Once upon a time, Jeep was also a representative of off-road vehicles, but now it seems that it is on the verge of delisting.
According to the GAC Group's February 2022 production and sales report, GAC FCA Jeep sales of only 134 vehicles, compared with 1725 vehicles in January again fell sharply, compared with the same period last year 2501 also fell 94.64%, and February production is as low as 35 vehicles, such production and sales results can be said to be "miserable". You know, from 200,000 vehicles sold annually in 2017 to 20,000 vehicles in 2021, Jeep has plummeted for 4 consecutive years, and entering 2022 is even more "falling", obviously, Jeep's survival in the domestic market is worrying.
So, why did Jeep, who wears the aura of "luxury car", fall to this point? There are several main reasons.
The first and foremost is naturally the quality problem. In 2018, the CCTV 3.15 evening free light and the guide "machine throttle" incident became a signal of Jeep's rapid decline. Even if there is a lesson from the past, Jeep does not think so, open a well-known complaint platform in China can see that its guide, free light, free man, commander and commander HPEV are still frequently complained, such as engine failure, transmission setback / abnormal sound / oil leakage, car odor / abnormal sound, audio and video system failure and other quality problems.
A big commander owner said that during the driving process, the transmission shaft is loose, abnormal sound, transfer box oil leakage, engine noise, all kinds of abnormal noise (seat, chassis, center console abnormal sound), after buying a car 1-2 years to start and stop the function to stop working, the normal driving process of the media volume will suddenly automatically adjust to the maximum, turn around or turn sharply when the shaking is serious, the driving computer inexplicably displays the engine, gearbox, battery failure. Even a guide owner shouted: "The gearbox is strange, and there is no one in the history of the most garbage gearbox!" After-sales actually said that it is normal, what is the reason. It can be seen that such a quality, why let consumers willingly pay for it?
In the view of Ding Yukun, deputy general manager of GAC FCA, it depends on "feelings", which he said: "For Jeep, our brand is more of a way of life than a simple product itself. But Jeep is obviously the "leader" of hardcore off-road, but the introduction of domestic models is a pure urban SUV, which is difficult to interpret the essence of the Jeep brand. If the product force can keep up, it is also understandable, but the embarrassment is that after comparison, Jeep's products are not only unspeakable, but even inferior to competitors at the same level in many aspects, and no matter which model update speed is quite slow, the product force can not compete with the mainstream models.
Therefore, under the wrong product positioning and low-quality product reputation and other factors, Jeep has become what it is today. At the same time, it can also be seen that the so-called "feelings" in Ding Yukun's mouth are worthless in the face of product power. In the face of the plunge in sales, Ding Yukun finally woke up: the urban SUV was a mistake Jeep made before, and off-road was the core DNA we have always insisted on. And in the future, can Jeep turn around in the Chinese market? For now, hope is slim.
On the one hand, Jeep's main hardcore SUV is originally a niche market, and now such as tank 300, BJ40 and other cost-effective hardcore off-road SUVs are more and more, the car market is becoming more mature, consumers are becoming more and more rational, relying on feelings alone can not prompt consumers to pay. On the other hand, new energy will become the mainstream of the future, and the Big Commander PHEV and Wrangler 4xe are like products of coping with new energy policies, and other electrification products are far away. What's more, dealers are facing losses and a crisis of trust, and Jeep's 4S store is now almost impossible to find in many cities. Jeep is an enemy on his stomach and back, and he is embattled.
In the face of dismal performance, GAC FCA also hopes to reverse the situation through capital increase and personnel deployment.
In May last year, Zhu Hengli, former executive vice president of Jaguar Land Rover China, was appointed deputy general manager and member of the company's executive committee by GAC FCA, mainly responsible for the sales and marketing segments of the joint venture. In July, GAC Group and Stellantis Group jointly injected 3 billion yuan into GAC FCA to support GAC FCA in implementing the follow-up "revitalization plan". At the end of July, Stellantis Group appointed Mu Anze as president of GAC FCA and was fully responsible for the operation and management of the Jeep brand in China. However, some professionals said that with the decline in sales, Jeep may become the next joint venture brand to withdraw from the Chinese market, and the 3 billion capital increase will also face the danger of being adrift.
Obviously, the capital increase and high-level "blood exchange" for GAC FCA, which is suffering from "serious illness", is only a symptom, not a cure, and the core problem may still be in the product, after all, improving product competitiveness is the "good medicine" to increase sales. Therefore, if GAC FCA Jeep wants to "survive" in the Chinese market, it is imperative to pay attention to product quality, improve service quality, and perhaps have a glimmer of vitality. Otherwise, it may only be a matter of time before you exit the Chinese market. So, do you think Jeep will follow in Fiat's footsteps? Welcome to leave a comment.