Overview

GAC Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. is an automobile manufacturing joint venture based in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. The company is jointly associated with Guangzhou Automobile Group, commonly known as GAC or Guangqi, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Its principal business is the production, distribution, and servicing of Honda-branded passenger vehicles for the Chinese market. The company has also operated China-specific marques and, for a period, manufactured Acura vehicles for China. The venture was formed in 1998 against the background of Guangzhou's effort to replace the failed Guangzhou Peugeot Automobile Company with a new international automotive partnership. Honda was selected from several potential foreign partners, and the resulting company was initially named Guangzhou Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. Its first production model was an Accord based on the American-market version, launched in March 1999 alongside the opening of its first authorized 4S dealership. The use of a globally recognized Honda product, together with Honda's existing reputation among Chinese consumers and an established sales-and-service framework, helped the new venture gain an early foothold. The company expanded its model range over time to cover sedans, sport-utility vehicles, and multipurpose vehicles. Important nameplates associated with GAC Honda have included the Accord, Fit, City, Crider, Odyssey, Vezel, Avancier, Breeze, Integra, and other China-market products. Its portfolio has also included battery-electric vehicles such as the e:NP1 and e:NP2, reflecting Honda's effort to participate in China's rapidly developing new-energy-vehicle market. Product availability has changed across different periods as the company has replaced older models and adjusted its portfolio to local demand and regulatory conditions. GAC Honda introduced the Everus, known in Chinese as Li Nian, as a China-only brand. The first Everus model, the S1, was shown at the 2010 Guangzhou Auto Show and was positioned toward consumers in inland cities who wanted the perceived quality, technology, and foreign-partner association of a joint-venture vehicle at a lower price point. The brand represented an early attempt by a Sino-foreign automotive joint venture to develop a locally focused marque. Later Everus-branded electric models included the VE-1 and EA6. The company changed its name from Guangzhou Honda to GAC Honda in 2009, aligning its public identity with the Guangzhou Automobile Group's GAC branding. It has operated two manufacturing plants and reported annual production capacity of approximately 480,000 vehicles in the early 2010s. Its logistics system has used maritime, rail, and road transport; the company stated that shipping vehicles could reduce secondary transport distances and transport losses. GAC Honda has also served as a production base for Acura in China. Acura models including the CDX, RDX, and TLX-L were produced during the period in which Honda localized Acura manufacturing through the venture. Honda Automobile (China) was acquired by Honda on April 1, 2020, according to the referenced company history, although this transaction was distinct from the ownership structure of GAC Honda itself. The business is primarily China-focused rather than a globally distributed standalone automaker. Its competitive position has historically rested on Honda's engineering and brand equity, local manufacturing, dealership coverage, and GAC's domestic industrial and distribution capabilities. Like other joint-venture automakers in China, it has faced increasing competition from domestic manufacturers, changing consumer preferences, and the rapid growth of electric vehicles. The available reference material does not establish a complete current ownership, production, or model-status picture beyond the information summarized here.

History

GAC Honda emerged from Guangzhou's search for a new foreign automotive partner after the deterioration and eventual failure of Guangzhou Peugeot Automobile Company. In 1998, the Guangzhou government established a joint venture with Honda Motor Co., Ltd. The company was initially known as Guangzhou Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. and became one of the major Sino-foreign vehicle manufacturing ventures operating in mainland China. The first GAC Honda product was an Accord derived from the American-market model. It entered production and sales in March 1999, at the same time as the company opened its first 4S dealership. This combination of a recognizable international vehicle, local assembly, and integrated sales and after-sales service gave the venture a useful foundation. Honda already had brand recognition among Chinese consumers through imported vehicles, while the local network reduced the barriers associated with purchasing and maintaining a foreign marque. During the 2000s, GAC Honda broadened its lineup and manufacturing activities. Its vehicles came to include sedans, SUVs, and MPVs, with the Accord and Odyssey becoming especially important representatives of the Honda portfolio in China. According to the referenced industry statistics, the company sold 203,200 cars in 2005, ranking fifth in mainland China that year. The company operated two plants and reported annual capacity of roughly 480,000 vehicles by the early 2010s. The company adopted the GAC Honda name in 2009. In the same period, it developed a China-specific logistics approach that included shipping finished vehicles by sea, as well as using rail and road transportation. The stated purpose of maritime distribution was to reduce secondary transport distances and vehicle losses while improving environmental performance. GAC Honda launched the Everus, or Li Nian, marque as a China-only brand. The Everus S1 was unveiled at the 2010 Guangzhou Auto Show and was based on an earlier Honda City design. The marque targeted consumers, particularly in inland cities, who wanted the technical association and status of a foreign-partner vehicle but could not afford the company's Honda-branded products. Everus was notable as an early China-only brand created by a Sino-foreign automobile joint venture. Later products associated with the marque included the VE-1 and EA6 electric vehicles. From 2016 to 2022, GAC Honda also produced Acura vehicles for the Chinese market. This activity added a premium-brand dimension to the venture's manufacturing role. Acura products associated with the company included the CDX, RDX, and TLX-L. The available reference material also records Honda's acquisition of Honda Automobile (China) on April 1, 2020; that event concerned a separate Honda-related Chinese operation rather than replacing the GAC Honda joint-venture identity. In the 2020s, GAC Honda's range included established Honda models such as the Accord, Odyssey, Vezel, Avancier, Breeze, and Integra, alongside electric products including the e:NP1 and e:NP2. The company therefore reflects the transition of China's joint-venture automobile sector from a focus on locally assembled internal-combustion vehicles toward a mixed portfolio that includes electrified models. Its long-term competitive environment includes domestic Chinese automakers, other international joint ventures, changing emissions and energy regulations, and rapidly evolving consumer expectations. The supplied sources do not provide enough information to establish a definitive current production volume, ownership percentages, executive roster, or complete present model lineup.

