Lead
Introduction
Gentle Township, Hero Tomb.
Author 丨 Li Sijia
Responsible editor 丨 Xu Jinkai
Edit 丨 Chic
The MPV market is a segment with insufficient presence in China, but this traditional impression has changed in 2021.
Kia Kahua, Hyundai Kusto, Toyota Xena and other new MPV have been launched; North and South Honda's Odyssey and Alexand ushered in the mid-term revamp; Lantu Dreamer, Chase MIFA 9 and other independent MPV scrambled to debut... This year can be described as the layout year of major automakers in the MPV market, especially in the mid-to-high-end MPV market.
And the high-end MPV products are piled up, and some people are happy and some are sad.
For the market, the entry of more excellent products has withdrawn the high-end MPV market from the original Buick GL8 monopoly; for manufacturers engaged in the MPV market, the new layout means new opportunities; for the Buick GL8, the arrival of competitors is bound to make them feel the threat of being overtaken.
The Buick GL8 should have this hunch, and without it, it would be dangerous. The arrival of heavy MPV products is undoubtedly to impact the pattern of the old era of the high-end MPV market. Just as the new car-making forces are eyeing Tesla, their direct opponent is the Buick GL8.
On the other hand, buick GL8, although it is still the market segment of the delicious, bicycle profit margin is proud, but the arrival of excellent competitors is bound to divide its market. Ancients Cloud: "Born in trouble, died in comfort", if buick GL8 wants to be a long-term leader in the mid-to-high-end MPV market, it must escape from its comfort zone and challenge its new self.
In the mid-to-high-end MPV market, the times have changed
If there is an MPV model that can occupy the C position of the auto show, and even overshadow the cars and SUVs that have always been at the center of the topic, I think many people will answer the same as the Buick GL8.
As one of SAIC-GM's ace models, the Buick GL8's position in the MPV market has not been shaken. Since the first Buick GL8 rolled off the production line at the Pudong Jinqiao base in 1999, it has been in a dominant position in the mid-to-high-end MPV segment, with cumulative sales of more than 1.5 million units, unique.
There is even a saying that in China's mid-to-high-end MPV market, there are actually only two cars, one is the Buick GL8 and the other is the other.
It is not an exaggeration to describe the market position of the Buick GL8 in this sentence. In 2021, the cumulative sales of the Buick GL8 reached 160,000 units, an increase of 2.9% year-on-year, with an average monthly sales volume of more than 10,000 and a stable market share. Continue to crush major competitors such as Alexand, Odyssey and Trumpchi M8, and continue the sales myth.
The reason why it is a continuation myth is because over the years, no matter how many sub-spoon MPV benchmark models have appeared, it seems that they have not really shaken the status of the Buick GL8.
But it is such a model that plays an important role in the MPV market, but it is not the protagonist of the MPV traffic frenzy at the auto show.
Last year, the three MPV models of Xena, Jiahua and Kustu were unveiled in Rongcheng, awakening consumers' memories of this market segment with a market share of only 5.5%. Subsequently, just when people thought that this MPV boom would be as short as a meteor, MPV once again ushered in a highlight moment in Yangcheng more than two months later, Lantu Dreamer, Volkswagen Weiran, Chase MIFA 9...
Among them, there are both joint venture brands and independent brands.
In terms of joint venture brands, at present, the mainstream domestic joint venture brands have almost fully opened the MPV strategy. Judging from several new MPV released in 2021, Toyota Syna harvests traffic and will become a popular model, while Jiahua, Kustu, Odyssey, etc. have also shown a lot of competitiveness.
In terms of independent brands, Trumpchi M8 has long been harvesting the market in South China, and Wuling Capgemini, Trumpchi M6, Chase G50, etc. have also performed well. Take the Trumpchi M8, which will sell 66,000 vehicles in 2021, an increase of 95.4% year-on-year. Second only to the Buick GL8 in sales, it has become one of the few medium- and large-sized SUVs in history that can sell more than 5,000 units a month.
At the same time, as an independent brand model, the Trumpchi M8 does not rely on cheap to win. Although the price is slightly lower than the MPV of the joint venture brand of the same level, its main models are in the range of more than 20, and even have entered the 300,000 level. The 200,000 level has always been regarded as the ceiling of domestic cars, while the Trumpchi M8 has only started at this price and has reached the 300,000 level.
