Written by?/?Wensha
Editor?/?Zhang Linyu
Designed by?/?Du Kai
In 2020, It seems to be the year for hardcore off-roading.
Less than a month into the new year, the news that a female netizen drove a Mercedes-Benz Big G into the Forbidden City broke out on social networks. People are busy gossiping about the background of the female netizen and how she drove her car into the Forbidden City. But aside from these surrounding issues, I believe many people can understand the impulse of the female netizen. Hardcore off-roading itself is full of the desire to take pictures. .
The square shape, the movement of a large number of straight lines, the classic and rough temperament, whether you are a man or a woman, whether you are on the road to pursue "poetry and distance" or in the reinforced concrete of the city, it is a hard-core vehicle. Off-road vehicles always make people want to "check in". If coupled with the expensive price and the sparkling luxury brand logo, it is even more of an "artifact for attracting followers" on social networks.
It stands to reason that under the advocacy of national policies and in the future of the "new four modernizations" that have been determined, small-displacement fuel vehicles as well as hybrid and electric vehicle products will be the future development trend. It is difficult for large-displacement hard-core off-road vehicles to survive, and indeed many classic products have to withdraw from the stage of history due to various reasons.
In 2018, following Suzuki, Jimny withdrew from the Chinese market. In June this year, due to environmental protection and automobile exhaust emission standards, the FAW Toyota Prado 3.5L model, the undisputed king in the "hardcore off-road" field, officially stopped production, and the domestically produced Prado officially exited the Chinese market. Immediately afterwards, Mitsubishi Motors announced that it would stop producing Pajero in 2021 and close the factory responsible for producing this model in Gifu Prefecture, Japan...
But the current trend is that hard-core off-road vehicles are ushering in spring.
In mid-July, the legendary Ford Bronco returned. The new Bronco starts at US$29,995 (equivalent to RMB 209,500) in the United States and is scheduled to be put into production in 2021. What Ford himself didn't expect was that less than half a month after its release, the new Bronco had received 230,000 orders.
On the other side of the ocean, at the Chengdu Auto Show in July, Land Rover officially announced the official guide price of the new Defender at 778,000-958,000 yuan. It was highly sought after by the market as soon as it was launched. Auto Business Review understands that Land Rover's new Defender generally has a price increase of 100,000 yuan in stores, and has to wait for more than three months.
Also in Chengdu, the release of two blockbuster models of independent brands also gave people a hint of "spring is blooming". Great Wall's high-end sub-brand WEY has brought a new model Tank 300, which is expected to be launched by the end of the year. Wuling, which "builds whatever the people need", unveiled a concept car - Hongguangxia.
If you add the Haval H9, Roewe RX8, Beijing BJ40, BJ80 and other "predecessors", as well as the D90 Pro unveiled by SAIC Maxus at the end of last year, unknowingly, the independent brand has formed a brand that cannot be ignored. Hardcore off-road vehicle army.
A big toy for rich people? ?
For a long time, the words most associated with hardcore off-roading are hormone-stimulating words such as blood, dreams, adventurous spirit, and wildness.
For today’s young consumers, cars are no longer just a means of transportation from point A to point B, but also an expression of personality and a symbol of identity. For those middle-aged people with certain financial strength and status, buying a car is more of a sentiment or a "big toy".
Wang Meng, 52, who lives in Hohhot, has his own mining business. There are four cars parked in the garage at home. The Audi A8 is used for business talks, and the BMW X3 is given to his daughter Xiaojing. As a birthday gift, the Honda CR-V is the grocery shopping cart for the family, and the Jeep Wrangler is the exclusive car for "I go out on weekends and holidays".
When he bought this maroon Wrangler eight years ago, he was at a critical period in his career. He would have meetings in the office during the day and visit clients at night. His life was unchanged and he "wanted an outlet to vent." Now, Wang Meng's career is on the right track, especially since the epidemic has given him more time for himself. He and a few friends will meet up for self-driving appointments, sometimes around Hohhot, and as far away as Tibet.
Unlike Wang Meng, some of his friends drive Prados and some drive Pajeros. The same thing is that off-road vehicles are the Nth car in the family.
This is very consistent with the user portrait given by Peng Gang, general manager of BAIC Group Off-Road Vehicle Sales and Service Co., Ltd. In an interview with Automotive Business Review, he pointed out that hardcore off-road vehicles have strong toy attributes.
According to a survey by Beijing Off-Road, the ratio of private and official cars in this market segment is 9:1. Among 90% of private users, the proportion of additional purchases and replacements is as high as 70%, and the target Audiences have strong personalities and characteristics.
