On December 9, 2021, the Association released its Retail Sales Ranking Express for November. FAW-Volkswagen sold 133,200 new cars, outperforming Geely Automobile by a slight margin to win the sales championship of domestic automakers. This is not surprising, after all, the skinny camel is bigger than the horse.
However, what Kung Fu Auto wants to say is that today's FAW-Volkswagen is no longer the same. The most typical is that its sales volume has shrunk by 40.2% compared with the same period last year, and the overall decline is unmistakable, and this sales volume is still achieved in the case of a large price increase.
Although the fuel sector as a whole is declining, FAW-Volkswagen is going down so fast that it has to wonder how long it can stay in the first position. Why is the former god car no longer working? Let the kung fu car take everyone to see it together.
(1) The problems continue, and the scenery is no longer there
Old auto people are expected to have the impression that in 2011, there was a news that FAW-Volkswagen issued 27 months' wages as a year-end bonus, even ordinary workers can get 80,000, and middle and senior engineers can generally get more than 200,000. The most important thing is that in addition to the year-end bonus, it is common for them to pay double salaries, and it is said that FAW-Volkswagen employees at that time could get up to 63 salaries in the whole year.
At that time, there was an uproar, to know that it was 10 years ago, what Huawei, Tencent, Ali in front of FAW-Volkswagen are not good. At that time, FAW-Volkswagen was almost the best employer that ordinary college graduates could find without relying on connections.
What mirrored the ultra-high treatment was the operating conditions of FAW-Volkswagen at that time. After many years of operation of a number of classic old cars such as Santana and Jetta, FAW-Volkswagen ushered in its peak in the first decade of the 21st century when consumption exploded. People have a good impression of German cars, it is mentioned that Germans are rigorous, and the German car chassis is solid and safe.
Kung Fu Auto had a friend who took a fancy to volkswagen Sagittarius's 1.4T version. He felt that Volkswagen's engine was particularly invincible, but he was a little uneasy about the DSG, and simply bought a 1.4T manual high-end and landed 180,000. From today's point of view, it is simply unbelievable.
But at that time, this was a normal thing, because in their eyes, they could only choose Volkswagen to buy a car, and then they didn't want to suck themselves, and they didn't want to buy a double clutch.
It can be said that FAW-Volkswagen at that time was a brand with a halo in the hearts of many Chinese people, and "this car is more advanced", but it is not just a paragraph, but a very real existence.
But it is a pity that FAW-Volkswagen does not cherish the trust of the Chinese people. Since then, it has been troublesome, initially EA888 burned engine oil, some old drivers really hurt; then there is the DSG gearbox often lying down, the famous "death flicker", complaints remain high; and then to upgrade the national six emissions, Tanyue has burst out the problem of particle trap blockage, and actually suggested that users add 98 # gasoline, which is simply outrageous.
Corresponding to the frequent problems, FAW-Volkswagen's profits and reputation have been declining. Therefore, FAW-Volkswagen, which seems to still have strong sales, has actually retreated, and may one day have an opportunity to be pushed down by other brands.
(2) Robbing the domestic car rice bowl and being beaten in the face
FAW-Volkswagen is not without thinking about changing, but some of its practices can really be described in two words, that is, "stupid" and "bad". Saying that it is "stupid" is in the face of the price of luxury brands to explore, did not think of using their influence to explore the high-end, but thought of engaging in a low-end brand, yes, jetta; said that it is "bad", is the beginning of the establishment of this jetta brand, is ready to grab the rice bowl of domestic cars, as a first-line joint venture brand, although it is out of commercial considerations, but it is indeed a work.
FAW-Volkswagen is not without thought, it will be its highest-selling and most famous model Jetta, stripped from the system, the establishment of a new Jetta brand. It should be known that although the Jetta did not have the courage of the 90s at that time, the sales volume of compact cars could still rank in the top three, and it was also the sales responsibility of FAW-Volkswagen, and FAW-Volkswagen wanted to directly use its fame to harvest the market.
So the old Jetta became the Jetta VA3, and launched two new economic SUVs, the Jetta VS5 and the Jetta VS7, directly aiming at the H6, CS75 PLUS and other domestic cars. FAW-Volkswagen's abacus is very good, but people are not as good as the sky, a car has become three cars, sales have plummeted, once the old Jetta sold 30,000 units a month, and now the Jetta brand three cars combined to sell less than 20,000.
The reason is simple, why FAW-Volkswagen does the Jetta brand, naturally in order to grab the market for domestic cars and maximize profits. How to maximize profits? Naturally, it is a simple match. Jetta VS5 looks at the parameters are good, but the actual test drive knows how bad the overall texture, workmanship, and materials are. Coupled with the fact that there is no Volkswagen standard "protective body", many users do not know the jetta brand, and do not recognize its joint venture identity, naturally it can not compete with domestic cars.
If you think that the Jetta brand is such a dilemma today, I think FAW-Volkswagen will not do such a perverse thing.
(3) ID. The family performed well, and the electrification transformation was still adjusted
In recent years, FAW-Volkswagen has begun its transformation toward electrification. When Tesla began to engage in pure electric platforms and the endurance exceeded 500km, FAW-Volkswagen listed Golf Pure Electric, an oil-to-electricity model with a range of 270km and a starting price of 147,700 yuan.
After being severely beaten by the market, FAW-Volkswagen began to engage in pure electric platforms, which are now the ID. series.
Strictly speaking, the ID. series is actually doing a good job, and kung fu cars have also test-driven their cars, which is still remarkable. First of all, the space optimization, although the ID. series is not as good as the new generation of electric vehicles, but it is indeed larger than the same size of the Volkswagen fuel car space, and the rear floor platform is also flat, the riding experience is good; secondly, the endurance fidelity is better, many new forces actually have a 20% discount on the endurance, the ID. family can do more than 90%; and then there is the kinetic energy recovery is better, probably or the car is experienced, and the discomfort of driving up is much less.
However, compared with Tesla and BYD, the performance and endurance of the ID. series do not seem to be outstanding, and it is a little difficult to revive the glory of the fuel era.
For FAW-Volkswagen, there is a more fatal point, the attitude of the "parent company" Volkswagen Group has changed. Once FAW-Volkswagen was the absolute "pro-son" of volkswagen group, golf, sagittarius, Magotan, these world's best selling models are given to it, the most profitable Audi is also given to it, SAIC Volkswagen is to drum up a variety of "special" cars. You can take a look at the strain, SAIC Volkswagen's popular models, FAW-Volkswagen have corresponding "sister cars", and vice versa may not be.
Volkswagen's latest, also the European sales king ID.3, gave SAIC Volkswagen a monopoly. SAIC Audi also successfully obtained a license, and the first model A7L was also unveiled at the Guangzhou Auto Show.
This shows that perhaps FAW-Volkswagen's transcendent position will be shaken.
(4) Kung Fu shooting
Although it still retained its position in November, FAW-Volkswagen's shakiness is indeed very obvious, much stronger than at its peak. On the one hand, this is the overdraft of word of mouth, on the other hand, there is also the impact of the recent lack of cores, of course, there is also the reason that the popularity of new products is not so high.
In the face of the repeated impact of other car companies, how long can faw-Volkswagen sit on the throne?