These Car Model’s Aren’t Built Where You Think
When it comes to car preferences, there’s a passionate divide between those who swear by American-made cars and those who lean towards vehicles crafted in Japan. Whether it’s the allure of American muscle or the reliability of Japanese engineering, car enthusiasts are fiercely loyal to their chosen brand, sparking spirited debates about which is superior on roads worldwide.
For many, American cars evoke a sense of national pride, representing a rich automotive heritage steeped in tradition and muscle. However, it turns out not all “American” cars are actually built by Americans. Likewise, just because a car bears Japanese brand, doesn’t mean its made there.
Here, we’re exposing just where your favorite car models actually come from, and for some, the truth may be a let-down. So, with that said, read on at your own risk. These car models aren’t built where you think!
Buick Regal
- Where People Think It’s Built: USA
- Where It’s Actually Built: Germany
Buick, another well-known American car company, is no longer making one of their most successful models in America.
GM has moved manufacturing to Germany, where the Opel Insignia that it’s based on is built. Prior to that, the Regal was manufactured in Canada.
Chevrolet Trailblazer
- Where People Think It’s Built: USA
- Where It’s Actually Built: South Korea
Chevy may be an American brand, but the Trailblazer certainly isn’t made here. In fact, it’s built pretty far away. Most of the newest Trailblazer crossover models you see on American roads come from Incheon, South Korea.
Chinese versions of the Trailblazer, meanwhile, come from Shanghai, China. Prior to becoming a crossover, the truck-based SUV models were built in Thailand and Brazil.
Audi Q7
- Where People Think It’s Built: Germany
- Where It’s Actually Built: Slovakia
The Q7, as well as the Q8, may be under the German name brand Audi, but they have never been built there. Having debuted in 2005, they were manufactured mostly at the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Some models are also manufactured in Aurangabad, India, as well as Kaluga, Russia. The Audi Q8 also comes from the same manufacturing plants.
BMW X5
- Where People Think It’s Built: Germany
- Where It’s Actually Built: USA
The BMW X5 is one of the automaker’s most successful luxury SUVs. Most people buying it think they are getting a German creation, but the X5 is as American as apple pie.
The only producer of the X5 worldwide is the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina. So, rather than Germany exporting X5s to us, we are exporting them to Germany. Who would have thought?!
Toyota GR Supra
- Where People Think It’s Built: Japan
- Where It’s Actually Built: Austria
Toyota’s reputation for reliability is well known but there’s only one performance-focused model that comes to most people’s mind when it comes to sports cars: the Supra.
While most people think the GR Supra is manufactured in Japan, it turns out that Toyota teamed up with BMW to create it to Japanese specifications. However, neither Germans nor Japanese workers are making it. The production takes place in Graz, Austria.
Honda Civic Type R
- Where People Think It’s Built: Japan
- Where It’s Actually Built: United Kingdom
Honda is one of the most popular Japanese car makers in the world, and most people who buy a Honda think they are getting something built in Japan, but it is not always.
Prior to 2022, the most recent Type R models were produced in the United Kingdom. Only until 2022, did assembly move back to Japan. The third, fourth and fifth generations were all built in the UK.
Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class
- Where People Think It’s Built: Germany
- Where It’s Actually Built: Mexico
The German luxury brand has a reputation for quality construction and exquisite design that makes it a prime choice among those who can afford it.
But those thinking they are getting a German import may be surprised to learn they are getting something built elsewhere. To keep down production costs, the three-row compact SUV uses Mexican labor in its manufacturing.
Toyota Tundra
- Where People Think It’s Built: Japan
- Where It’s Actually Built: USA
The Toyota Tundra is one of the most popular trucks on the market. But people thinking they are getting a marvel in Japanese engineering might be disappointed to learn that the pickup only shares the Japanese brand name.
It turns out that the Toyota Tundra is built in America and uses about 75 percent of American parts in its manufacturing. So, if you were looking for a foreign alternative to the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado, you won’t find it in the Tundra.
Chevrolet Equinox
- Where People Think It’s Built: USA
- Where It’s Actually Built: Canada
While it’s not too far away from home, the Chevrolet Equinox still isn’t quite built in America, unlike the United States.
The five-passenger vehicle produced in Canada is one of Chevy’s best-selling cars, but if the mere thought of Canadian’s building your “American car” angers you, then this news might be devastating.
Honda Pilot
- Where People Think It’s Built: Japan
- Where It’s Actually Built: USA
The Honda Pilot is easily one of the Japanese brand’s best-selling models, but it’s not made in Japan. And if you thought you were getting a Japanese car for your money, you may not want to hear this.
The Honda Pilot is actually built solely in the state of Alabama at Honda’s manufacturing plant. And this isn’t just recent. It has never been built anywhere else.
