"When the product does not work, it depends on marketing", Zhu Huarong, chairman of Changan Automobile, said at last year's Chongqing Auto Show, and half a year later, Changan Ford's 2022 opening exam paper does not seem to be satisfactory.
January sales fell year-on-year
Changan Ford sold 24,853 units in January, down 17.48% year-on-year and 32.6% month-on-month. According to previous planning, Changan Ford will accelerate the launch of new products this year, launching at least 4 new cars, including the new Focus, the new Mondeo, the new Explorer and the new Sharp World. The current model of Mondeo is slightly higher than the same level of Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, after the replacement, can the new car give consumers a more attractive price while enhancing product strength?
At least four new cars will be launched during the year
The new Mondeo, which will be launched in March as a replacement model, has eliminated the "Martin Face" in appearance, and has been upgraded in size and power compared to the current model. In terms of price, the starting price of the Accord and Camry, which are also B-class cars, does not exceed 180,000 yuan, while the current Mondeo starts at 192,800 yuan, which is much higher than the previous two. After the replacement, if the new Mondeo gives consumers a more attractive price, or has a greater boost to sales.
Another blockbuster model, the Fox, was also unique during the four-cylinder period, with more than 400,000 vehicles sold annually in 2013 and an average monthly sales of more than 30,000 vehicles. After the three-cylinder engine was replaced in 2018, it gradually lost its explosive status. Today, the new Focus is back on the four-cylinder, using a 1.5T engine in the same series as the Impreza. It is expected that the new car will be listed in the second quarter, and the price range may be 120,000-160,000 yuan.
If Zhu Huarong's "product is not good" refers to the imperfect product layout, it seems to be true. Changan Ford currently has five vehicle plants in China with a total production capacity of about 1.6 million vehicles, but the capacity utilization rate in 2021 is only 19.04%. After the launch of the new car, Changan Ford's main sales products have been almost completely renewed, but it remains to be seen how much capacity utilization the new car can eventually provide and how much growth power it can bring to sales.