2022
Acura production period ends
[1]GAC Honda - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The referenced product history lists GAC Honda's Acura production period as ending in 2022.
2016
Acura production begins
[1]GAC Honda - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
GAC Honda entered a period of producing Acura vehicles for the Chinese market.
2011
Reported capacity reaches approximately 480,000 vehicles
[1]GAC Honda - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The company reported annual production capacity of about 480,000 vehicles across its manufacturing operations.
2010
Everus S1 unveiled
[1]GAC Honda - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The first model of the China-only Everus brand was presented at the Guangzhou Auto Show.
2009
Name changed to GAC Honda
[1]GAC Honda - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The company replaced the Guangzhou Honda name with GAC Honda.
2005
Sales reach 203,200 vehicles
[1]GAC Honda - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Referenced China Association of Automobile Manufacturers statistics placed the company fifth in mainland China by car sales, with 203,200 units.
1999
First Accord production and first 4S outlet
[1]GAC Honda - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
GAC Honda launched its first Accord model and opened its first integrated sales and service dealership.
1998
Joint venture established
[1]GAC Honda - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
Guangzhou and Honda established the company to create a new international automobile manufacturing partnership after the failure of Guangzhou Peugeot.

Products and positioning

Honda-branded joint-venture vehicles for the Chinese passenger-car market, spanning mainstream and upper-mainstream sedans, SUVs, MPVs, and electric vehicles.

