On December 12, the new second-generation Trumpchi GS8 (hereinafter referred to as the second-generation Trumpchi GS8) was officially listed, priced at 186,800-246,800 yuan.
For GAC Trumpchi, the significance of this car is not only a car.
Among today's GAC independent brands, GAC Aean has performed prominently, and for the former pillar GAC Trumpchi, when the dividends brought by Trumpchi GS4 have disappeared, the current GAC Trumpchi needs a model that can carry the banner of sales - this is the significance of the second generation of Trumpchi GS8 for GAC Trumpchi itself.
For the entire autonomous field, the Trumpchi GS8 is equally significant.
When Highlander occupied the mid-size SUV market for many years and no rival rivals appeared, the second-generation Trumpchi GS8 was pinned on high hopes and became the hope of its own brand in this field.
Surpassing oneself is the driving force for change
In 2015, GAC Trumpchi launched trumpchi GS4, with new design, large space and other advantages, trumpchi GS4 at that time created a good result of nearly 40,000 vehicles sold in a single month, for a while, trumpchi GS4 became a popular model at that time.
Later, the time and space changed, the war between joint ventures and independent brands burned into the field of medium and large SUVs, before the launch of the first generation of Trumpchi GS8, Chinese brands in this field, there is no product that has won recognition in the terminal market. Since its launch on October 26, 2016, the excellent results of the first generation of GS8 in the market segment are obvious to all.
And when the time comes to 2021, consumer demand has changed completely new. As a flagship model, the Trumpchi GS8 that wants to win consumers cannot be as simple as replacing, of course, GAC Trumpchi also knows this. As a result, we can hardly see the shadow of the previous generation on the second generation of Trumpchi GS8.
Adopting a new design language, the second-generation Trumpchi GS8, the two grille shapes of "Spread Wings" and "Dragon Scale Wings", such a design received mixed reviews at the beginning of the debut.
With the aesthetic thinking of the past, it is really difficult to accept its shape. Because in the past, the aesthetic thinking of cars was the middle way. Cars that sell well, without exception, are relatively decent cars - even if they are called "big mouths", the area of the grille is remarkable, accounting for one-half of the entire front, and it can rarely reach the proportion of the second-generation GS8 that is close to two-thirds.
Moreover, the "big mouth" of the Trumpchi GS8 adopts a "scale" design, laying the entire grille layer by layer. And these "scales" from top to bottom become smaller and smaller, smaller and denser, under the illumination of the sun, sparkling, but also strengthen its exaggerated visual effect; Trumpchi GS8's "spread wings" are introverted, but only reflected in the area of the grille. The two move towards different styles, and the wings are more modern than the dragon scale wings.
Such a design, without a doubt, is dazzling and dazzling, and it is beyond the aesthetic inertia of the past for cars, so of course criticism is indispensable. But we have to accept the fact that aesthetics will change with the times, and now we don't know if the second generation of Trumpchi GS8 can lead the new trend, but it does achieve a bold breakthrough in design.
In terms of size, the second-generation Trumpchi GS8 is also full of sincerity. Compared with the previous generation, its vehicle length increased by 145mm to 4980mm, while the wheelbase increased by a full 120mm to 2920mm, the width of the car is not as fierce as the previous two growth, but also increased by 40mm, such a size in the same level of joint venture opponents are already in the lead.
Coupled with its two flexible patterns of six and seven seats, it also allows the second generation of Trumpchi GS8 to have more life scenarios and possibilities.
In addition, GAC Trumpchi GS8 not only surpassed itself in terms of scientific and technological sense, but also surpassed its peers.
Due to the length of the car of nearly 5 meters, GAC Trumpchi GS8 is more comfortable in the interior space, the new ink seal green color color tone, the shift ball head "guardian scepter", the 14.6-inch large central control screen + 12.3-inch full-fit LCD instrument, etc., the technology and luxury are fully highlighted; the interior of the double engine series is equipped with high-end suede material covered with the inner panel trim of the full door, and is embellished with cold black chrome plating material, with the integrated body, the luxurious and noble aura is fully displayed.
"Hybrid + Intelligent" The strategic significance of trumpchi GS8
On November 19, at the 2021 Guangzhou Auto Show, GAC Trumpchi released the "hybrid + intelligent" dual-core development strategy formulated to achieve carbon neutrality. Less than a month later, the listing of the Trumpchi GS8 marked the official landing of this strategy.
In terms of intelligence, the most commendable ADiGO 4.0 intelligent driving interconnection ecosystem, what can this system bring? In short, with it, trumpchi GS8 is no longer just a car, but a mobile smart "third space" that integrates smart welcome, car K song, and smart home.
The ADAS is equipped with ADAS and other functions such as L2.5 intelligent driver assistance, 540° transparent undercarriage, and automatic parking/integrated parking, which comprehensively reduce the driving burden of users. OMS is equipped with intelligent functions such as distraction reminder, fatigue relief, intelligent ventilation, line of sight bright screen, call sound reduction, emotional music, gesture cutting and song. In addition, ADiGO 4.0 also has a large number of app stores and mini programs and other rich ecological applications, creating a safer, more convenient and more user-friendly intelligent car experience in an all-round way. Simply put, it is to make driving and using a car easier.
