One of the first Chinese made cars has made its way to North America even though its wearing a Japanese badge. Honda recently increased production of their compact Fit in China in an attempt to cut costs due to the overly stong Japanese Yen. The cars, are now being shipped to Canada as well as across Europe where they are given the name Jazz and have been for a few years. Honda hopes that buyers won’t notice a difference which is a high possibility given that the company’s operations in China are not all that green.
According to an Automotive News article, the switch will only be temporary. North American Fits will soon be built at Honda’s next assembly plant in Mexico. As of now, only the Canadian market is receiving Chinese-made cars which should end in 2014 when the Mexico facility becomes operational. Honda’s move will soon be followed by other Japanese car makers as Nissan has already announced more cars will be manufactured in their respective markets. Mazda will also being moving production out of Japan as the Yen simply is too strong to support a solid profit.
Source: AutomotiveNews.com
