Dongfeng Nissan: No shortcuts in car manufacturing

Dongfeng Nissan's deputy general manager, Wang Qian, has publicly stated that the rapid production of vehicles, akin to fast-moving consumer goods, represents the most significant risk to the automotive industry. This stance aligns with the "three principles of car manufacturing" proposed by SAIC Volkswagen, which include not creating "rushed cars," "barely compliant cars," or "double-standard cars."

Qian clarified that "car manufacturing as a fast-moving consumer good" is a false concept. The real danger lies in "fast-production car manufacturing," which he explained means avoiding compressed product development and validation cycles simply to seize market share. Dongfeng Nissan reportedly conducts extensive durability tests on its engines, accumulating the equivalent of 7.5 million kilometers, and completes over 10,000 extreme environment start-up validations to prevent reliability issues arising from hasty product launches.

The principle of not creating "barely compliant cars" signifies a commitment to quality that surpasses minimum regulatory requirements. Dongfeng Nissan's development process involves over 7,400 research and development experiments, more than 5,500 quality confirmations during prototype stages, and over 2,000 quality checks during mass production. The "no double-standard cars" principle ensures that domestic and global customers receive the same quality standards, with no differentiation based on market.

The "rushed car" debate has gained traction recently, with industry figures criticizing practices that shorten testing phases to speed up market entry, potentially compromising safety. Data indicates a surge in new car models launched monthly and a significant increase in recalls for domestic brands. Other automotive leaders have also weighed in, with some arguing that shorter development times do not inherently equate to "rushed cars" as long as all necessary validation processes are completed.