Following the unveiling of SAIC Audi's first luxury flagship model, the Audi A7L and the first electric vehicle, the Audi Q5 e-tron, the Audi Q6, which is positioned as a medium- and large-sized SUV model, has also ushered in the latest developments.
Recently, it is reported that saicid audi Q6 is currently in the domestic road test stage, planning to debut at the 2022 Beijing Auto Show, and will officially open pre-sale in the second quarter of 2022.
Previously, on January 1, 2022, SAIC Audi's "Audi Enterprise Club Shanghai Unveiling Ceremony" was held in Shanghai. Wang Xiaoqiu, President of SAIC Motor Group, said: "SAIC Audi embodies the painstaking efforts of our shareholders, carries the love of Shanghai, and pins on the expectations of consumers, hoping that SAIC Audi will become a benchmark for high-end joint venture automobile brands in the new era and create a new pattern of Audi's development in China." ”
(The Audi Enterprise Center is located in the SAIC Headquarters building.) Image from SAIC Audi's official website)
It is understood that saic motor and audi brand began in 2016, after five years of tempering and precipitation, in 2021 into the fast lane of development. On April 18, 2021, the SAIC Audi brand was officially unveiled in Shanghai, and its new Audi A7L made its global debut, which also marked the official opening of the cooperation between SAIC and Audi.
"Different from the pure 'new force of car manufacturing', and different from the original traditional luxury brand, we are the 'new force of luxury brand'." According to Jia Mingdi, general manager of SAIC Audi's marketing business, in 2022, including A7L, SAIC Audi will launch three new products to the market, with a sales target of more than 50,000 vehicles.
For the "agency system" marketing model and other issues, SAIC Audi said in an interview with the "China Business Daily" reporter a few days ago that SAIC Audi has laid out more than 55 offline experience stores offline in 2021, and will complete the layout of 120 offline experience stores in 2022.
The road from "0" to "1"
From the official launch of the new brand on April 18, 2021 to the official delivery of the new Audi A7L 55TFSI on January 1, 2022, SAIC Audi achieved a breakthrough from "0" to "1" in less than a year.
On January 1, 2022, the House of Progress officially opened in Shanghai. According to reports, the Audi Enterprise Center, which relies on the headquarters building of SAIC Motor, is the flagship store of SAIC Audi. This is the first and only "Enterprising Hub" of the Audi brand in China, and it is also an experience terminal that best interprets the CONCEPT of SAIC Audi.
With the unveiling of the new Audi A7L and Audi Q5 e-tronA, SAIC Audi has completed the initial layout in the domestic market of fuel vehicles and new energy vehicles. Among them, the new Audi A7L 55TFSI has been officially delivered, and the new Audi A7L 45TFSI has also been opened for booking.
According to the price information previously announced by SAIC Audi, the price of the two different configuration models of the new Audi A7L advance version is 677,700 yuan and 697,700 yuan respectively, and the new Audi A7L 55TFSI is priced between 599,700 yuan and 696,700 yuan according to the different sets. In addition, the Audi A7L also launched a prescient version of the model, priced at 777,700 yuan, has touched the price ceiling of domestic models.
This is also a microcosm of SAIC Audi's road to breaking the game in China's luxury car market. According to Jia Mingdi in an interview with the media, in the second half of 2022, SAIC Audi will also have a full-size large SUV on the market. This may be the Audi Q6 that is being tested on the road.
While constantly launching new models, SAIC Audi is also implementing a differentiated competitive strategy, and active customers are becoming younger. According to the data, in the user portrait of SAIC Audi, 32% of users are under 30 years old, and 72% of users are under 40 years old. To this end, SAIC Audi has also begun to pay more attention to user needs, and SAIC Audi A7L advance version and special edition models have been customized to a certain extent.
"At the same time, we also found that the voice and dominance of young user groups in the business system are getting stronger and stronger. Therefore, SAIC Audi wanted to create a unique communication method to express our new attitude towards brand and user relations. We have changed the original brand-oriented mindset, thinking more from the user's point of view, and co-creating with the user. SAIC Audi said.
