In the context of consumption upgrading, once unattainable luxury models have gradually entered the homes of ordinary people, in addition to Ferrari, Porsche and other ultra-luxury brand products are still rare, known as "first-line luxury" Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, as well as classified as "second-tier luxury" Land Rover, Lincoln, Cadillac and other brands, all have a good sales performance in the Chinese car market.
In contrast, although DS brands with Legal ancestry often call themselves "luxury brands", in the eyes of most consumers, it is very reluctant to list them in the "second-tier luxury" market. Whether it is from the weak brand accumulation, low market recognition, or from the limited product lineup, as well as the monthly sales of three-digit sales performance, DS brands are difficult to meet the "luxury" standard. Just when the DS brand seems to have been forgotten, the recent listing of the 2022 DS 9 has once again attracted public attention.
Compared with the last DS 7, which was remodeled three years ago, the DS 9, as the brand's flagship sedan, first entered China in March last year, following the conventional development rhythm of "one year and one reform". Of course, it is precisely because the listing time is too short, the new model basically retains the appearance, interior, size and power performance of the old model, and does not bring too much novelty, the biggest change is that the configuration of some models has dropped slightly, and the price of the whole series of models has increased by 5,000 yuan.
In terms of price, the official guidance price of the 2021 DS9 (including plug-in and mixed models) is 249,900-399,900 yuan, while the official guidance price of the 2022 DS9 (including plug-and-mixed models) is 254,900-404,900 yuan, and the price of the corresponding models has increased without difference. At the configuration level, in addition to the new DS 9 Livoli Technology Edition compared to the old model to increase the electric trunk, induction trunk and front mobile phone wireless charging, the new low-end model configuration remains unchanged, the new high-end models (including The Rivoli Technology Edition) canceled the leg rest adjustment, waist support (4 directions), it is difficult to see the "sincerity" of the change.
In fact, the presence of DS 9 in the luxury mid-size sedan market is not high, the pressure comes from the premium enhancement of joint venture brands such as Toyota Asian Dragon and Honda Accord Hybrid on the one hand, and the dimensionality reduction blow from luxury brands such as Cadillac CT5 and Volvo S60 on the other hand, and the price has become one of the few advantages of DS 9. Today, the price of the new DS 9 has risen, which will not only further weaken the competitiveness of the product, but also may discourage the intention of users to buy cars.
In addition, leaving aside the configuration changes of the new model, the Chinese people have long criticized the DS 9 in terms of appearance and interior design, and it is difficult to cater to the mainstream aesthetic, of course, this is determined by the brand tone, which is not to be discussed. However, in this era of "displacement is justice", the DS 9 series still only provides a 1.6T engine system, and the price of the fuel top model is 349,900 yuan, and the price of the hybrid top model is more than 400,000 yuan, which is difficult for consumers to buy willingly.
At the beginning, the guidance price of nearly 300,000 yuan of Mercedes-Benz GLB was controversial for being equipped with a 1.3T engine, but fortunately, its brand was strong and the comprehensive strength was strong enough, and now it has a good sales performance. In the eyes of many netizens, DS 9 inevitably overestimates its own influence, and has the meaning of mistaking itself as a "Mercedes-Benz".
Conclusion: At present, DS 9, as the best-selling single product of the entire DS brand in China, maintains monthly sales of about 200-300 units, which is barely a "sales support". However, in the face of the price increase of the whole series and the slight reduction in the configuration of the top model, can the DS 9 gain the favor of hundreds of consumers every month in the future? Although it is difficult to draw conclusions at the moment, the current sales bottom may become the peak of sales of DS 9 in the future.