What’s rebadging and why do automotive manufacturers do it?

It’s a time period we use quite a bit within the automotive world, however to the typical individual in Australia ‘rebadging’ – also called ‘badge engineering’ – in all probability means nothing.

What’s a ‘rebadged’ automotive?

Per our definition, a rebadged automobile is one that’s shared by one firm to a different, with solely minimal modifications together with, sure, the badging, maybe in addition to trim particulars just like the grille.

It’s a time period that will get bandied about in all probability greater than it must.

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Typically platform sharing is dismissed as mere rebadging, even when two manufacturers have gone to far higher effort equivalent to providing distinctive sheet steel or a brand new ‘prime hat’, or completely different inside designs between two autos.

For instance, we wouldn’t take into account the Toyota Camry and Lexus ES to be rebadged autos, nor would a Volkswagen Golf or Cupra Leon make clear – even when each units of autos incorporate in depth part sharing beneath their respective skins.

For the needs of this text, we’re going to have a look at autos the place a rebadged model is moreover offered in Australia, not the place a automobile is exported to our market beneath a distinct title – for instance, the upcoming MG QS is offered as a Roewe RX9 in China.

Within the Eighties and Nineteen Nineties, the Button Plan noticed native producers rebadge one another’s autos in an effort to consolidate the variety of autos produced in Australia.

This noticed Ford rebadge Nissans and vice versa; Nissans additionally put on Holden badging; and Holden and Toyota swap autos. The final of those Button Plan rebadges died in 1996.

Whereas these days of prolific rebadging are largely a reminiscence, there have been some examples lately of autos being offered concurrently in Australia and differing in little greater than badging.

Why do automotive manufacturers rebadge vehicles?

It relies upon, however often it’s as a result of an auto model hasn’t chosen to (or had the power to) spend money on a product for a selected section.

Essentially the most expedient answer, then, is to signal an settlement with one other auto model or borrow from inside the dad or mum group.

Mazda used to develop its personal utes, however later offered a model of a Ford ute (the earlier BT-50) and now sells an Isuzu ute (the present BT-50).

What was as soon as Groupe PSA, dad or mum firm of Peugeot and Citroen, was late in creating SUVs so it launched restyled variations of Mitsubishi merchandise. With the Outlander-based Peugeot 4007 and Citroen C-Crosser, PSA even put in its personal engines.

The entire aforementioned autos arguably prolonged past being fundamental rebadges with distinctive sheetmetal.

Years later, when Mitsubishi determined to remain in Europe after aborting its deliberate withdrawal, it wanted to fill out its spartan lineup and tapped Alliance associate Renault for a few fashions, with extra to come back.

With modifications restricted to minor gadgets just like the grille, these are textbook rebadges.

Some corporations have been notably prolific on the apply up to now. You want solely take a look at British Leyland within the Nineteen Seventies, in addition to Common Motors, Ford and the previous Chrysler Company through the Nineteen Seventies via to the 2000s (and even some fashions as we speak).

In these circumstances, these corporations have been juggling plenty of manufacturers, and it was less expensive to only merely make minor styling tweaks to fashions and promote them throughout completely different manufacturers relatively than supply extra in depth differentiation.

Vans are generally rebadged throughout a number of manufacturers. The Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer offered listed here are additionally offered beneath the Citroen, Opel/Vauxhall, Ram and even Toyota manufacturers in different markets.

In brief, rebadging is often accomplished as a result of an organization doesn’t have the funds for to develop distinctive merchandise… or maybe it simply doesn’t wish to spend the cash.

What rebadged vehicles are offered in Australia?

The rebadging definition can lengthen to numerous autos at the moment offered in Australia.

You may doubtlessly take into account twins like the present Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50, and the Toyota Prado and Lexus GX as rebadges.

Isuzu builds the D-Max and BT-50 in its manufacturing unit, with the latter getting distinctive front-end styling and another aesthetic tweaks in and out. A bit bit extra effort than simply slapping a recent badge on, then, however these two are mechanically associated and look primarily an identical from most angles.

The Lexus GX lastly arrived right here this 12 months and, just like the previous two generations supplied, abroad it’s a Toyota Prado with revised exterior styling and a novel powertrain.

It’s arguably greater than a rebadge then, as regardless of having an identical silhouettes they function particular styling entrance and rear and inside, and in addition differ beneath the bonnet.

There are additionally examples just like the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ, and the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra, the place two manufacturers have co-developed a automobile and offered it beneath their respective names.

What different rebadged vehicles are coming to Australia?

There are a handful of rebadged autos coming to Australia quickly.

The subsequent-generation Mitsubishi ASX due right here later this 12 months is a rebadged Renault Captur, whereas Chery Australia has confirmed it plans to supply each the Chery Tiggo 9 and Jaecoo J8 concurrently in Australia regardless of being the identical automobile.

MG can also be launching a model of the upcoming LDV Terron 9 ute right here because the U9.

How well-liked are rebadged autos?

It’s very uncommon for the auto model being loaned a automobile to promote extra examples of mentioned automobile.

The ASX will likely be one to observe because the outgoing Japanese mannequin has lengthy been certainly one of Australia’s best-selling small SUVs, and Mitsubishi has a a lot bigger nationwide vendor community than Renault.

Likewise, MG’s greater gross sales volumes domestically than LDV might increase its U9 over the Terron 9, although it will likely be the model’s first business automobile right here.

Rebadging is usually a combined bag when it comes to business success.

For instance, the Holden Commodore offered in comparatively paltry numbers when it was made obtainable because the Toyota Lexcen, although it did have a a lot smaller lineup.

Between 1991 and 1996, Holden offered greater than 10 occasions as many Commodores as Lexcens. In distinction, the Holden Nova hatch and sedan vary was outsold by greater than seven-to-one by the Toyota Corolla hatch and sedan it was primarily based on.

Fiat launched the Freemont, a rebadged Dodge Journey, to Australia in 2013 and from that time on, the twins offered in virtually an identical numbers.

That was regardless of the Fiat initially missing the Dodge’s V6 and sticking with much less highly effective four-cylinder engines, although this in flip allowed the Italian model to supply a base worth greater than $6000 decrease.

Between 2013 and 2016, Dodge offered 4758 Journeys and Fiat offered 4408 Freemonts.

Just like the upcoming ASX, the 2020 Mitsubishi Categorical was a rebadged Renault – on this case, the Trafic van.

It arrived round seven years after Mitsubishi exited the native van market, and was virtually instantly hobbled by a controversial zero-star ANCAP ranking which the Trafic had managed to keep away from by by no means being examined by the protection authority.

Suffice to say, Mitsubishi and the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) had some alternative phrases for ANCAP.

The Categorical got here inside just a few hundred items of the Trafic in 2021 and outsold the Peugeot Skilled that 12 months, however Mitsubishi nonetheless pulled the plug in 2022.

In 2024, the Isuzu D-Max outsold the Mazda BT-50 by round two-to-one, and whereas the Subaru BRZ was forward of the Toyota GR86 by just a few hundred items, the Toyota bZ4X attracted just a few hundred extra clients than the Subaru Solterra.