Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile Co., Ltd. was an automobile company based in
Tianjin
Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in North China, northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the National Central City, nine national central cities, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the time of the ...
, China and a subsidiary of
FAW Group
China FAW Group Corp., Ltd. (First Automotive Works) is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Changchun, Jilin.Shenzhen Stock Exchange
The Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE; ) is a stock exchange based in the city of Shenzhen, in the People's Republic of China. It is one of three stock exchanges operating independently in Mainland China, the others being the Beijing Stock Excha ...
.
Tianjin FAW was founded in 1965 and was originally considered one of the "three smalls" of the Chinese automotive industry, together with Guangzhou Honda and
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
. Tianjin FAW moved into third place in the Chinese market in 1997. By 2000 they were in second place, in spite of the low quality of their products.Lee et al, p. 96 Production volumes were high because many towns used Xiali cars as taxicabs. Many of the smaller towns in rural China had Xiali cars as taxicabs well into the second decade of the twenty-first century. Xiali parts were cheap and it was one of the cheapest cars to run in China. Due to their low running costs, Xiali cars in many towns survived as unofficial "black" taxies till well after they were replaced by other cars as legal taxies. Tianjin FAW subsequently lost market share to several new Chinese automobile manufacturers.
Amidst declining sales, the listed Tianjin FAW unit was dissolved, and its remaining assets, liabilities and employees were absorbed into various
FAW Group
China FAW Group Corp., Ltd. (First Automotive Works) is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Changchun, Jilin.China Railway Materials to facilitate the
backdoor listing
A reverse takeover (RTO), reverse merger, or reverse IPO is the acquisition of a public company by a private company so that the private company can bypass the lengthy and complex process of going public. Sometimes, conversely, the public compan ...
of one of its units.
Tianjin FAW operated a joint venture with
Toyota
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...
, Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co., Ltd., which, now under
FAW Group
China FAW Group Corp., Ltd. (First Automotive Works) is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Changchun, Jilin.Avalon
Avalon () is an island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appeared in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' as a place of magic where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was made and later where Arthur was taken to recove ...
Crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...
,
Reiz
Reiz may refer to:
* 3871 Reiz, an asteroid named after astronomer Anders Reiz
* Anders Reiz (1915–2000), a Danish astronomer
* Jakub Polak (musician)
Jakub Polak (c. 1545 - c. 1605), also known as Jakub Reys (Reis, de Rais, de Reiz, de Restz ...
Tianjin FAW's first product, debuting in 1965, was a copy of the famous
Beijing Jeep
Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Ltd. is an automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Beijing, China, and a joint venture between BAIC Motor and Mercedes-Benz Group.
It was initially established in January 1984 as a joint venture with BAIC ...
called the Tianjin TJ210. Between 1973 and 1979 the Toyota look-alike Tianjin TJ740 was also built, although only 63 were finished.
In the 1980s, Tianjin's directors decided to look abroad for a joint venture to enable them to build modern small cars. In 1983,
Daihatsu
is a Japanese automobile manufacturer headquartered in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
One of the oldest surviving Japanese internal combustion engine manufacturers, the company was known for building three-wheeled vehicles and off-road vehicle ...
had been chosen as a partner, and in November 1984 the first vehicle rolled out from the works. At first, local parts content was a mere 8%, but this had jumped to 85% by the end of 1987. The first product was a locally built
Daihatsu Hijet
The , is a cab over microvan and kei truck produced and sold by the Japanese automaker Daihatsu since 1960. The , a passenger-specific version, was introduced in 1981. Despite the similarities between the Hijet name and Toyota's naming scheme ...
in 1984, followed by the
Charade
Charade or charades may refer to:
Games
* Charades, originally "acting charades", a parlor game
Films/TV
* Charade (1953 film), ''Charade'' (1953 film), an American film featuring James Mason
* Charade (1963 film), ''Charade'' (1963 film), an ...
which began local assembly in 1986.
Production began at a modest level, with 2873 automobiles (Charade) and 9329 minivans (Hijet) assembled in 1988, for a total of 12,202 vehicles. This increased rapidly, to an annual total of nearly 88,000 cars by 1996.
Before the Toyota joint venture, Tianjin FAW produced the Tianjin Xiali TJ730 (based on the 1983
Daihatsu Charade
The Daihatsu Charade is a supermini car produced by the Japanese manufacturer Daihatsu from 1977 to 2000. It is considered by Daihatsu as a "large compact" or "supermini" car, to differentiate it from the smaller ''kei car'' compacts in its line ...
