2021 is an extraordinary year, but also the opening year of the "14th Five-Year Plan", the mainland's economic and social development has made new historic achievements, the national economy has leapt to a new level; this year, as an important pillar industry of the national economy, automobiles still show strong resilience under various pressures, and strive to overcome the tight supply of chips, the outbreak of scattered epidemics, policy and regulatory adjustments, etc., and won the world's largest automobile market for 13 consecutive years. In the past year, "new energy, independent brands and exports" is undoubtedly the three keywords of the automotive industry; the industrial structure has further improved quality and efficiency, strong enterprises (or brands) have further consolidated their advantages, new brands have remained active, and electric and intelligent have become a trend.
Based on the observation of the industry, the analysis of the industry and the on-site interviews and reports, the Auto Channel of China Economic Network chooses to take stock of the memorable events, enterprises (brands), people, products, social responsibilities, etc. in 2021 at the end of the year; and chooses a word - "Jian" to summarize and summarize, present the bits and pieces of 2021 to the readers, and launch the enterprise (brand) article (Part 1) today.
Adhering to the "China First" BMW strengthens its electric offensive
2021 is a landmark year for BMW. This year, BMW accelerated its transformation in the fields of electrification, digitalization and sustainable development, not only with the cumulative delivery of 846237 BMW and MINI cars, the third time won the sales champion of China's high-end car market, but also surpassed Mercedes-Benz with 2213795 global sales and once again won the global high-end car market.
New BMW iX3
Under multiple pressures such as chip supply shortage and outbreak of epidemic scattering, BMW as a whole bucked the trend and could not do without the joint efforts of all models, of which the empowerment of electrified models became the key. According to the data, BMW will deliver 48,000 electric models in China in 2021, an increase of 69.6% year-on-year; among them, the pure electric BMW iX3 sold more than 21,000 units in the first full sales year. Since 2014, BMW has delivered nearly 140,000 electric models in China.
At the end of last year, BMW also upgraded its China strategy with "home in China", adhering to the principle of "China first", giving priority to the needs of the Chinese market in new product development, and continuously strengthening the co-creation of win-win results with Chinese partners.
With the arrival of the new year, BMW will continue to accelerate the process of electrification in China and present 7 new energy products to Chinese consumers. "Looking to the future, BMW will continue to take China as its home, and develop in tandem with China's economy and society, especially to promote the electrification process and support China's sustainable development." Gao Le, President and CEO of the BMW Group greater China, said.
Three years of "triple jump" Red Flag carrying the banner of independent high-end
100,000 vehicles, 200,000 vehicles, 300,000 vehicles... From 2019 to 2021, in just three years, the independent high-end brand Hongqi achieved a "triple jump" in sales. Although it failed to complete the annual sales target of 400,000 vehicles in 2021, in the face of the dilemma of "lack of core", Hongqi actively responded, showed strong system capabilities, and still set a new high in sales, with annual sales exceeding 300,000 vehicles.
Red Flag H9
Behind the rising sales volume is Hongqi's adherence to the concept of "all for customers, all services for customers, all humble for customers", and it is inseparable from its continuous deepening of product matrix, brand ecological construction, brand customer service and other fields.
Specifically, during the 2021 Shanghai International Auto Show, Hongqi released the "1+10" blockbuster achievements to showcase ecoLin5 - "five chains" as one of the future smart green city car ecosystem; in September, Hongqi completed the H5, HS5 and HS7 three models of the new listing, and announced the upgraded versions of H9 and E-HS9 during the Guangzhou Auto Show. In addition, in terms of services, Hongqi promotes digital intelligence services, channel construction and service upgrades based on digital wisdom vision, Hongqi zhilian App, Hongqi micro-store mini program, etc.
It is worth mentioning that on January 18, the annual press conference of China FAW and Hongqi brand was officially held. According to the plan, the sales target of the Hongqi brand in 2022 will reach 450,000-500,000 vehicles, an increase of more than 50% year-on-year.
Sales reached a new high Cadillac's new image and started again
In 2021, in a severe market environment, Cadillac still relied on its strong system capabilities to refresh the brand's highest sales record in 18 years since it entered China, although it failed to win the "sales crown" of the second-tier high-end car market, but it also successfully suppressed the "old rivals" Lexus and Volvo. According to the data, in 2021, Cadillac's cumulative sales in China reached 233117 vehicles, an increase of 1.4% year-on-year.
Photo courtesy of Aoteneng platform enterprises
2021 is the first full sales year after Cadillac's "3+3" product lineup has taken shape. This year, Cadillac not only achieved a steady increase in product sales, but also upgraded the 48V light hybrid power system of the entire series of SUVs, and integrated a new generation of mobile Internet experience CUE; its car sequence also added "high-end models" to jointly promote the promotion of brand value; the pure electric SUV LYRIQ based on the Aoteneng electric vehicle platform has also started pre-sale, officially opening a new journey of Cadillac electrification. In addition, Cadillac also said that it will continue to promote the construction of "digital space" and provide a richer and smarter new experience of luxury services through the integration of online and offline scenarios.
It is worth noting that this year is the 19th year of the Cadillac brand's deep cultivation in China, and it is also a historic moment in the 120 years since the establishment of the brand. To this end, Cadillac has launched a new brand identity, which will present more than 100 years of history with a new look. Facing the future, it is believed that under the joint efforts of the "3+3" family and the field of pure electricity, Cadillac will bring more surprises to the market. (China Economic Network reporter Zhang Yi)