For the cooperation between Audi and SAIC, auto analyst Ren Wanfu said in an interview with reporters that the development of the Audi brand in the Chinese market has been relatively smooth, but with the pressure brought by brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, the Audi brand chose to join hands with SAIC Motor, and it is undoubtedly the right choice to seek market breaks in the Chinese market.
"SAIC's comprehensive strength in the domestic automotive market is strong, which is a unique choice for Audi." Ren Wanfu said that Audi has been cooperating with China FAW before, has a better understanding of the Chinese market, and chose to cooperate with SAIC To rebuild a joint venture, which is also the best solution for the Audi brand.
Explore new business models
It is worth noting that Audi, as the first luxury car brand to enter the Chinese market, has been a witness and promoter of the Chinese luxury car market for more than 30 years. In the case that Audi has formed a close cooperative relationship with China FAW before, how to compete misplaced in terms of product creation and marketing system layout is also a mandatory question in front of SAIC Audi.
In this regard, Ren Wanfu told reporters: "How the Audi brand puts the right products into the production of SAIC Audi is a difficult problem. In addition, it also involves the game between SAIC And China FAW, although the same luxury brand, but FAW Audi and SAIC Audi may have different price positioning. ”
Ren Wanfu further said that the cooperation between SAIC And Audi is actually manifested in the field of new energy and intelligence, and now SAIC Audi mainly promotes the traditional fuel model Audi A7L, or in order to "step" more steadily. "Of course, we must also consider how Audi will allocate resources between FAW Audi and SAIC Audi, but SAIC Audi will definitely help Audi develop in the Chinese market in terms of sales."
"Welcoming new partners should be the result of 1+1>2, not a competitive relationship. At the same time, China FAW and SAIC Motor also reached an agreement to make the best use of the existing dealer investor network. On April 18, 2021, Arshow, President of Audi China, stressed at the official unveiling of the SAIC Audi brand, "We hope to achieve a win-win result for all parties." ”
It is understood that as early as December 23, 2020, SAIC Motor, Audi and China FAW jointly announced a consensus on future sales and service cooperation: SAIC Audi will build an innovative business model, its products will be sold by the existing Audi investor network layout, after-sales service relying on Audi's existing network to provide consumers with high-quality, efficient service guarantee.
In this context, SAIC Audi has abandoned the traditional 4S store model in the choice of operating model and adopted a new "agency system" model. According to the "physical e-commerce ecological experience" business model previously released by SAIC Audi, SAIC Audi will build a complete digital service ecosystem online, provide unified product and service prices nationwide, realize customized services such as online car booking, door-to-door test drive and door-to-door delivery, and create a direct connection path between brands and users.
SAIC Audi said that through the construction of digital prototypes in the exhibition hall and the exploration of the digital retail laboratory Mockup, the company planned, developed and landed a number of innovative digital experience equipment. "The landing of SAIC Audi's digital system can enable SAIC Audi to maximize the distance between the brand and users, realize direct connection and co-creation with users, and create a young and personalized brand experience for Chinese users."
Offline, SAIC Audi is opening its brand showroom into a bustling commercial area, which integrates functions such as brand digital experience, product display, sales consulting, user interaction and product delivery. In terms of sales channels, SAIC Audi selects agent partners through the "agency system" model, and will also authorize Audi's existing network to carry out after-sales service to bring consumers car protection.
It is understood that in addition to the Audi Enterprising Hui opened at the headquarters of SAIC Group, SAIC Audi is also laying out sales channels nationwide. In the past 2021, SAIC Audi has laid out more than 55 experience stores offline, and will complete the layout of 120 offline experience stores in 2022.
"After the Spring Festival in 2022, we will also usher in the opening of Chengdu Audi City and Beijing Audi City, coupled with the Opening of Guangzhou Audi City and Audi City Stores throughout the country, which opened in November 2021, SAIC Audi's entire offline experience store system will form a perfect and three-dimensional network structure." SAIC Audi said.