Imported vs.Local assemble

[niky]

Depends on where the unit is CBU from. CBU from Korean, Taiwan or Thailand are comparable in build quality to locally assembled vehicles. CBU from the US are worse... (actually, it's just the materials...) ...CBU from Japan are usually of good quality, because of the higher amount of automation.

All of this is also dependent on the quality of the parts and manufacturing itself. If parts tolerances and ease of handling are good, then it doesn't really matter where they're assembled... as long as the quality assurance system of the plant is good.

AFAIK, the locally assembled X-Trails, Fords and Mazdas are used for export. They've won JD Powers Initial Quality awards over the past few years. The initial quality award is reflective of the build quality and workmanship of the vehicle, while their regular Quality award considers three year reliability, which is reflective of the durability of the components themselves.