Joint-Venture Automakers Launch New Year Sales Blitz: Envision Plus Slashed by $9,000, Accord Hybrid PHEV at Limited-Time $19,200

At the start of 2025, joint-venture automakers have launched a new round of price wars. SAIC-GM’s Buick announced a limited-time discount of RMB 65,000 on the Envision Plus, lowering its starting price to RMB 164,900; the LaCrosse now offers a RMB 55,000 discount, with a starting price of RMB 154,900. Both models had already adopted a “fixed-price” policy, and this new offer adds an extra direct discount of RMB 5,000. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Accord, GAC Honda has released a limited run of 1,000 units of the Accord e:PHEV plug-in hybrid, priced at just RMB 138,800 for repeat buyers—down RMB 100,000 from its original MSRP of RMB 238,800. Dongfeng Nissan simultaneously launched four new models covering gasoline, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric powertrains, with the 15th-generation Sylphy now available at a limited-time starting price of RMB 94,900. Despite mounting sales pressure on joint-venture brands—with mainstream joint-venture retail sales in 2025 down 8.4% year-over-year—these manufacturers are accelerating their intelligent electrification transformation through flexible pricing and localized collaborations, such as equipping the Teana with Huawei’s HarmonyOS cockpit and using CATL batteries in the N6. Experts note that while these time-limited promotions can boost short-term sales volume, long-term success will ultimately depend on breakthroughs in new energy vehicle technologies.