Midsize sedan · 1999
Honda Accord
The Accord was GAC Honda's launch product and remains one of the venture's best-known nameplates. The first locally produced version was based on the American-market Accord and entered production in 1999. Later generations gave GAC Honda a core presence in China's midsize-sedan segment.
Multipurpose vehicle · 2004
Honda Odyssey
The Odyssey is GAC Honda's principal MPV line. It extends the company's range beyond sedans and SUVs, serving Chinese families and fleet-oriented buyers seeking a larger passenger cabin and flexible seating.
Subcompact hatchback · 2004
Honda Fit
The Fit is a small Honda hatchback associated with GAC Honda's urban passenger-car offering. It has been marketed as a relatively compact and practical model, although the referenced product list gives a production period extending through 2026.
Sport-utility vehicle · 2016
Honda Avancier
The Avancier is a larger Honda SUV produced for the Chinese market through GAC Honda. It occupies a more premium position than the company's smaller urban-focused utility vehicles.
Sport-utility vehicle · 2019
Honda Breeze
The Breeze is a China-market Honda SUV associated with GAC Honda. It broadens the company's SUV coverage and reflects the importance of utility vehicles in the Chinese passenger-car market.
Subcompact sport-utility vehicle · 2014
Honda Vezel
The Vezel is GAC Honda's China-market version of Honda's compact crossover concept. It serves consumers seeking a smaller SUV format with the packaging and urban usability of a hatchback-derived vehicle.
Compact sedan · 2022
Honda Integra
The Integra is a China-market Honda sedan introduced through GAC Honda in the 2020s. It forms part of the company's effort to maintain a broad sedan range while the market shifts toward SUVs and electric vehicles.
Subcompact sedan · 2010
Everus S1
The S1 was the first vehicle under GAC Honda's China-only Everus, or Li Nian, brand. Based on an older Honda City, it was intended to offer Honda-related technology and joint-venture branding at a lower price for consumers in inland Chinese cities.
Battery-electric sport-utility vehicle · 2019
Everus VE-1
The VE-1 was an electric vehicle sold under the Everus marque. It represented the brand's move beyond conventional gasoline vehicles and was listed among the former Everus products produced through 2024.
Battery-electric sedan · 2019
Everus EA6
The EA6 was an Everus-branded electric sedan developed for the Chinese market. It formed part of GAC Honda's earlier China-specific electrification effort before being listed as discontinued in 2024.
Battery-electric sport-utility vehicle · 2022
Honda e:NP1
The e:NP1 was a Honda-branded battery-electric SUV introduced through GAC Honda. Its name identifies it as part of Honda's China-specific e:N electric-vehicle program.
Battery-electric crossover · 2024
Honda e:NP2
The e:NP2 was a later China-market electric crossover associated with GAC Honda's e:N product family. It extended the venture's battery-electric range beyond the e:NP1.
Premium compact sport-utility vehicle · 2016
Acura CDX
The CDX was an Acura compact SUV manufactured through GAC Honda during the venture's localized Acura production period in China.
Premium sport-utility vehicle · 2019
Acura RDX
The RDX was another Acura SUV produced by GAC Honda for the Chinese market during the 2016–2022 Acura manufacturing period.
Premium sedan · 2014
Acura TLX-L
The TLX-L was a China-oriented Acura sedan manufactured through GAC Honda. It formed part of Acura's localized Chinese product strategy before production ended.

Controversies

2020
Fuel pump impeller defect leads to large-scale recall
In May 2020, GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda announced recalls of 396,149 and 378,625 vehicles respectively. The fuel pump impeller resin had insufficient density and could swell and deform, in extreme cases causing the engine to stall while driving; the companies replaced the fuel pumps with improved ones free of charge.
Source
2020
GAC Honda Lingpai vehicle fire reported in Huizhou
A Lingpai owner in Huizhou said the vehicle caught fire on August 23 after being returned from headlamp repair at a GAC Honda dealership; the owner said the vehicle was severely damaged and alleged the dealership was shirking responsibility. The report does not establish the cause of the fire.
Source
2020
Honda and Acura vehicles recalled in China over fuel-pump defect
A recall in China covered specified domestically produced Honda and Acura models manufactured from July 1 through December 31, 2018. The source attributed the recall to an issue with fuel-pump impeller resin molding that could cause the fuel pump to malfunction and, in extreme cases, the engine to stall. Guangqi Honda and Dongfeng Honda said they would replace the affected vehicles' fuel pumps with improved versions free of charge.
Source
2020
GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda recall 774,700 vehicles
GAC Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. and Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. began a recall of 774,700 domestically produced vehicles because a fuel-pump impeller manufacturing defect could cause the pump to malfunction and the engine to stall.
Source

Brand decisions

2019
Expand into battery-electric vehiclesProduct launch
Background
China's passenger-car market was moving toward electrification, supported by changing regulation and consumer demand.
Action taken
GAC Honda's product history added the Everus VE-1 and EA6, followed by Honda e:NP models.
Aftermath
The company established an electric-vehicle presence, although the referenced product list records several of these early electric models as discontinued.
Source
2016
Localize Acura manufacturingProduct launch
Background
Honda sought to develop Acura's presence in China through local production.
Action taken
GAC Honda began producing Acura models, including the CDX and later the RDX and TLX-L.
Aftermath
The venture temporarily added premium-brand manufacturing to its Honda and Everus operations until the referenced Acura production period ended in 2022.
Source
2010
Launch the Everus China-only brandProduct launch
Background
GAC Honda sought to reach consumers who wanted foreign-partner technology and status at a lower price than Honda-branded vehicles.
Action taken
The company unveiled the Everus S1 and established Everus as a China-specific marque.
Aftermath
Everus expanded GAC Honda's brand architecture and later included electric models such as the VE-1 and EA6.
Source
2009
Adopt the GAC Honda corporate nameStrategy
Background
Guangzhou Automobile Group was developing the GAC identity as a broader corporate brand.
Action taken
The company changed its name from Guangzhou Honda to GAC Honda.
Aftermath
The new name more clearly associated the venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group while retaining Honda's brand identity.
Source
1998
Create a Honda–Guangzhou automobile joint ventureStrategy
Background
Guangzhou sought a replacement for the unsuccessful Guangzhou Peugeot venture and wanted a new international automotive partner.
Action taken
The Guangzhou government partnered with Honda to establish Guangzhou Honda Automobile Co., Ltd.
Aftermath
The venture launched local Accord production in 1999 and developed into a significant Honda manufacturing and distribution operation in China.
Source

