Joint venture automakers band together to seek change

By 2025, the Chinese auto market was undergoing significant changes, with Toyota and Ford, two major joint ventures, implementing channel consolidation strategies. Toyota, using a "one-city, one-store" model, merged the sales networks of FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota, projecting cost savings of 1.3 billion RMB. Ford, taking a more radical approach, established a wholly-owned sales and service company to unify the sales channels of Changan Ford and Jiangling Ford. This move aimed to meet the challenges of the new energy vehicle market, improve efficiency, and reduce costs. However, this transformation also meant that some 4S dealerships faced elimination or restructuring.