) and then the TJ7100-TJ7131 hatchback and TJ7100U-TJ7131U sedan under the Xiali brand that was formed in August 1997. ''Xiali'' (夏利) is Chinese for "Charade". The TJ7100-series cars, based on the 1987 Charade. They were very popular in China as taxicabs throughout the 1980s and in the 1990s, the Chinese Volkswagen Jetta joined the taxi market followed by the
Hyundai Sonata
The Hyundai Sonata () is a mid-size car that has been manufactured by Hyundai since 1985. The first generation Sonata, which was introduced in 1985, was a facelifted version of the Hyundai Stellar with an engine upgrade, and was withdrawn fr ...
and Elantra in the 2000s. The Xiali taxi was retired from the taxi market in February 2006 in an effort to cut down pollution.
Production of the Daihatsu-based Xiali N3 ran from 2004 to 2012. Production at the Tianjin Xiali plant had shifted to more modern Toyota vehicles, for example the Xiali 2000 that was based on the Toyota Platz/Vitz but the production of the much cheaper Xiali outlived the Xiali 2000. Toyota also builds and sells vehicles in China under its own brand.
The Xiali brand was discontinued in 2015 and was replaced by the new brand called Junpai.
From 1984 to 2002, Tianjin FAW manufactured Hijet-based Daihatsu mini trucks in China rebranded as
Huali Dafa
The Huali Dafa is a three-cylinder microvan under the Huali product series produced by FAW Tianjin, a member of First Automotive Works Group in the People's Republic of China since being introduced in 1984. Dafa translates to ''Daihatsu'' in Chi ...
. Currently Huali offers the first generation
Daihatsu Terios
The is a mini SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Daihatsu since 1997 as the successor to the F300 series Rocky. It was initially offered in both short- and long-wheelbase configurations before the former stopped production in ...
and second generation
Daihatsu Move
The is a kei car/city car manufactured by the Japanese automaker Daihatsu between 1995 and 2023, and was reintroduced in 2025. The Move is Daihatsu's response to the similarly designed Suzuki Wagon R that was introduced two years earlier in 19 ...
.
FAW Tianjin also produced the Miles ZX40, an electric version of the
Daihatsu Move
The is a kei car/city car manufactured by the Japanese automaker Daihatsu between 1995 and 2023, and was reintroduced in 2025. The Move is Daihatsu's response to the similarly designed Suzuki Wagon R that was introduced two years earlier in 19 ...
which became the first Chinese-built vehicle sold in the United States when it was offered in mid-2006 by Miles Automotive Group.
Since 2012, FAW Xiali's net profit after deducting non-recurring items has been negative, and sales have also begun to decline year by year, from 185,000 units in 2012 to 37,000 units in 2016. During this period, due to two consecutive years of losses in 2013 and 2014, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange issued a delisting risk warning. In June 2019, Xiali officially stopped producing models, with an annual output of only 1,186 units.
On December 23, 2019, FAW Xiali issued an announcement to disclose the asset restructuring plan with China Railway Materials. China First Automobile Co., Ltd. plans to transfer its approximately 697 million shares of FAW Xiali (accounting for 43.73% of FAW Xiali's total share capital before this transaction) to China Railway Materials free of charge. On January 8, 2021, FAW Xiali was renamed China Railway Materials, from then on the reorganized company no longer engaged in automobile production business.
Models
Past
*1965: Tianjin TJ210 C, a transferred extended production of the
Beijing BJ212
The Chinese Beijing Automobile Works, formerly Beijing Jeep, BJ212 ( zh, s=北京212) and BAW BJ2020 is a four-wheel drive, originally a 2.4 L (2445 cc) four-cylinder gas-engine powered (four-cylinder diesel engines were added in the ...
*1973–1979: Tianjin TJ740, a Chinese copy of a Toyota sedan fitted with a 1.8 litre engine
*1986.09–1988: Xiali TJ730, a hatchback based on the Daihatsu Charade (G11)
*1984–2002:
Huali Dafa
The Huali Dafa is a three-cylinder microvan under the Huali product series produced by FAW Tianjin, a member of First Automotive Works Group in the People's Republic of China since being introduced in 1984. Dafa translates to ''Daihatsu'' in Chi ...
, a locally produced Daihatsu Hijet originally known as the Tianjin TJ110. Was used as a popular taxicab. Available with the 843 cc CD engine and 4-speed manual gearbox.
