# Why the Japanese car brands should be worried & the dishonesty of badge engineering

An episode of [Auto Uncovered](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/6810009248), 11 May 2026, 56 min.

Audio: https://anchor.fm/s/10f782868/podcast/play/119446453/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-4-4%2F423415912-44100-2-7ec2657d54548.mp3

Got any questions? Ask away! questions@autouncovered.com.au We dig into the numbers behind the collapse of Japanese car brands in Australia, with China up 46,000 units in a shrinking market and Nissan, Mitsubishi and Suzuki all posting double-digit sales declines. We run through the Honda models Australia is missing out on and make the case for the Ridgeline as a lifestyle ute. We wrap up by explaining why the used Ford Focus ST might be the best-value performance car on the market right now. Check out John's channel - https://www.youtube.com/@AutoExpertJC Check out Adam's channel - https://www.youtube.com/@ReDriven 00:00 - Intro 00:58 - Honda's failures in Australia 06:11 - Why Japanese brands are in trouble 08:54 - China's rise & Japan's decline by the numbers 14:33 - Chery's surge & the bean counter problem 15:38 - What Nissan should bring here 21:11 - Toyota's Prius missed opportunity 23:27 - Suzuki's identity crisis 27:55 - Honda's marketing failure 31:39 - Honda models Australia is missing out on 37:24 - The case for the Honda Ridgeline 41:00 - What Honda should do next 44:01 - Navara vs Triton & the badge engineering problem 47:16 - Amarok, X-Class & the Mercedes exec disaster 49:42 - The Mazda 6 wagon in a dead segment 51:05 - Ford Focus ST: most slept-on performance car --- Join auto industry insiders John Cadogan (Auto Expert) and Adam Morris (ReDriven) as they cut through the BS on new cars, used cars, dealer tactics, EV trends, and everything the motoring industry doesn't want you to know. New episodes weekly — subscribe now.

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