However, high-end is more than just a slogan. On the road of high-end independent brands, it can be said that several families are happy and several families are worried.
The Great Wall is auspicious and uplifting.
Beiqi is going down?
Since the beginning of this year, under the dual influence of the epidemic and the decline of the automobile market, the luxury brand market can still maintain growth, which just shows that the demand of consumers is developing towards high quality and high end, so the market needs high quality and excellent products. This is why independent brands strive for progress.
Although the path is different, the direction is different, but the brand is upward and high-end development seems to be a way out for independent brands. Especially in the downturn of the automobile market, seeking high-end is an inevitable choice for automobile enterprises to break through and fight back.
In 20 17, Great Wall Motor and Geely Automobile successively launched high-end brands WEY and LECK, and released their first models. In terms of sales volume, WEY and Link performed well in the market. From the product point of view, WEY brand is mainly SUV, and six SUV models have been launched, ranging from fuel vehicle coverage to new energy vehicles; Ke Ling insisted on walking on two legs, including cars and SUVs. Nine models ranging from fuel vehicles to new energy sources have been launched.
The initial success of Great Wall Motor and Geely Automobile has injected a shot in the arm for the high-end development of independent brands. Subsequently, Chery Automobile launched Starway, and FAW Hongqi was also remodeled and resumed for redevelopment. However, Star Road is relatively unknown, and FAW Hongqi goes all the way up. The data shows that FAW Hongqi achieved monthly sales of more than 20,000 vehicles in August and September this year, once surpassing many second-tier luxury brands.
As early as 20 15, the cooperation between BAIC and Daimler was further upgraded. The two sides reached technical cooperation and established "Beijing BAIC Deben Automobile Technology Center Co., Ltd." (hereinafter referred to as BAIC Deben), BAIC and Daimler (MBtech? Group) holds 5 1:49.
Since the establishment of 20 15, BAIC Deben has been mainly responsible for the technical research of BAIC's independent high-end cars and the development of high-end car platforms and models. Previously, when BAIC Group had not integrated its own plate, the most important duty of BAIC Deben was to digest and absorb the technology of Nordic luxury brand SAAB and apply it to various models of Saab brand under BAIC Group to promote the development of high-end brand Saab. In short, BAIC Debon helped BAIC launch high-end products through Daimler technology.
One year after the establishment of BAIC Deben, the performance of BAIC reached its peak on 20 16. In 20 17, the growth rate of China automobile market slowed down, and the competition of independent brands intensified. BAIC's "having more children and fighting more" leads to frequent quality control problems of independent brands. Suibao, Wang Wei, Changhe and Magic Speed brands have not grown into the "high-end autonomy" expected by BAIC. On the contrary, the sales volume of independent brands has declined abnormally, and there is even the risk of withdrawing from the market.
Technology companies go their separate ways
Beiqi's independent high-end dream is broken?
Recently, the news that BAIC parted ways with Mercedes-Benz Technology Company caused an uproar, and there were various speculations about the reasons for Mercedes-Benz's withdrawal. What we are actually more concerned about is how BAIC will go to the high end without the technical support of Mercedes-Benz.
After all, high-end products are not simply raising prices. The key is that brands can achieve real high-end by relying on their own technical strength. Without the technical support of Mercedes-Benz, BAIC will inevitably have a serious impact on its own models.
In the years after the establishment of BAIC Deben, it really helped BAIC digest a lot of technology from Mercedes-Benz. What is the most typical one? Beiqi BJ90 is a large SUV based on the previous generation GLS of Mercedes-Benz.
This car is basically a shell-changing Mercedes-Benz GLS, equipped with 3.0T? V6 turbocharged engine, 333 HP, 480 Nm. 4.0T？ The V8 engine has a maximum power of 422 HP and a peak torque of 600 Nm. The gearbox used is also the 9AT gearbox of Mercedes-Benz. It is also the flagship model of BAIC, and the price range is 698-998,000 yuan. It can be said that Beiqi BJ? The 90 directly adopted the technology of modifying Mercedes-Benz. Although the sales volume is average, it can be regarded as a high-end landing model.
In addition, in June of last year, 5438+ 10, BAIC Group announced that it would integrate the Saab brand of BAIC and the BAIC brand of BAIC Blue Valley into a brand-new brand "Beijing" and adopt Mercedes-Benz technology to develop the BMFA Rubik's Cube architecture. Thanks to the BMFA platform, Jingpai has gained more space in the development of various models from A0 to A+, covering three major power systems: fuel, hybrid and pure electric, similar to Volkswagen's MQB platform. This is a thorough digestion by BAIC using Mercedes-Benz technology.
However, with the withdrawal of Mercedes-Benz, it has brought some troubles to the future technical development of BAIC. This may mean that BAIC will be limited by Mercedes-Benz in axle-related core technologies, and it is still unknown whether it can continue to obtain the license plate.
Beiqi Deben fell through.
Can it bring enlightenment to independent brands?
Mercedes-Benz's withdrawal from Beiqi Deben also sounded the alarm for other independent brands. That is, only by adhering to the independent research and development of core technologies can we truly be independent of others. To put it simply, just like our parents who raised us, they will get old one day, and we can only rely on ourselves in the end.
In particular, joint ventures between China car companies and overseas brands can learn advanced systems and standards and bring sales and profits, but joint ventures are not omnipotent. In the cooperation with foreign brands, China car companies need to learn and develop, instead of "indulging" in the sales and profits brought by joint venture brands. After the share ratio of joint ventures is liberalized, enterprises that are not enterprising may eventually become foundries of foreign brands.
In recent years, independent brands are also absorbing technology in different ways. Geely and Volvo * * * jointly build the CMA platform through "Buy in buy", and all its Lectra brands come from this platform; Chang 'an and the Great Wall have increased their independent research and development. The former built the blue whale power platform, while the latter promoted the three professional platforms of "Lemon", "Tank" and "Coffee", demonstrating the strong technical strength of independent brands.
It can be seen that the leading independent brands will gradually master the technology in their own hands, and through steady and steady progress, they will continue to achieve upward force.
Ma Yue:
The accelerated reshuffle of the automobile market has made the high-end road of independent brands inevitable, and in this process, the knockout has never slowed down. Whether the independent brand is high-end or depends on the breakthrough of new energy vehicles, the core technology is still the key.
On the other hand, the failure of BAIC· D 'Urben is by no means a bad thing. Without the technical output of Mercedes-Benz, BAIC can try it independently, but whether the transformation can be successful and how far it can go in the future is a big unknown.
This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.