First, feelings.
I asked before if the pre-sale price of the new C-class was too high. At that time, I thought everything, but I still thought the price was on the high side. And according to Mercedes-Benz's understanding, the actual selling price should not change much. It went public last night, and it really hasn't changed much. It is basically consistent with the pre-sale price. The first feeling is still "a little expensive."
The following are the views.
From the perspective of Mercedes-Benz:
The motto of Daimler, the founder of Mercedes-Benz, represents the attitude of Mercedes-Benz in the whole market. Either awesome or dead. Therefore, Mercedes-Benz has always considered itself to be one of the best representatives in this industry. For a simple example, my friend told me when he was serving Mercedes-Benz that they didn't need to do such a thing as competitor audit, because Mercedes-Benz felt that there were no competitors in this market.
This should be a policy of strategic contempt for the enemy.
At the same time, Mercedes-Benz also despises the enemy tactically. . . Personally, I think Mercedes-Benz has also put on a "I am the first in the industry" attitude when pricing, and 300% believe that its products are absolutely competitive. So we set a very high price compared with the competitive brands.
There is no doubt that the new C-class looks like a small S in appearance. The sense of honor directly exceeds that of Series 3 and A4L. Judging from the current photos, the overall workmanship, materials and configuration are also higher than those of Series 3 and A4L. I will have time to test drive and actually feel it. )
Therefore, Mercedes-Benz does have reason to believe that its products are competitive enough in the market. Now this pricing can also reflect the position of Mercedes-Benz in the market.
Including from the perspective of propaganda and copywriting, Mercedes-Benz played the slogan "Why pick and choose", pointing directly at the other two competitors.
Cutting into the market from the commanding heights of the market is believed to be the consistent strategy and method of Mercedes-Benz, especially when the products are competitive. The price can not be low, and the brand image is absolutely uncompromising. If the price is lowered, it will damage the brand image of Mercedes-Benz. The future price can't be mentioned any more.
Therefore, from the perspective of Mercedes-Benz, this pricing is absolutely appropriate.
From the market point of view:
The following three links are the sales volume of Grade C, A4L and Series 3 in recent years 1 year, which is convenient to check on Sina.
Mercedes benz c-class sales fluctuated greatly in mercedes benz c, not counting the "clear inventory" state of new products listed in the past two months, and the sales volume was very low, with an average of more than 3,000 vehicles.
Audi A4L sales A4L as the overlord of this level, the sales volume has been quite stable, with an average of 654.38+100,000 vehicles.
Recently, the sales volume of BMW 3 Series has increased rapidly. Recently, the sales volume has been steadily approaching A4L, with an average of about 8,000 vehicles.
From this point of view, the sales volume before Grade C is 1/2, even less than the other two competitors.
There have been some answers to the specific reasons, so I won't repeat them here. Let's talk about it from other angles.
According to this sales volume, in the eyes of outsiders, the new C-class should be regarded as a challenger to enter this market. The new C-Class not only shoulders the responsibility of maintaining the market share of the previous generation, but more importantly, it wants to grab a slice of the market occupied by A4L and 3 Series. Increase your market share.
The role of "challenger", especially for the "challenger" in the entry-level luxury car market, I think setting the price too high may not be the best choice.
For the three brands of BBA, apart from brand loyalty, I believe that most consumers will not have a particularly obvious preference for a certain brand of BBA. For the entry-level luxury car market, price is definitely a painful factor, and it is also a very important factor in car purchase decision. Personally, when balancing configuration and price, many people should sacrifice configuration for price.
Judging from the original price, Mercedes-Benz is relatively cost-effective. However, considering the preferential policies of A4L and Series 3 in the market at present, the price of the new C-class is much higher. It will directly lead to a great reduction in market competitiveness.
In addition, at present, the entry price of Mercedes-Benz E-Class is about 15 E 200 L lower than that of Mercedes-Benz C-Class. No matter how handsome the new C is and how high the configuration is, the difference in status level represented by the letters C and E is still obvious. Consumers who pursue more space and more occasions may directly choose E instead of C. Similarly, under the attack of higher-selling 5 Series and A6L, consumers are more likely to choose these models. This way of fighting left and right is still quite dangerous.
The other is the price reduction factor. No brand wants to face all kinds of price cuts and support all kinds of financial policies as soon as it goes public. In my opinion, this is the behavior of manufacturers hitting themselves in the face, which has a very bad impact on the market. Will affect the brand's position in consumer psychology. The new C-class faces such a dilemma. If the sales volume is not good enough (personally, this price risk factor is quite large), the price will be reduced soon, which may be more than 50 thousand compared with the price of competitors. It has a great influence on the brand image. Accurately speaking, consumers should not feel too much when buying a car, but if they just buy a car, they will greatly reduce the price, which will greatly reduce their impression and loyalty to the brand.
Most importantly, I can feel that Mercedes-Benz is trying to find a perfect balance between seizing the market and maintaining the brand image, and I can feel the entanglement between the marketing department and the sales department. Personally, I think the price of the new C is slightly higher this time, including when chatting with friends in Mercedes-Benz marketing department and 4S shop.
I really like this generation of C, and I'm looking forward to C's trip (I'm a brain-dead travel fan, and I don't like sedan cars). I hope they can make a difference in the market.