In recent years, the Toyota brand has adjusted its product line, and while discontinuing a number of classic cars, it has also added many cross-border models to further meet the preferences of young consumers. After Toyota released the Corolla Cross overseas in the second half of 2021, GAC Toyota introduced it to China at the beginning of 2022 and named it Fenglanda. The car is based on the TGNA GA-C platform and is positioned between C-HR and Veranda. So how does this new model perform in terms of product strength? Can it be recognized by young consumers? This issue of the quality car will be interpreted in detail for you.
First, basic information and product highlights
GAC Toyota Fenglanda has launched a total of 5 models to choose from, and the new car is based on the TNGA-C platform and is positioned as a compact SUV. The car as a whole follows the design style of the Japanese version of the Corolla Cross, the overall shape looks fuller and more visual impact, and the power of the car is equipped with the 2.0L naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that we are familiar with.
The full name of TNGA is Toyota New Global Architecture, which is Toyota's new global architecture, which is a new car-making concept and method, which can effectively reduce R&D/production costs and improve R&D efficiency, and it will also optimize and integrate the enterprise system, R&D system, production system, and parts system. TNGA is divided into TNGA-C, TNGA-K, TNGA-L three major platforms, and Fenglanda's TNGA-C platform, mainly responsible for the production of small cars and compact cars, with the help of platform advantages, Fenglanda in the low center of gravity, wide body and high rigidity body design is quite bright, while ensuring comfort under the premise of control performance has been improved.
Toyota Safety Sense Safety System is equipped with Fenglanda, which includes PCS pre-collision safety system (with forward pedestrian identification), DRCC dynamic radar cruise control system (with full speed domain follow-up function), and LTA lane tracking assistance system. When millimeter-wave radar and monocular cameras detect a vehicle or pedestrian that suddenly appears in front of them, if the driver does not brake, the collision warning system automatically activates and intervenes in the speed of the vehicle to brake. The lane departure system is to identify the white line on the road through a monocular camera, and once the vehicle is offset, the system will assist in correcting the direction.
Second, product competitiveness analysis
Nowadays, with the increasing saturation of the domestic SUV market, car companies have launched more market segments while accelerating the iteration of models to seize market share. After the listing of GAC Toyota Fenglanda, it will mainly face mainstream compact SUV models in the market, including Dongfeng Nissan Qashqai and Dongfeng Yueda Kia Smart Run.
From the current price point of view, GAC Toyota Fenglanda is moderately priced among the three models, and the entry-level model is lower. In terms of model discounts, since GAC Toyota Fenglanda has just been listed, there are currently no discounts. The Dongfeng Nissan Qashqai and Dongfeng Yueda Kia Zhipao have been on the market for a relatively long time, and there are currently 23,000 and 10,000 terminal discounts respectively. (For reference only, subject to actual in-store offers).
From the perspective of appearance design, the three models have adopted the design language of their respective brands, and the overall shape is more dynamic. In terms of details, the front Lanta's large mouth grille and slender headlights make the front face very recognizable. In addition, the car's black enveloping coverage area is larger among the three cars, increasing the wildness; Nissan Qashqai makes itself look very designed with the design language of "V-Motion", its overall shape is rounded, and the large V-shaped chrome trim on the front face increases the recognition; the overall style of the Dongfeng Yueda Kia Smart Run is more square, the large-size grille is connected to the headlights, and the front lip and side skirt are also equipped with red trims, which increases the sports atmosphere.
In order to facilitate the comparison of configurations, we selected three mid-range models for horizontal evaluation. Through the comparison, it can be seen that the price of the three models is the highest, and such a price can also buy the top model of Fenglanda. In contrast, the overall configuration performance of Kia Smart Run is similar to that of qashqai, but the price is controlled within 150,000, which is full of cost performance. In terms of specific configurations, the focus of the three models is different. Thanks to the Toyota Safety Sense safety system, Fenglanda performs well in safety areas such as active braking, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist. In terms of entertainment, although the car supports a variety of mobile phone interconnection, it is not as intelligent as the other two models in terms of internet of vehicles and OTA upgrades.
Third, product quality & service trend analysis
As a new model of GAC Toyota, will Fenglanda have the hidden danger of quality problems? In this regard, we will start from the failure of the Fenglanda model in the past year, and compare the fault problems to initially predict the development trend of new car quality problems in the future. Since the Fenglanda is a brand new model, we will analyze the complaints of GAC Toyota SUV models in the past year.
Through the analysis of complaints about GAC Toyota SUV models in the past year, it can be found that the fault problem is mainly concentrated in the "audio and video system failure", and the complaints are mainly concentrated in the Veranda new energy model. Through further analysis, it is known that most of the above problems come from the 2021 model. Because Fenglanda adopts a new car engine system, it can be considered that the probability of the above problems is small, but whether there will be new problems will be determined after it is listed for a period of time.
With the continuous development of the mainland automobile market, the level of brand pre-sales/after-sales service, and the quality of the purchase experience have gradually become an important factor affecting consumers' final purchase. Therefore, based on the massive big data of the vehicle quality network, we will analyze the service problems that have prevailed in brands or car series in the past year to provide a more objective reference for consumers to purchase models.
Since the Fenglanda is a brand new model, we will analyze the service problem complaints of GAC Toyota in the past year. By screening the complaint data of GAC Toyota, it can be found that the problems with relatively large complaints are "selling problem cars" and "not fulfilling sales commitments", and the number of complaints is 21.
In terms of measuring the reputation of new car after-sales service, we will analyze the response of enterprises to car owners' complaints, and relatively objectively predict the future after-sales service reputation of new cars. According to the data of the vehicle quality network, the complaint response rate of GAC Toyota's models in the past year is 99.8%, which shows that the manufacturer's attention to the demands of car owners is still relatively high.
Fourth, after-sales service policy and network distribution
According to the official website of GAC Toyota, users who purchase Fenglanda can enjoy a 3-year 100,000-kilometer vehicle warranty, and consumers who book a car from January 1, 2022 to February 28, 2022 can enjoy financial 0-interest or low-interest products, and each preferential model can consult the local 4S store. In addition, GAC Toyota has also launched worry-free maintenance, 24-hour rescue and door-to-door pick-up and delivery services for car buyers.
After the purchase of the vehicle, it is bound to involve the daily maintenance of the vehicle, at which time the number and distribution of the brand dealer stores are very important, and even have a certain impact on whether consumers buy the brand model. According to the statistics of the vehicle quality network, GAC Toyota currently has a total of 626 dealer stores in China, covering 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government. Among them, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang have a large number of dealers. Overall, the number and coverage of GAC Toyota's dealers in the joint venture brand performance is satisfactory.
summary
On the whole, the overall strength of GAC Toyota Fenglanda is relatively outstanding, and the power of 2.0L can fully meet our daily driving needs, but in the comparison with the configuration of competing models, the lack of comfort and intelligent configuration is still somewhat regrettable. At present, in the domestic compact SUV market, Dongfeng Nissan Qashqai, SAIC-GM Buick Oncora GX and Kia Zhipao and other joint venture models have strong strength, Fenglanda and competitor models, in the design and price level have a certain advantage. If you want to buy a joint venture compact SUV that is very cost-effective and design-oriented, Fenglanda deserves a priority.