China Fortune Network News Recently, Changan Ford's blockbuster model this year- the new generation of Mondeo, was finally officially launched, and the new car provided 4 models, with a price range of 159,800-216,800 yuan.
A new generation of Mondeo
Mondeo's new replacement has been 9 years since the last time. In the past nine years, China's auto market has developed rapidly and changed, and mainstream B-class cars such as Camry, Accord, Maiten, and Passat have launched new models. This makes the long-term ungended Mondeo gradually lose its market competitiveness, in 2021, Mondeo annual sales of only more than 30,000 vehicles; while camry, Accord and other hot models in the same period of sales reached more than 200,000.
Therefore, the new generation of Mondeo is shouldering the responsibility of boosting car sales for Changan Ford. Today's Ford is more focused on the Chinese market than ever before, and the fifth-generation Mondeo was designed by a Chinese team, with a sports kit, a large through-screen screen and a larger interior space based on the preferences of Chinese users. Only from the perspective of product strength, the new generation of Mondeo has indeed been greatly improved.
The starting price of the new generation of Mondeo of 159,800 yuan is not high for the joint venture brand B-class car, which is 10,000-20,000 yuan lower than its main competitors Camry (sold from 179,800 yuan) and Accord (from 169,800 yuan). Cutting into the market with a lower entry guide price is a pricing strategy that Changan Ford has been pursuing in recent years.
While lowering the guide price, the new generation of Mondeo is slightly better equipped than its class. The new car is equipped with a 2.0T EcoBoost engine and an 8AT automatic transmission powertrain, with a maximum power of 238 hp and a maximum torque of 376 Nm, and the power level is outstanding in the B-class car.
A new generation of Mondeo interiors
The 27 inches + 12.3 inches of the interior of the new car run through the large screen, and there are configurations except for the lowest models. The medium and high-end models are also equipped with mobile phone keys and face recognition. These smart features are also rare in B-class cars. At the same time, the 199,800 yuan Supreme model is also equipped with a relatively complete driving assistance function, with LC intelligent pilot assistance system, which can achieve L2 level driving assistance capabilities.
However, in the current market environment, compared with strong competitors, the new generation of Mondeo still has a lot of difficulties in completing its mission.
The first difficulty lies in the sharp decline of Changan Ford and the influence of the Ford brand in the Chinese market in recent years. In 2016, Changan Ford's annual sales reached a peak of 960,000 vehicles. However, since 2017, China's auto market has entered a period of decline, and Changan Ford's sales have also begun to decline sharply. By 2019, Changan Ford's annual sales fell to 184,000 units, less than 1/5 of its peak.
One of the main reasons for such a sharp decline is that Changan Ford followed Ford's layout in the European market and introduced a 1.5T three-cylinder engine, while the Chinese market is different from the European market, and the acceptance of three-cylinder engines by Chinese consumers is extremely low. The Fox, one of Changan Ford's former main models, has been rapidly marginalized in the market due to its full range of three-cylinder engines, and now it sells only about 1,000 units a month.
In order to stop the decline, Changan Ford released the "Ford China 2.0 Era" and "Ford China Product 330 Plan" from 2019, and accelerated the launch of new cars to the market, including: Ruiji, Explorer, New Generation Forres, EVOS, etc. Driven by new products, Changan Ford's sales in 2021 rebounded to 304,700 units, but it is still less than 1/3 of the peak in 2016, and it is still in the tail position among joint venture car companies.
In the context of brand weakness, the new generation of Mondeo came too late despite a large number of designs and features that cater to the preferences and needs of Chinese users. In the current competitive B-class car market, Toyota, Honda and Volkswagen have long spared no effort to satisfy Chinese users, and have established a strong word-of-mouth foundation and a solid brand barrier. In addition, the current oil price is still at a high level, the strong dynamic characteristics of the new generation of Mondeo will deepen consumers' concerns about car purchases, and the hybrid models of Japanese brands that focus on fuel economy can better cater to the psychology of consumers. Under the superposition of these factors, whether the new generation of Mondeo can rely on "cost performance" to stand out still needs to be tested by the market. (Baichuan)
(Picture from Changan Ford's official website)