Recently, Changan has launched a new three-door four-seater car LUMIN, which is the previously disclosed A158 model. It is reported that the new car may be unveiled at this year's Beijing Auto Show.
This new micro-car, unlike the electric micro-car Changan Benben E-Star on sale, has a Changan V standard, and the existence of the LUMIN logo may indicate that Changan will create a new electric micro-car product sequence. It is reported that this car will be named "glutinous corn" such a playful and cute Chinese.
The exterior design of Chang'an glutinous corn, like the name, is full of cute style. The front face is composed of two round headlights and a simple inverted trapezoidal grille, in addition, the elements of the front face are only left with the "LUMIN" logo in the middle, which is more special, and the entire front face design is simple, and the shape is cute. It is worth mentioning that the interior shape of the glutinous corn headlight is very interesting, and the upper lamp eyebrow and lens are like a pair of cute big eyes.
Chery QQ
The side shape of the glutinous corn is relatively horizontal and vertical, but Jiang Ge thinks that this tough wind side is the current popularity, and the set of running and the previous QQ seems to be out of the flow.
The new car has a length, width and height of 3270mm/1700mm/1545mm, with a wheelbase of 1980mm, and its size is better than the Hongguang MINI EV and inferior to the Ben Ben E-Star, but it can have four seats. Jiang Ge speculated that the price of glutinous corn may be the benchmark Hongguang MINI EV, and below the Ben Ben E-Star, which starts at 49,800 yuan.
The concept of the new car rear styling design and the front face are basically mutually friendly, whether it is a round rear taillight with a lamp eyebrow that looks cute, or a tailgate handle designed like a tongue, this car reveals a playful and cute atmosphere everywhere, I believe that such a shape will win the heart of the young lady. The Chinese logo of "waxy corn" on the right also confirms the Chinese name of this car.
In terms of power, the drive motor of waxy corn has two supplier versions, the maximum power is 30kW, and the battery is equipped with the lithium iron phosphate battery of Zhongxin Airlines, which is expected to be higher than that of Hongguang MINIEV in terms of endurance. According to the information of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, waxy corn may provide a very vegetarian low-grade version to reduce the price of competition with Hongguang MINI EV.
Changan now has a Ben Ben E-Star to compete in the micro-electric vehicle market, but from the basic parameters of glutinous corn, this glutinous corn is likely to be a sequence newly developed by Changan, which does not rule out more mini cars joining the LUMIN logo products.
In fact, in addition to Changan glutinous corn, E-Star and the popular fried chicken Hongguang MINI EV, Chery QQ ice cream, Fengguang MINI EV, SAIC Coleway and Baojun E200, etc., the newly launched micro-electric vehicles are not in the minority, and the mini-car market has suddenly returned to the light?
Chery QQ Ice Cream
SAIC Coleway
In the past ten years, with the continuous upgrading of automobile consumption, small space, weak power, faceless mini cars and even small cars have gradually been abandoned by Chinese consumers, Chery QQ, Geely Panda and a series of legendary mini cars have been discontinued, and automobile manufacturers have also concentrated their resources on medium-sized cars with higher profits and even medium- and large-sized vehicles.
Gilly Panda
In this way, micro-vehicles such as Hongguang MINI EV have a second spring, naturally it will not be because its space has become larger, and the manufacturers will not be more profitable. In Jiang Ge's view, the mini car is once again popular for a motor, which is nothing more than the following reasons:
1. Brand remodeling brought about by electrification
The electrification of automobiles is the trend of the times, which can be seen that in addition to the traditional manufacturers in the layout of electric vehicles, more actions are from new power brands. If in the perspective of fuel vehicles, traditional car giants such as BBA can obviously be more correct in face and consumption concepts, but in the field of electric vehicles, if we buy an electric BBA, the hat of "people are stupid and have a good face" is far larger and tighter than "buying a luxury car, good envy", and the value of latecomers such as Weilai and Tesla in electric vehicle brands is not inferior to BBA.
Therefore, for domestic brands, being able to launch a popular car like Hongguang MINI EV is of great market significance for itself to seize the new energy track, attract young consumers, and create brand tone.
And many brands themselves are starting from mini cars, recovering the previous foundation, and creating a cheap, eye-catching car under China's strong electric vehicle supply chain is obviously "profitable". Today's Wuling, relying on the success of the Hongguang MINI EV, is steadily laying out the passenger car market is a good proof, although the Hongguang MINI EV itself may not make money.
2. The spring breeze of policy helps the new life of micro-vehicles
Remember how Hongguang MINI EV was hyped with the help of the Shanghai green card? There is no doubt that a series of preferential policies such as green cards on electric vehicles and exemption from purchase tax are indeed the key to the rebirth of micro-cars. Policies such as green cards and tax exemptions have further reduced the purchase cost of these micro-cars, and the economic advantages have been further highlighted compared with previous micro-cars. Who would turn down a cheap cart that shelters the wind and rain, is stylish, environmentally friendly, and has cheap maintenance as a grocery cart? This is much more convenient than driving a small electric donkey to buy vegetables, and it is not limited.
3. Oligopolistic blue ocean market
In 2021, Hongguang MINIEV contributed more than 395,000 units in sales, which is the biggest dark horse explosion in the auto market in recent years. Even if the profit of a car is less than 100 yuan, the new energy credits brought by this volume are a bigger feast. In the micro-car market of oil to electricity, in addition to the Hongguang MINI EV, there is no second model with a relatively large scale, and other manufacturers with micro-car experience want to come and share a piece of the pie.
But after the limelight, Jiang Ge still needs to give the major manufacturers a wake-up call, Wuling Hongguang MINI EV can sell more likely to be a case, this car has a very low cost of electric vehicles, Wuling itself also has the attributes of Internet celebrity speculation, but the ceiling of the market itself is relatively low, large cars, larger cars will be the mainstream choice of Chinese consumption in the future, who can always compete with Tesla, BBA electric vehicles, who is the future. What do you think about that?