Once upon a time, in Audi's car product line, the hierarchy was very clear. A4L focuses on the low-end market, attracting the attention of 300,000 consumers; A6L focuses on the administrative business market, aiming at the 400,000-level plate; and the A8L and A7, as imported models, one flaunts the flagship identity of Audi sedans, bringing the latest technology; the other fills the gap between the A6L and the A8L with a beautiful design and more sporty tuning, and the water of the respective wells does not violate the river water, and the wind and waves are calm.
But this seemingly calm situation was broken in 2022. It is the SAIC Audi A7L that breaks this state.
Since the planning in 2016, with the "landing" of SAIC Audi, the domestic luxury car market has once again set off a new wave. As the first domestic model of SAIC Audi, the A7L landed on the ground, canceled the hatchback, and became a large sedan. Some people say that it is no longer the most beautiful Audi, and some people say that it is the product of compromise for the Chinese market.
In terms of personal views, in the era of imported Audi A7, even if the terminal discount is powerful, but reflected in the sales level, A7 is always a car that does not call for seats. Instead of letting people look at it from a distance and not play with it, it is better to seek change on their own and focus on the executive-level car market where 56E is located. Therefore, for SAIC Audi's first model A7L, not to mention its goal is to reach A6L, five series, E-class monthly breakthrough, but since it is domestic, it naturally reflects the value of domestic production.
Then for the domestic A7L, in addition to the change in the body shape, the most direct benefit is that the price has been significantly reduced. Just when people think that the domestic A7L will still focus on more than 500,000 markets, on the first day of 2022, SAIC Audi broke everyone's cognition with "action". Yes, the starting price of 459,700 yuan, although it is still a little higher than the domestic A6L, but this also indicates that the competitors of the SAIC Audi A7L will no longer be an old opponent like CLS, but a more "mainstream" 56E.
So the question is, for consumers with a budget of four or five hundred thousand and ready to buy A6L, will the arrival of domestic A7L form a situation of internecine killing? After all, in terms of price, the two cars are very close, and the word internal consumption is not a play. But we rationally analyze the market demand for administrative cars, of which in part of the A6L order, there will still be many enterprises, units to buy it as an official reception car, in the public business, A6L has accumulated reputation and image for the time being, regardless of whether A7L can be shaken, at least with it for many years the five series, E grade has not yet reached its height.
Secondly, for individual buyers, the current domestic A6L terminal still has considerable discounts, taking the 40TFSI low-end model as an example, its actual transaction price is basically controlled in the early 400,000. In this comparison, the starting price of saicus Audi A7L entry-level models has also reached nearly 460,000, counting the miscellaneous costs, landing a low-end A7L is also running for half a million in any case. Therefore, unconsciously, A6L and A7L have formed a price difference of about 100,000 or so, in fact, it is invisibly considered to be a level of existence.
In the planning of products or configurations, we can also clearly see the difference between A7L and A6L. First of all, in the entry-level model, the A7L is equipped with a high-power EA888 third-generation turbocharged engine, with a maximum horsepower of 180 kW and a torque of 370 Nm. This parameter performance is not only much higher than the A6L's entry-level 190 horsepower, but also much stronger than the A6L 45TFS's 165Kw. Obviously, for the A7L, even if it is an entry-level model, its performance indicators must be better. Secondly, in the drive part, the A6L provides four front-drive models for consumers to choose from, and the lower cost also means a lower price. In this regard, the domestic A7L only provides a front-drive version of the model to lower the price, and the rest are quattro four-wheel drive models, which also means that unlike the A6L's business orientation, the A7L is still aimed at the sports or driving personal market.
It is believed that such a "setting" is also the result of the game between FAW Audi and SAIC Audi. After all, in the case of price overlap, differentiated competition not only avoids internal friction, but also creates different product characteristics of the two cars. Business-seekers will still choose A6L, and A7L is a sporty extension of this. This also confirms SAIC Audi General Manager Jia Mingdi's monthly sales expectations for the A7L 3000-5000 units.
Write at the end
In general, although the price overlaps, we are not worried that the domestic A7L will produce too much internal friction with the A6L. Because from the perspective of product temperament or mechanical specifications, and even the terminal price, there is still a relatively large difference between the two cars. In contrast, I personally believe that the domestic A7L seems to have a more adequate taste for the challenge of the five series and the E level. As for the market performance, I am afraid that we still need to wait until the new car is on the market for a period of time before making observations.