Remember the 315 Consumer Gala in 2021? Cars such as the Changan Ford Focus were named, and the problem of transmission design defects was once again put on the big screen. Many car owners complained that the dry dual-clutch gearbox equipped with their car had the problem of water rust, but the after-sales process was very difficult. Although after the 315 party, Changan Ford promised to give free maintenance to the transmission in question to ensure customer satisfaction. Is it not too late for Changan Ford to make amends?
Fox was once the king of the A-segment car market, and now sells 2,000 units a month
Fox was once the leader in the Chinese auto market, compared to the same level of Nissan Qida, Toyota Corolla looks more personal, and with better sport control performance, won the love of many young consumers. Since its launch in 1998, Fox has achieved global sales of 15 million units in 20 years, entered the Chinese market in 2005, and sold more than 2 million units in more than a decade, and it was very easy for Fox to sell 20,000 units a month at its peak. But now, Fox's average monthly sales in 2021 are about 2,000 units, and the highest monthly sales are only 4,000 units - not only because there are more and more competitors, but also because of the decline in its own reputation.
Dual-clutch transmission, three-cylinder engine consumes user enthusiasm
As mentioned at the beginning of the transmission problem that was named by the 315 party, Fox caused many consumers to be dissatisfied with the original AT transmission into a dual clutch, and the fourth generation of Fox canceled the multi-link rear suspension of the previous generation of full applications, and also radically replaced the three-cylinder engine, which was finally educated by reality. This series of operations that are incomprehensible to riders, coupled with many complaints caused by quality problems, has made Fox from the former pin crown step by step into today's small transparency.
However, the mid-term revamp of the new Focus is coming - according to the information that has been made public by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the new car is equipped with a 1.5T four-cylinder engine, and finally there is no need to be spat on the three-cylinder problem. So can the new Fox, which makes changes to cater to consumers' preferences at this time, win the favor of consumers again? Of course there is a chance.
The new Focus returns to the four cylinders, can it win the favor of new and old customers?
On the one hand, the old car owners who are familiar with the Ford brand, although they have previously criticized Fox because of the problems of key components such as three-cylinder engines and dual-clutch transmissions, but with the after-sales commitment given by Changan Ford, and the changes we can see in the latest models, it is hoped that the old fans will re-focus on Ford's new cars, and show their sincerity through product and service optimization.
In view of the current decline in the overall sales of Changan Ford, it is no longer the case of millions of sales in that year, many new generation consumers are relatively unfamiliar with this brand, after all, the proportion of Ford's new models that can be seen in road traffic is not high. For these new generation of consumers, Changan Ford needs to better promote The Ford China 2.0 strategy, through more localized marketing, interact with young people, so that Ford, a brand that is not well known among young people, can establish a vibrant image, rather than emphasizing the heavy historical sense of the century-old Ford.
With continuous improvement of products and optimized services to make old car owners change their attitudes, with a more close to the dynamic image of Generation Z youth to arouse the emotional resonance of young consumers, the new Fox has the opportunity to return to the mainstream.