[Aika car shopping guide original]
I believe that many netizens who have been paying attention to the car market at home and abroad have found such a phenomenon, that is, there are few overseas car companies that will use China as the first market to launch upgraded models. Of course, this may be because of the different strategic direction from overseas, or perhaps because of such objective reasons, it is generally difficult for Chinese consumers to contact new cars with the European and American markets. Some will be a few months late, some will be years late, and the fourth-generation Highlander, which went public last year, is the best example. When the time comes to 2022, there are also many familiar models that have been completed overseas, and several blockbuster models have been selected in this theme for everyone to introduce one by one, let's see how they differ from the old models.
The 6 models selected this time have officially landed in overseas markets, and some of their "predecessors" have been or are still selling in the domestic market. Although there is no accurate information on when these cars will be introduced in China, friends who are interested in them may wish to take a sneak peek.
Toyota YARiS is positioned as a small car, named Zhixuan in China, and GAC Toyota is responsible for domestic sales. At present, the third-generation model on sale in China is codenamed XP150, which is a special version launched for some Asian markets, and the wheelbase has been slightly extended, so GAC Toyota has always called the car YARiS L, and the fourth-generation YARiS has also been officially listed overseas in February last year.
Model summary: According to Toyota's official statement, the new generation of YARiS based on the GA-B platform has a lower center of gravity, better safety and handling, and has added a more up-to-date technology configuration, which has greatly improved its product strength compared with the previous generation model launched 10 years ago. However, there is no news about the official arrival of this car in China.
Qashqai has long been the star model of the joint venture brand compact SUV, which has provided great support for Dongfeng Nissan's sales in China. Even on the verge of replacement, it still handed over a report card of 20,486 units per month in January. However, at the end of last year, the new generation of Qashqai has also completed the listing in some countries and has begun to deliver.
Model Summary: The improvement of the new generation of Qashqai in all aspects is also very obvious, and the addition of small displacement supercharged engines and light mixing systems has also made it better comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations, and the increase in riding space is also more friendly to Chinese consumers. According to previous reports, the car will also land in the domestic market this year, let us wait and see.
YARiS to Show & Qashqai
After the introduction of the previous generation of models into China, the Audi S3 has suddenly become the first choice for many domestic performance car enthusiasts. Whether it's brand, performance, playability or price, it seems to be a perfect fit for this group of people. The new generation of models was released overseas at the beginning of last year and successively launched and delivered. So far, though, there hasn't been a clear timeline for the introduction of the car.
Model summary: When the new A3 was officially launched, the new generation of S3 has also become the most desired performance car for many fans. The car has improved its appearance, configuration and performance to a certain extent, so if this car officially comes to China, it will certainly be sought after by many "players".
Honda VEZEL, known in China as Binzhi, is sold domestically by Guangqi Honda, and the car is known as the XR-V under Dongfeng Honda, both of which were launched in the domestic market at the end of 2014. Their replacement models also officially launched in overseas markets in April 2021, and are sold in different countries under the names VEZEL and HR-V.
Model summary: The new generation of Binzhi also has earth-shaking changes, and will also be more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly hybrid version of the model as the main force of sales, but it is not clear when this car will officially come to China. In addition, the all-electric versions of the new Binzhi, namely Honda e:NS1 and e:NP1, which were officially released in China last October, will be produced by Dongfeng Honda and Guangqi Honda respectively.
Audi S3 & Honda Binzhi
Many people believe that the BMW 2 Series Station Wagon is the most controversial BMW model in history, but it is undeniable that its brand, price and practicality are still loved by many consumers, and BMW Brilliance has also made this car domestic, which has further reduced its price. In October 2021, the new generation 2 Series Active Tourer code-named U06 also made an official debut overseas.
In the price part, the manufacturer guidance price of the 2019 models previously sold in China was 219,800-28.98 million yuan. The new Generation 2 series starts at £33,940 in the UK market and costs around £298,000.
Model summary: Strong practicality and richer technology configuration are definitely the most prominent advantages of this new BMW 2 Series station wagon. At present, the new generation of models has been sold in some countries, but whether this car will be introduced into China is still in conclusion.
Sportage is a compact SUV under the Kia family, I believe that many domestic netizens will not be unfamiliar with it, its second-generation model as early as 2005 with the name of The Lion Run officially landed in the domestic market. In 2011, after the release of the third generation of Sportsage, it was renamed Zhi run, and adopted the "second generation of the same house" strategy with Lions Run to sell internally, and later eventually evolved into the Zhi Run Ace that is now on sale. In the global marketplace, the fourth-generation Sportsage is also officially released in 2021, and it has more amazing changes.
Model summary: The fourth generation of Sportsage has a more radical appearance and a more modern interior, while also meeting everyone's requirements for energy conservation and environmental protection in terms of power. Since Dongfeng Yueda Kia has adopted a different product layout from overseas in China, it is expected that the name of Sportsage will continue to be inherited by Zhipao Ace, and according to the previously obtained news, the fourth generation of Sportsage will be officially launched as a replacement product of the domestic KX5 within this year.
Unlike the several new cars mentioned above, the Lexus IS currently on sale overseas is not a new generation, but is constantly launching annual changes, so this car has not undergone much qualitative change compared with the 2017 models previously sold in China.
Model summary: Unlike the "BBA's "34C", Lexus IS is a more personalized luxury brand B-class car, but the previous sales performance of this car in China was not too good. And for now, this IS has also been delisted in some overseas countries, so if it does not undergo a major change, IS will not return to China.
Editor's summary: Every major change represents an all-round upgrade of a product, whether it is at the level of appearance, technology or power. For consumers, it is to spend almost the same amount of money to buy better products. However, for car companies, each iteration of one seems to face certain risks, especially for those models that are still strong in sales. It is certain that it is only a matter of time before products with mass bases such as Qashqai and Binzhi come to China, but it is still hoped that domestic joint venture car companies can synchronize with overseas as soon as possible, so that Chinese consumers can also experience the latest generation of new models like foreigners.
BMW 2 Series Station Wagon & Kia Sportage & IS