The decision was confirmed by Acura's local partner, Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC), who stated they will still provide after-sales services to Acura customers in the country and will use its own dealership and service networks. This discontinuation will not affect Honda's operations, which will continue to produce and sell vehicles under its agreement with GAC.
Acura was first introduced in China in 2016, with its sales peak in 2019 at 14,701 vehicles sold. However, in 2021, the brand only sold 6,554 cars in China, a decrease of 45 percent from the previous year. Acura was only offering two models in the country, the CDX and RDX SUVs, which were outsold by their competitors from German premium brands.
This move was first speculated in April 2021, when Acura sent a letter to its dealers and customers in China about the discontinuation of operations. There have been rumors that Acura may return to China when new electrified and fully-electric products are launched, but no update on this strategy is available. It is not yet known what will happen to the Acura employees in China, but previous reports indicate they may be integrated into the GAC Honda business.
Acura's exit from the Chinese market comes soon after Stellantis announced it is terminating its joint venture with GAC to produce and sell Jeep vehicles in China, although some Jeep models will still be imported directly by Stellantis. On the other hand, the future for Acura looks more promising in the United States, as the brand is finalizing the development of its new ZDX crossover, which was first previewed late last year and is expected to be officially launched later this year.
Source: Reuters