Japanese cars.
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