In Peng Gang’s description, the mainstream group of hard-core off-road vehicles generally have relatively strong spending power and are themselves luxury car owners. They identify with off-road culture and spirit in personality and like to explore unknown areas and challenge their own limits. ; Passionate about socializing and willing to interact with people in the circle; chivalrous and responsible, actively participating in charity, and from time to time driving cross-country to provide rescue in inaccessible places.
"In a word, it means having money, leisure and feelings." Peng Gang said.
Chinese brands are focusing on hard-core off-road vehicles
As a "big toy" for wealthy people, hard-core off-road vehicles are still a niche market.
Peng Gang said that the annual sales volume of domestically produced and imported hard-core off-road vehicles is about 200,000 units, accounting for almost half and half. Either the east wind overwhelms the west wind, or the west wind overwhelms the east wind.
With the withdrawal of Prado, Haval H9 took over and became the champion of this market segment in July, with sales of 1,720 units, a year-on-year increase of 205.5%. Beijing BJ40, Dongfeng Nissan Tuda, and SAIC Roewe RX8 followed, selling 1,421 units, 1,402 units, and 1,388 units respectively. In August, Haval H9 continued to lead the way, with 2,316 sold, and sales of Beijing Off-Road BJ40 also reached 1,899 units.
For the companies that make these models, such numbers are not conspicuous, but their existence has a deeper symbolic meaning.
From a morphological point of view, the Chinese automobile market currently exhibits a jujube-type distribution, that is, thick in the middle and thin at both ends. A hard-core off-road vehicle, right at the tip of the jujube core. In the product series of joint venture brands, models such as the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Land Rover Defender, Toyota Land Cruiser, and Nissan Patrol are at the top of the brand pyramid in terms of price and technology. They are representatives of strength and the "brand's representative." Spiritual Totem”.
The explosion of independent brands in the hard-core off-road market is behind the confidence that Chinese automobiles have accumulated over the years and the confidence to "go global."
The Tank 300 comes from a new platform, but the brand is classified into the "Chinese luxury SUV" WEY, which is the highest positioned among the four major brands of Great Wall Motors. Wei Jianjun, chairman of Great Wall Motors, has many famous sayings about this brand that is betting on his own surname, such as, "WEY was born in China, but it must be the world's" and "End the era of huge profits for joint venture brands"...
Owned" Although Wuling's sales volume and popularity are unparalleled in the market, its product and brand positioning have always been low. This year, SAIC-GM-Wuling released the Silver Label as the beginning of a new journey towards globalization. In the plan, the Silver Label Wuling means that this model is a global car and will be sold in the domestic market and overseas markets, especially in overseas emerging markets. Hongguangxia is Wuling’s first concept SUV model with a global silver label.
On the other hand, intensified competition has also given rise to the rise of the independent hardcore off-road market. After decades of development, China's automobile market has drawn a steep growth line, and ushered in an inflection point in 2018, entering an era of stock competition. It is almost impossible to find a blue ocean market in the market. All companies can do is to "segment, subdivide, and subdivide" the market.
Ma Jun, a dual-employed professor at Tongji University’s School of Automotive and School of Design and Innovation, and founder of Tongji University’s Human-Vehicle Relationship Laboratory, pointed out, “Now is not an era when you can reach the world with one sword. You rely on a mobile phone and a product to make a breakthrough. The era of the world has passed. Nowadays, all young people are fragmented. We should not expect a certain product to be the biggest hit in the future. Everything can be sold to everyone. This era has passed. " /p>
In this context, niche markets such as hard-core off-road and sports cars that independent brand manufacturers had no time to consider in the past have gradually become battlegrounds for military strategists.
Crossing the 50cm gap
Businessmen are chasing profits, and independent brands are betting on the hard-core off-road vehicle market because they see the growth potential there.
“The sales volume of 200,000 accounts for less than 1% of the domestic passenger car market, but this proportion can reach 3% to 4% in other developed countries. In addition, consumption upgrades and changes in lifestyle have all It has brought new opportunities. If you enter early, you can occupy a better position and share a larger cake. Finally, the relative profits of hard-core off-road products are good, and they have a good effect on promoting the brand. Therefore, whether it is long-term development in the future or From the perspective of brand and revenue improvement, it is a good entry point," Peng Gang said.
But he also pointed out that consumers should keep their eyes open when purchasing and start from their own needs. The hard-core off-road products currently on the market are divided into true off-road vehicles and pseudo-off-road vehicles. The former is a real off-road vehicle, and the latter is a real off-road vehicle. It is an urban SUV product with the appearance of a hardcore off-road vehicle.
