"Governing a big country is like cooking a little fresh", so is building a brand. No matter how the market changes, Mazda still insists on its own obsession, maintains its own particularity and never gives in to the market. In the era of increasingly homogeneous products in the automobile market, only Mazda can say Andy Grove's famous saying that "only paranoia can survive". I firmly believe that only by continuously introducing better products and technologies and gradually enhancing the value of brand products will consumers finally understand the craftsman spirit of ZOOM-ZOOM and the true brand value of Mazda.
In the current downturn of the automobile market and the global economic slowdown caused by the epidemic, Mazda resolutely chose to raise the product price range and reduce the incentive policy, which was an unusual decision made under the already difficult market competition. However, in terms of actual sales, consumers did not give up the concern of choosing this model because of Mazda 3' s deliberate price increase. On the contrary, I was surprised by the subversion of the product from the inside out, and naturally I believed in the pricing of luxury cars.
At present, among all the products sold by Mazda, only the next generation of Ma 3 bears the burden of family sales, with an average monthly sales volume of about 7,000 vehicles, which barely maintains the stubborn face of the brand. However, the users of domestic A-class family cars are very sensitive to the price, and the influence of Mazda's niche brand is not enough to fully support the new round of pricing. Consumers' understanding of Chuangchi Blue Sky II technology is still very shallow, and the next generation Mazda III has not fully exerted the product value to the extreme, which is where Mazda needs to improve as soon as possible, otherwise the brand will still be insufficient.
Mazda announced a major event of Chengdu Auto Show in 2020, that is, the brand-new original compression ignition engine will officially arrive at the store to accept the reservation as soon as September. Now it seems that Mazda didn't empty the gun, and failed to live up to many expectations of "horse powder". For the arrival of this compression ignition engine, everyone has welcomed it for a long time from beginning to end. On the one hand, because the rotary engine is almost extinct, it has completely become a brand totem. At this time, Mazda's global original compression ignition engine has naturally become a topic in the hearts of consumers. The object of compensation On the one hand, with the development of electrification, the dominant position of internal combustion engine will be weakened in the future, and the automobile internal combustion engine will change from a "solo" once in a hundred years to a "duet" with the motor, while Mazda has always insisted on improving the thermal efficiency of internal combustion engine, continuously improving combustion through measures such as high compression ratio, maximizing the economy of internal combustion engine and gaining a leading edge. This almost crazy paranoia and stubbornness are supported by countless people and are constantly questioned by countless people.
Regarding the support and query, the traditional internal combustion engine is still the best choice because of Mazda's "second generation blue sky technology" represented by compression ignition engine, and the consumer's choice and market sales are empirical. At present, the maximum thermal efficiency of fuel vehicles is only about 4 1%. If it can reach 45% or even higher, it can theoretically achieve the same energy-saving and environmental protection goals as 25% pure electric vehicles. What's more, electric vehicles are supported by thermal power generation, and their energy consumption and carbon emissions are much higher than those of traditional vehicles. The absolute cleanliness of electric vehicles is still an unscientific concept today. With the development of internal combustion engine, whether electric vehicles can maintain their environmental advantages still needs to be questioned first.
As the most "hardcore" electrified automobile company in the world, how did Mazda's SKYACTIVE-X improve? First of all, Mazda, the "father of creating blue sky", thinks that creating the highest thermal efficiency from one point is not worth the loss, and Mazda pursues the average thermal efficiency in more intervals. It sounds very metaphysical. In fact, Mazda's technological breakthrough lies in the introduction of new combustion technologies, mainly lean combustion and compression ignition technologies, while higher compression ratio is the main technical means. Therefore, Mazda innovatively applies the compression ignition mode of diesel engine to gasoline engine to realize combustion under ultra-high compression ratio, so as to achieve both power and fuel economy of diesel engine and gasoline engine.
At present, Mazda has passed the calibration test for low-grade gasoline in China, and passed a series of quality and durability verifications. Mazda also announced that consumers in China can rest assured at this point. The compression ignition engine has more parts than the conventional engine, and the cost will inevitably increase. Mazda will adopt the strategy of carrying high-end models, so it will realize the parallel sales of two generations of Chuangshi Blue Sky Technology. In the future, based on various power configurations, Mazda will continue to optimize product pricing to meet the needs of different users. For example, taking the brand-new Mazda Angkeira /CX30 model as an example, there will be three different gradient product price choices: entry level (1.5L), core level (2.0L) and high-end level (compression ignition engine), so that Chuangchi Blue Sky Technology can not only benefit the public, but also meet the ultimate pursuit of users who upgrade their consumption.
Water drop car has investigated many users. They think that buying the next generation Ma 3 compression ignition version will be more interesting and eye-catching than buying the dual-engine Corolla and Civic, so the price is not the core issue. Originally, only an ordinary power system configuration adjustment was added, but Mazda played the concept of luxury brand and luxury car, which made Mazda more convinced that Mazda 3 compression ignition version is expected to open a new situation of brand upward.
As Mazda is a niche brand that focuses on machine aesthetics and puts the pleasure of vehicle driving in a prominent position, it will never become the same luxury brand as German BBA in the future, neither Lexus nor Britain or finidi. First of all, Mazda will never do the same thing as the giants, because it is even more difficult to survive without a chance of winning. However, Mazda can still make its products, technology, pricing and customer experience unique through its small-scale management advantages. Even if high-end luxury goods are out of reach, there is still a chance to achieve high quality and low luxury, which is the fundamental reason why Mazda chose to redefine its brand and adhere to the unique way of life after the next generation.
Water drop point of view:
Mazda is still Mazda. At present, in addition to luxury brands, Mazda 3' s sales in the domestic compact car market are still very embarrassing compared with Civic and Corolla. It is still difficult for Mazda to change its destiny only by fighting for value and control, and it needs more brand added value to bless it. After the brand-new compression ignition engine enters China, its price, performance and suitability are still unknown. Of course, the hardcore "horse powder" can skip the car selection procedure and say hello directly, but for some consumers who don't understand the essence of Mazda, it may take a lot of buying determination to change the inherent brand concept and accept a Mazda car with higher price and brand. Mazda doesn't want to become a second-rate luxury brand overnight. Although the compression ignition engine can be used as the facade support, the brand really has a long way to go and still needs to make a lot of efforts. Mazda's persistence and persistence deserve respect and praise, and I believe she will go more smoothly and in the long run.
Text/Sun Weibo
This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.