"Hybridization" represents more of the future of GAC Trumpchi.
In fact, GAC Group has been laying out "hybridization" for a long time, and the self-developed GMC hybrid system can be traced back to 2009 at the earliest, and has accumulated more than 10 years of development experience, mature and reliable technology. In addition to the self-developed system, GAC Group chose to introduce Toyota's new fourth-generation THS hybrid system, which has more than 20 years of technology accumulation, after four iterations, has gained more than 18 million users around the world, safe, reliable and trustworthy.
Toyota's new fourth-generation THS hybrid system is also one of the most important labels of the Trumpchi GS8.
In terms of power, the Trumpchi GS8 offers two options: the Pilot Series and the Dual Engine Series. The Pilot Series is equipped with the Julang Power 2.0T GDI engine + Aisin's third-generation 8AT powertrain, which is the strongest 2.0T+8AT of the Chinese brand, with a maximum torque of 400N·m, and the hybrid model uses a 2.0TM engine + a new fourth-generation enhanced version of the THS II. Toyota hybrid system.
This means that the Trumpchi GS8 is the first Chinese brand model equipped with Toyota THS hybrid technology, and it is also the first model in the world to use a 2.0T engine with Toyota THS hybrid technology.
Thanks to this set of the strongest power combination of the same class, trumpchi GS8 dual engine series 0-100km/h acceleration time of 6.9s, NEDC working condition fuel consumption of 5.3L/100km, under normal conditions, a full tank of fuel can run more than 1000km, under the extreme test case a tank of oil mileage up to 2022 kilometers, in the power and fuel consumption, has been a good balance.
Not only that, thanks to the GPMA-L platform, compared with the previous generation GS8, the overall driving comfort of the new second-generation GS8 has increased by 24%, the steering response has increased by 28.3%, the braking system stiffness has increased by 30%, the braking efficiency has increased by 5%, the response time of the four-wheel drive system has been increased by 25%, and the handling performance has also been improved.
Such data makes Trumpchi GS8 form a comprehensive advantage.
I don't know when the word "advantage" appeared more and more in independent brands, and who is the advantage compared to? Naturally, it is a joint venture brand.
When the tank 500 burst order, the price of BYD bicycle exceeded the joint venture brand, and the preferential margin of Changan CS75PLUS was smaller than that of the joint venture brand, we slowly found that the gap between the independent brand and the joint venture brand was getting smaller and smaller, so a new topic was placed in front of us:
Beyond the joint venture, what else needs to be done for independent brands?
In fact, this year's auto market data is very telling.
Since March, the market share of mainstream self-owned brands has grown from 32% all the way to more than 40%, while mainstream joint venture brands have fallen from 46% all the way to 40%. By September, the gap between the two shares was only 0.36%, and the X-shaped share trend ushered in the intersection for the first time.
After the intersection, whether independent brands can always rise is still inconclusive, but from the sales ranking, among the top ten car companies, the advantages of joint venture brands still exist. However, in the author's view, the gap between independent brands and joint venture brands is a phenomenon, but independent brands still need to make efforts in many aspects.
Even in such a new track as new energy, the advantages of independent brands are obvious, but the joint venture brands also have their own advantages in terms of technical reserves, and for independent brands, system and technological innovation are indispensable.
In general, the development of the new energy market has four major characteristics: the first is policy guidance, policy is leading the development of new energy vehicles; the second is capital pull, the power of capital pulls new energy vehicles forward; the third is innovation-driven, the ecology and business model, organizational structure, business ideas, and customer relations of new energy vehicles are all in an innovative state; the fourth is the support of science and technology and talents, without science and technology, without talents, it is difficult to go far in the field of new energy.
Capital and people, seemingly unrelated, are actually two factors that are closely related. For independent brands, institutional reform is as important as technological innovation. The power of capital is linked to the results of enterprise development and the work results of employees, which can not only reduce production costs, but also mobilize the enthusiasm of employees.
In terms of technology, solving the anxiety of electric vehicles should also be the direction of the efforts of independent brands.
The development of electric vehicles has gone through several stages. The first is the problem of mileage, and then there is the problem of safety, and now it has entered the problem of convenience of charging. With the increase in the penetration rate of electric vehicles, the power consumption mode will undergo profound changes, in short, 5 minutes, 8 minutes charging 80%, 5 minutes charging of electricity runs more than 200 kilometers, which is called ultra-fast charging, but the construction of ultra-fast charging piles requires infrastructure investment.
This means that when independent brands are eager to gallop on the new energy track, supporting infrastructure must be developed simultaneously with new energy technology and actively reserve.
Write at the end:
There is a theory that in 2025, independent brands will surpass joint venture brands across the board.
Whether it can be achieved or not, we still don't know, but when we use one product after another to continuously expand the competitive track and expand the competitive advantage, this day will come sooner, and when the Chinese automobile industry really rises, the ultimate benefit is still Chinese consumers.
Perhaps this is the real mission of the Tank 500, BYD DM-i, Changan CS75PLUS and Trumpchi GS8.
May such an objective be achieved as soon as possible.