The stretch of the soul and body
Photo: Auto industry miscellaneous
Edit: Mei Mei
Recently, there is news on the Internet that Buick has applied for a new LOGO in North America. As soon as the picture came out, netizens shouted: "This change is also great!" "There are also enthusiastic car friends who have made imaginary pictures and want to try the visual effects of the new LOGO on the car in advance, which shows that the attention to the Buick brand on the Internet is still very high."
"Auto Industry Miscellaneous" believes that from the design point of view, Buick's new LOGO still retains the classic elements of the three-color shield, which is indeed more concise and fashionable than before. From a deeper brand level, the author directly called: Buick, the giant ship of the industry, is finally going to shoot! On the surface, it looks like a change of LOGO, but in fact it indicates that Buick is ready to meet new challenges and step towards the electrified car market.
1
The change of logo, the change of brand
Started in 1904, Buick is a century-old brand in the automotive industry. In the Chinese market, it has also been playing for more than 20 years, and it is a brand with word of mouth, story and heritage. As mentioned above, the new LOGO of this network transmission cancels the circular outer frame that we are most familiar with, and the shield shape is changed to a side-by-side arrangement, which is more flat and simple and stylish, and is more in line with the mainstream design direction of the automotive brand LOGO.
The current floor plan is monochrome in black and white
After carefully comparing Buick's old and new LOGOs, you will find that it is not blindly flattened, and the three shields are shaped through arched lines, which is actually more three-dimensional than before. Coupled with the classic red, white and blue tri-color, the new LOGO's sense of luxury does not have to worry at all. Speaking of which, the author is more and more looking forward to the effect of the new LOGO being put on the car to light up.
Looking longitudinally back at the evolution of the Buick LOGO, the Buick LOGO basically has a large design change every generation. This time can be said to be a considerable change in the Buick LOGO in the past thirty years, and it also reflects the determination of the Buick brand to change upwards. "Auto Industry Miscellaneous" believes that on the one hand, Buick will launch more electric models that conform to the tide of the times, and the existing LOGO is placed on new energy vehicles, which is indeed not in line with the avant-garde tone of pure electric models from a certain level; thinking deeply, Buick can only undertake the challenge of the electrification era by building a competitive product matrix - since even the new LOGO is ready, it represents the Buick brand, which is ready to go.
2
What preparations did Buick make in order to "energize"?
Competitive product matrix, and competitive models are different concepts. In the era of consumer blowout fuel vehicles, car companies can be popular for three or five years with one or two blockbusters. This logic seems to work on the performance of some new car-making brands. But if you really want to be bigger, stronger, and long-term, the product development level must also have a "thick foundation", and this foundation is the technology platform. After all, automobile production is about economies of scale, and the technology platform is the starting point of model quality, and it is also the decisive point of cost/efficiency.
In order to welcome electrification, GM has prepared the Aoteneng Technology Platform, a platform that condenses GM's 25 years of electrification experience. In terms of the Buick brand, the Buick Electra concept body released last year depicts the evolution direction of the Buick brand under GM's new Aotene platform. The subsequent Buick brand electrified models will also be based on this platform. So what are the advantages of this platform? Here are a few of the points that have impressed me the most.
(Photo taken from SAIC-GM Pan Asia Technology Center New Energy Test Building)
In terms of power endurance and compatibility, the Aoteneng technology platform adopts large-size and large-capacity batteries, which can provide battery options ranging from 50 to 200 kilowatts, with a maximum cruising range of 724 kilometers for pure electric models; the fastest acceleration of zero to 100 kilometers of the model takes only 3 seconds; the platform is highly flexible, and it is planned to launch 19 kinds of batteries and drive combinations, which can not only meet the daily transportation models, but also provide energy for large pickup trucks and SUVs.
(Aoteneng battery module for wireless communication function detection)
In terms of cost control and efficiency improvement, Aoteneng technology platform has hundreds of patents and large-scale applications, which can narrow the price gap between electric vehicles and fuel vehicles. The next generation of Aoteneng battery packs can double the energy density while reducing the cost by 60%, and the battery of its wireless battery management system reduces the wiring harness by 90%, which not only helps the vehicle to be lightweight, but also frees up space to carry more batteries, which is conducive to improving the range.
(Modular battery and drive design of Aoteneng platform)
There is too much dry cargo information about the technology of Aoteneng technology platform, and it is impossible to interpret them all here. From the above information alone, we can smell that Buick's electrification transformation is supported by technical forces, and its strength is no less than the general endorsement of the era of fuel vehicles. In fact, in addition to the Aoteneng technology platform, GM has also prepared for Buick a VIP electronic architecture (responsible for data processing) that supports vehicle-level OTA and a Super Cruise super intelligent driving system (which can be regarded as a reserve technology for autonomous driving, and the current definition is progressive assisted driving technology).
This is the basis for Buick to launch a "competitive product matrix" in the future.
03
Buick, will continue to be advanced
Now that I think about it, Buick's new LOGO removes the shackles of the border and allows the three shields to go hand in hand, which may also mean that the brand will usher in the era of electrification with a more open attitude. This open pattern requires product strength, but also needs brand power - product is "body", brand is "soul".
(New LOGO hypothetical image)
To tell the truth, under the wave of "new four modernizations", the challenges faced by the old joint ventures are the most arduous, and the sinking of luxury brands and the rise of new forces are dividing the market in the price range of 200,000-400,000. However, in terms of overall sales, the Buick brand is still born in the sun.
In 2021, Buick sold 828,600 vehicles in the whole year, of which high-end models accounted for 60%. The MPV overlord Buick GL8 series, in the face of the impact of various new opponents, still increased by 8.4% year-on-year, setting a new annual sales record, with cumulative sales exceeding 1.5 million vehicles. At last year's Guangzhou Auto Show, we also saw the flagship concept car of GL8, which predicted that the Buick brand will continue to open up a new segment of higher-end and more luxurious MPV; in addition, the sales structure of the Buick SUV family has also been further optimized, and the annual sales of the flagship model Encore Banner have increased by 47.2% year-on-year. Even in January and February of the "no car sales" in the car market this year, in the case of lack of core supply, Buick also strives to ensure the production and sales rhythm of high-end models, accounting for more than 56%.
How can existing mid-to-high-end models remain competitive? In simple terms, it is to accelerate the popularization of advanced technologies, such as the full electrification of Buick's traditional drive system last year; the 100% cloud interconnection of models in terms of intelligent interconnection; and the sale of models equipped with auxiliary driving systems has exceeded 60%. Compared with luxury brands at the same price, Buick's mid-to-high-end models can make consumers feel more sincere; at the same time, the sense of honor given to customers is something that ordinary joint venture brands cannot give.
brief summary
Buick, a brand that has always insisted on the pursuit of high-end. This sense of premium is reflected in the value of the product that keeps pace with the times, which is what sets it apart from other joint venture brands. With the advent of the new LOGO, the era of electrification belonging to Buick is getting closer and closer, and Buick's sense of luxury will also be on the basis of fuel vehicles and more and more eye-catching on the new energy track. At the same time, I believe that in the next five years, ten years, or even longer, no matter whether the LOGO changes or not, the Buick brand will still uphold the original intention of "building the era car with the spirit of the times", and continue to become the brand that "calls" with you with technology, products and services.