This is why some voices in the media have questioned the existence of the independent hardcore off-road market, believing that most products are derived from non-carrying platforms and can only be slightly modified or "learned" from the excellent ones. case, and then get a satisfactory longitudinal power system, the rest is almost a piece of cake.
Peng Gang has something to say about this point of view, "This is a bit like saying that a car is four wheels plus a sofa. The general logic is not wrong. You have to break it down and look at it. Making a product is different from making a good product. "As a person who has experienced this, he said that developing a qualified hard-core off-road vehicle is not an easy task. "
For example, the temperature, humidity, and altitude standards of the test environment for hard-core off-road vehicles are much higher than those for ordinary products. "With the width of the trench, this issue is not generally considered for SUVs and cars. BAIC Off-Road Vehicles The required ditch width is 500mm, that is to say, there is a 50cm ditch in front, and your car must be able to cross it. "
For another example, the chassis of an off-road vehicle is higher. In this case, how to reduce the wind resistance is also a problem that needs to be solved during research and development.
" No It is said that a product can be made casually, and everyone can make a car, but it will not work if the product is not competitive. The capacity of the market itself is small. If you face huge losses, it will be unsustainable in the future. "Peng Gang remains sober about the market's popularity, "Most people have seen the continuous entry of new products, but if we look back further, there are still products that are constantly withdrawing. What we have to think about is why they are withdrawing. ”
It is worth mentioning that, as a “special” market, hardcore off-road vehicles have to consider one more issue than others – the shaping of culture.
As a market that lacks cars In a country with great culture, the cultivation of off-road culture takes time and process. “Although we have become the number one Chinese brand in terms of sales and share, we still have a lot of room and ambition, so we have done a lot to lead the off-road culture. This part is quite difficult. . ”
In addition to products, BAIC Off-Road is trying to develop and satisfy all aspects of off-road ecosystem and off-road life. Specific methods include considering the possibility of modification at the beginning of product development; Cities with potential have established off-road towns and off-road venues; organized more than 100 off-road clubs.
“Not only should users have a place to play, but we should also take them to play and teach them how to play. Peng Gang said.
Persistence and compromise of hard-core off-road vehicles
There is no fixed answer to what a truly hard-core off-road vehicle requires. But off-road fans mentioned it the most The parts include frame, transfer case, torque amplifier, mechanical differential lock, self-priming large-displacement engine, front and rear hard axles, large wheels exceeding 33 inches...
You can’t have your cake and eat it too. , the configuration has shown that the advantages and disadvantages of hard-core off-road vehicles are very clear, with good passability but poor comfort, and personalization but high fuel consumption. With the advancement of technology and the increase in consumer demand, the hard-core off-road market has also begun to transform, retaining most of them. On the basis of off-road performance, it also takes into account the demands of intelligence and comfort.
The Land Rover Discovery series has always been known for its "hardness", but in 2016, the fifth-generation Land Rover Discovery canceled the non-load-bearing body and replaced it with one. In this regard, some "Discovery fans" said sadly that this is Land Rover Discovery bowing to urban SUVs.
Land Rover’s choice is not an isolated case. In 2018, Mercedes-Benz G? brought about the first facelift product that can be called a “major upgrade” since its birth in 1979. It canceled the hard-axle suspension of the front axle. Some netizens even called it "betraying our ancestors".
The identical choice of the two legendary models triggered a wave of discussion. Supporters believe that in most cases, consumers do not need the extremely powerful off-road performance; opponents point out that only "uncomfortable" is true off-road.
From the perspective of an OEM, Peng Gang fully understands the adjustments of Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz, and believes that the main purpose of finding a balance between off-road, comfort, and fuel consumption is to expand the audience.
“Off-road vehicles are too extreme. On the one hand, they are pure, but on the other hand, they are niche. However, the market demand for off-road vehicles is different. Some people’s purchasing purposes are to take into account their daily life. The combination of use, fuel consumption and comfort will help achieve more sales. "Peng Gang said that judging from product changes, Beijing Off-Road also has similar options.
Another distinct trend is that hard-core off-road vehicles are beginning to transform into new energy sources.
In April this year, Christian Meunier, global president of the Jeep brand, said: "Jeep is fully ready to embrace electrification and hopes to become the greenest and most sustainable SUV company in the world." Already In the determined future, the Jeep Wrangler PHEV will make its debut at the 2020 North American CES show, and plans for a pure electric Wrangler are under preparation.
In the hard-core off-road field, overseas brands have begun new attempts and explorations; independent brands that started late have also shown their enthusiasm. Perhaps the natural attributes restrict this market segment from becoming mainstream, but a prosperous niche market is equally exciting.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.