What is the concept of selling 1 million vehicles?
In China, the monthly sales of a car reach 10,000 units, so in any market segment, it can be called a hot sale. With an average of 10,000 units sold every month, it will take 8 years and 4 months to reach 1 million. Keep in mind that it is not easy to maintain excellent and stable market performance for more than 8 years.
And this month, the "Million Club" will welcome a new member - Dongfeng Honda XR-V. As a model launched in November 2014, the XR-V reached the milestone of 1 million units in only about six and a half years. This is not only a huge achievement, but also a testimony to the force speed of dongfeng Honda system.
So why was XR-V able to unlock millions of achievements in such a short period of time?
Seize market opportunities with the help of brand potential
For consumers, branding is an important consideration when shopping for goods. From daily cosmetics to mobile phone appliances, even our usual takeaway meals are more inclined to choose brands we trust.
What we trust is not the brand's own name and logo, but the quality assurance and product characteristics behind it. And buying a car, this kind of large-scale consumption behavior of hundreds of thousands of people, it is more necessary to focus on the brand. So what kind of brand is Dongfeng Honda?
For domestic consumers, Dongfeng Honda is already an "old friend". As early as 2003, when the domestic private car ownership ushered in a blowout period, Dongfeng Honda came to us and brought the original Honda car to domestic consumers.
The model introduced by Dongfeng Honda is the CR-V (the second generation overseas), but the model that really left a strong mark in the domestic market is the third generation CR-V that went on the market in 2007. Speaking of this car, I believe that people who are a little older remember.
I was still in junior high school, and now I can still recall the scene of the rounded third-generation CR-V running around the street at that time, which is all the rage. After that, the fourth generation to today's fifth generation CR-V is still the "explosive model" of the market segment.
Today, according to the data of the Association of Passenger Vehicles, from January to May this year, Dongfeng Honda CR-V sold more than 120,000 vehicles, ranking third in domestic SUV sales.
In terms of cars, Dongfeng Honda has also successively launched household names such as Civic and Siborui. Needless to say, from the realization of the eighth generation of models to achieve domestic production, the domestic market sports car list has one more member that cannot be ignored. Since then, the "myth" of Civic in China has begun to circulate.
The Spree is also a very representative sedan of Dongfeng Honda, and the second generation of Spree has been equipped with the original imported high-power version of the 2.4L engine + 8DCT power combination. Compared to the business style, the selling point of Spirent is the pure Honda-style driving pleasure.
Looking back at Dongfeng Honda's product layout, whether it is Civic, Spiral or even CR-V, its main product characteristics are young and sporty. What is conveyed to consumers is the technical quality and driving pleasure product characteristics that are in sync with the Honda brand worldwide.
And here at XR-V, these characteristics have not changed.
2014-2016 was a period of rapid expansion of the mainland SUV market, and Dongfeng Honda accurately seized this opportunity to introduce the second SUV model XR-V into China.
In fact, in the price range of XR-V, it faces not many competitors. But in terms of sales performance, XR-V is thriving. According to the data of the Association, in May this year, XR-V terminal sales were 19,361 units, an increase of 28.1% year-on-year, ranking third in domestic SUV sales in that month, and the first in the sales of joint venture brand SUVs.
There are many opponents and strong opponents, why is XR-V leading the way?
Accurate product positioning, the achievement of high-quality "small steel cannon"
As a small SUV, the XR-V has a sophisticated exterior interior design, superior space performance in its class, and a good driving experience.
Thanks to Honda's MM concept (greater occupancy space and smaller mechanical space), the XR-V is the body size of a small SUV, but its interior seating space is far superior to its class.
At the same time, special designs such as hollowed out storage slots under the center console, folding of rear seat cushions, and full flattening of rear seat backrests have also greatly increased the space utilization of XR-V.
Sufficient seating and storage space is a basic requirement for using a car, and young people are no exception. But on this basis, young consumers are more willing to pursue fashionable, exquisite and fun products. And Dongfeng Honda is precisely to see the consumer demands of young groups such as post-85s and post-90s, so that XR-V has become a popular "hit".
Since the launch of the XR-V mid-term redesign in 2019, it has taken a step further in catering to younger consumers. First of all, in terms of appearance, the new XR-V mainly makes adjustments to the front face, through simple line changes, making its front face more three-dimensional, and at a glance, there is a bit of CR-V charm.
Of course, the important thing is that it is equipped with the same 1.5T engine of the Civic, with a power of 177Ps and a torque of 220N·m. Regarding the parameters and strength of this engine, I believe that everyone is familiar with it, after all, the power performance of the Civic is obvious to all. But installing this level of powertrain on a small SUV is rare at least in the domestic market. In contrast, the XR-V is like a "small steel cannon" in its class.
Powerful power, combined with a lightweight, precise steering feel and tight suspension tuning, the XR-V has excellent sporty qualities not common in its class.
On the basis of ensuring the performance of the space, it can also meet the demands of young consumers for the car to be "good-looking" and "easy to drive", and can also bring a certain driving pleasure, such a model is not easy to find in small SUVs.
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At this point, the reason why XR-V was able to reach the milestone of 1 million vehicles in just over 6 years is clearer.
First of all, from the brand level, Dongfeng Honda has a global technical quality synchronized with the parent company, introducing the group's new products and technologies into China and winning the trust of consumers. At the same time, Dongfeng Honda has always emphasized the youthful and sporty brand tone, which has always allowed it to have a group of fans and achieve accurate positioning of user groups.
On this basis, XR-V this model is relying on the strong system of Dongfeng Honda, a boutique small SUV created for the post-85s and post-90s, adhering to the young sports style of the Dongfeng Honda brand, and at the same time equipped with a leading power system of the same level, accurately grasping the product points that are easy to impress young people.
Therefore, it is an inevitable event that it can quickly enter the "million club".
This article is reproduced from: car hoist circle