*1988–2000: Xiali TJ 7100, a hatchback based on the Daihatsu Charade (G100)
*1997.12–1999: Xiali TJ 7100 A, a facelifted TJ 7100 hatchback
*1999–2007: Xiali TJ 7101/TJ 7131, new name for the TJ 7100 A hatchback. Available with a 1.0 and 1.3 litre engine
*1999–2003: Xiali TJ 7101 L/TJ 7131 L, a TJ 7101 hatchback lengthened by 8 cm. Available with a 1.0 and 1.3 litre engine
*2003.05–2011: Xiali A ''Junya'' (Junior) (TJ 7101 A-TJ 7141 A), a slightly facelifted version of the existing hatchback range, new bumpers and some new engine options. 1,425 cc version since June 2005. Facelifted in March 2006, this and the Shenya were known as the "A+" until 2011
*1990.10–2000: Xiali TJ 7100 U/TJ 7130 U, a sedan based on the Daihatsu Charade (G100)
*1997.12–2000: Xiali TJ 7100 UA/TJ 7130 UA, a facelifted TJ 7100 U sedan. Available with a 1.1 and 1.3 litre engine
*1999–2004: Xiali TJ 7101 UAL/TJ 7131 UAL, a Xiali TJ 7100 UA/TJ 7130 UA sedan lengthened by 8 cm. Available with a 1.1 and 1.3 litre engine
*2001–2006: Xiali TJ 7101 U/TJ 7131 U, new name for the TJ 7101 UA sedan. Available with a 1.0 and 1.3 litre engine
*2003.05–2011: Xiali A ''Shenya'' (Senior) (TJ 7101 AU-TJ 7141 AU), a slightly facelifted version of the existing sedan range released in May 2003 with new bumpers and some new engine options. 1,425 cc version since June 2005. Facelifted in March 2006, renamed as the A+ and remained in production until 2011
*2002.12–2012:
Xiali Vizi
The is a subcompact car produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota from 1999 to 2019 in a three- or five-door hatchback body styles. The "Vitz" nameplate was used consistently in Japan, while most international markets received th ...
, a hatchback based on the
Toyota Vitz
The is a subcompact car produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota from 1999 to 2019 in a three- or five-door hatchback body styles. The "Vitz" nameplate was used consistently in Japan, while most international markets received t ...
. Known as 夏利威姿 in Chinese.
*2000.12–2007: Xiali 2000 TJ 7136 U, a sedan based on the
Toyota Platz
The is a subcompact car that was manufactured in Japan by Toyota from 1999 until 2005, when it was replaced by the Belta. Designated by Toyota as the ''XP10'' series, the Platz was also sold in export markets as either the Toyota Yaris or Toyo ...
*2002.09–2003.12: Xiali Yaku, a limited edition Xiali 2000 with an automatic gearbox
*2004.03–2012: Xiali Vela CA 7156 U, a sister model of the
Toyota Platz
The is a subcompact car that was manufactured in Japan by Toyota from 1999 until 2005, when it was replaced by the Belta. Designated by Toyota as the ''XP10'' series, the Platz was also sold in export markets as either the Toyota Yaris or Toyo ...
2nd Gen
*2004.08–2012: Xiali N3 (B series) TJ 7101 B-TJ 7131 BU, hatchbacks and sedans based on facelifted Xiali A series, with its origins in the Xiali N3, an updated sedan based on the previous Xiali series. This car was available in Mexico known as the F1 and was sold from 2008 to 2010. The N3 was facelifted in March 2008 and named as the N3+.
*2006.10–2011: Weizhi C1 (CA 7130 /CA 7140), an independent development also marketed as the FAW Vita launched in October 2006. The car is available with the 5A-FE and 8A-FE engines from Toyota.
*2009.11–2014:
Xiali N5
The Xiali N5 is a subcompact sedan produced by the Chinese automotive manufacturer FAW Group under the Xiali brand.
Overview
The N5 was released in 2009 and ranks in the class of supermini which was designed to replace both the Daihatsu Char ...
(TJ 7103 UE/TJ 7133 UE), a sedan based on the Xiali N3
*2010–2012: Weizhi V2 (TJ 7137 E4S), a hatchback with a 1.3 litre engine.
*2012–2015: Weizhi V5 (CA 7150 BUE), a facelifted Weizhi C1.
*2013–2015:
Xiali N7
The Xiali N7 is a subcompact crossover SUV produced by the Chinese automotive manufacturer FAW Group under the Xiali brand.
Overview
The N7 reveal was presented at the Auto Shanghai, Shanghai Auto Show 2011 as the FAW R008 concept vehicle. In M ...
, a
Mini SUV
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
*2014–2019: Junpai D60, an SUV with a 1.5 litre engine as well as the 1.8 litre '' 2ZR-FE'' engine.
*2016–2018: Junpai A70, a compact sedan introduced in September 2016.
*2018–2019: Junpai D80, a SUV.
*2018–2019: Junpai A50, a sedan with a 1.5 litre engine
*2018–2019:
Junpai CX65
The Junpai CX65 () is a compact CUV produced by Junpai, a sub-brand of FAW Group.
History
The vehicle was unveiled at Auto Shanghai
Auto Shanghai (), officially known as the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (), is a ...
, a wagon. First car of the brand to get the new English marque Jumpal, which was discontinued in 2019.
Model designation
U = sedan A = facelift L = long wheelbase