Recent events

Unconfirmed
GAC Honda completes acquisition of Dongfeng Honda Engine[9]广汽本田完成收购东风本田发动机公司itbear.com.cn
GAC Honda completed the acquisition of Dongfeng Honda Engine Co., Ltd., which was renamed GAC Honda Engine Co., Ltd. Dongfeng Motor Group, Honda R&D and Honda R&D (China) Investment exited as shareholders, and GAC Honda became the sole shareholder. Registered capital changed from about USD 120 million to about RMB 970 million, and several executives were changed.
Unconfirmed
Reported2026.01.06
GAC Honda completes acquisition of Dongfeng Honda Engine Company[10]广汽本田完成对东风本田发动机公司的收购autonews.gasgoo.com
Dongfeng Honda Engine Co., Ltd. was renamed GAC Honda Engine Co., Ltd., with Dongfeng Motor Group, Honda Motor, and Honda Motor (China) Investment exiting the shareholder roster and GAC Honda Automobile becoming the sole shareholder; registered capital changed from about USD 120 million to roughly 970 million yuan.
2025.12.31
Reported2026.01.04
GAC Honda completes acquisition of Dongfeng Honda Engine, renamed GAC Honda Engine[11]广汽本田完成收购东风本田发动机公司并更名163.com
On December 31, 2025, Dongfeng Honda Engine Co., Ltd. underwent a business registration change: Dongfeng Group and other shareholders exited, GAC Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. became the sole shareholder, and the company was renamed GAC Honda Engine Co., Ltd. GAC Group had approved in September 2025 a plan for GAC Honda to acquire Dongfeng Motor Group's 50% stake via public transfer for a floor price of 1.172 billion yuan, funded by cash capital increase.
Unconfirmed
GAC Honda announces plan to unveil a new electric vehicle brand[12]广汽本田宣布计划发布全新电动品牌k.sina.com.cn
GAC Honda was reported to have said it would unveil a new electric vehicle brand on March 29 and announce its brand strategy. The source describes the unveiling as a future plan, not a completed launch.
2021.10.13
Reported2021.10.14
Honda announces e:N Series rollout in China[13]本田宣布在中国推出 e:N 系列电动车计划japantimes.co.jp
Honda said it will introduce 10 electric vehicles under its e:N Series range within five years. The e:NS1 and e:NP1 models were set to go on sale the following year through Dongfeng Honda and GAC Honda, respectively.
Unconfirmed
GAC Honda launches 2021 Honda Breeze[14]广汽本田 2021 款皓影正式上市auto.cnfol.com
GAC Honda launched the 2021 Honda Breeze, offering 12 models across the 240TURBO, HYBRID Rui·Hybrid and Phantom Night series, with adjustments to model selection and features.
2020.12.11
GAC Honda opens hybrid technology experience store in Beijing[15]广汽本田锐·混动联盟限时体验店在北京开业auto.sina.com.cn
GAC Honda opened a temporary Ruì Hybrid Alliance experience store in Beijing on December 11, presenting its hybrid technology and vehicles.
Unconfirmed
Reported2020.09.28
GAC Honda Lingpai vehicle fire reported in Huizhou[5]GAC Honda Lingpai vehicle fire reported in Huizhoufinance.sina.com.cn
A Lingpai owner in Huizhou said the vehicle caught fire on August 23 after being returned from headlamp repair at a GAC Honda dealership; the owner said the vehicle was severely damaged and alleged the dealership was shirking responsibility. The report does not establish the cause of the fire.
2020.08.26
GAC Honda launches the new-generation Fit in China[16]广汽本田全新一代飞度在中国上市auto.hexun.com
GAC Honda launched the new-generation Fit in China, offering six models across the SPORT and CROSSTAR series, priced from RMB 81,800 to RMB 108,800.
Unconfirmed
Reported2020.07.22
GAC Honda releases updated Avancier[17]广汽本田发布新款冠道auto.people.com.cn
GAC Honda released an updated Avancier with upgrades to space and equipment; the new model continues to offer 1.5T and 2.0T powertrains.