At the same time, under the wave of electrification, self-owned brand MPV models rely on new energy to obtain new opportunities. Like SAIC Maxus' MIFA 9 and Arashi's Dreamer, these all-electric models can effectively solve the pain points such as poor MPV NVH and space expansion. Therefore, they have the potential to become another point of strength for autonomous medium and large MPV.
From joint ventures to autonomy, from fuel to electric, the mid-to-high-end MPV market has changed from the original blue ocean to the red ocean, and the new competitive order is waiting to be arranged. In the face of encirclement and suppression, the Buick GL8 was attacked on all sides.
The GL8 needs to escape its comfort zone
On November 19 last year, The new Buick GL8 flagship concept car was unveiled in Hall 4.2 of Pazhou Convention and Exhibition Center.
Luxurious two-color body, wing-out light trace interactive headlights, interior design based on the brand's favorite blue and gold... The model, developed by SAIC-GM's Pan-Asian Automotive Technical Center, is positioned even more than the Avenir version. Since the moment the mystery was unveiled, it has become the reason why many spectators stopped, and its popularity is no less than that of Xena at the Chengdu Auto Show.
With the unveiling of the new Buick GL8 flagship concept car, the 230,000-530,000-000 price coverage range of the On-Sale Buick GL8 will be extended again, and then have the opportunity to touch the more luxurious MPV market.
We all know that whether it is Buick or the entire MPV market, there has been a lack of models that can compete with the higher range of Toyota Alpha and Wilfa, and the GL8 flagship concept car released by Buick is not only an important weight for Buick to stir up the muddy waters of the MPV market, but also a major weapon for its impact on the higher-end MPV market.
This is the self-innovation of the Buick GL8 under the market changes.
If you look back, in fact, the change of buick GL8 has not stopped.
Previously, open the network comments, the most complained about the Buick GL8 is the high fuel consumption, the gearbox shift slightly frustrated, the price increase and other issues. However, since the 2020 model was replaced by a 9AT gearbox, the problem has become much better; then the current Buick GL8 has been replaced by fuel +48V light hybrid, and fuel consumption has also been reduced.
Further ahead, it is Buick GL8 in 2016 that launched the high-end positioning of the Buick GL8 Avenir model, thus opening the high-end road of the Buick Evia sub-brand, and also opened the road of GL8 to high-end home MPV transformation. With the transformation to home MPV and high-end, GL8 sales have also made a breakthrough.
From 2013 to 2016, the annual sales of the Buick GL8 have been hovering at the level of 70,000-80,000 vehicles, and this situation has changed significantly in 2017, when the Buick GL8 sold a total of 145,000 vehicles, almost doubling year-on-year; from 2017 to 2020, the annual sales of the Buick GL8 stabilized at the level of 140,000-150,000 vehicles, successfully stepping onto a new level.
Since its listing, the cumulative sales of Buick GL8 in the Chinese market have exceeded 1.6 million vehicles, of which the sales of high-end models such as Buick GL8 Aivia and Buick GL8 ES Luzun have exceeded 50% of the series sales, and the hot sale of high-end models is a strong proof of the dominance of the Buick GL8 market.
It can be seen that buick GL8 launched the Avenir model this time to escape and try is very correct, but also received a return. In other words, buick GL8 can continue to maintain its vitality in the small space of MPV with only 5.5% market share for a long time, in addition to the advantages of preconceptions, it is inseparable from its successful escape and attempt again and again.
Previously, the MPV market was tepid, but this does not mean that there is no demand in this segment, in fact, there is no sufficient abundance of products, which is one of the reasons why it has not been able to develop. Nowadays, the cake of the MPV market is slowly getting bigger, especially under the change of the open three-child policy and traditional concepts, many consumers are considering abandoning SUVs and turning their attention to MPV.
Although in various price ranges, Buick GL8 has built a moat, coupled with the accumulation of word of mouth over the years, with the current market trend, it is difficult for other products to shake the status of Buick GL8 in a short period of time. But as more and more challengers arrive this year, the gap between the sales of the Buick GL8 and other models will be further reduced.
This time, is the Buick GL8 ready to "escape" again?
| Li Sijia |
Leader of the anti-parsley alliance and long-time occupier of the first floor of the commune