For many auto companies, the spring of 2022 is a bit cold, and the various unfriendly environments make the auto industry in transition foggy. But even so, the eyes of the strong are full of opportunities, such as GAC Toyota and its flagship Camry. With its unique "focus", the Camry family has grown against the market and showed the style of the king.
Numbers speak, who is the winner in the change?
According to the Association of Passenger Vehicles, retail sales of passenger cars in the narrow sense in China were 1.579 million units in the past March, down 10.0% year-on-year. Among the joint venture brands, four well-known car companies, FAW-Volkswagen, SAIC Volkswagen, SAIC-GM and Dongfeng Nissan, plummeted in sales. In the fiercely competitive mid-size car market, GAC Toyota Camry sold 27,211 units per month, an increase of 78.9% year-on-year, showing an unusual strength. Camry's main competitor, accords, sold 206.67 million units a month, and although it increased by 22.4% year-on-year, it has been widened by the former. Another new model, the Asian Dragon, is in a relatively low position.
Undoubtedly, the anxiety brought about by the epidemic in the auto market, chip shortages, and rising oil prices has reached a stage high. For a time, the news of work stoppages, shortages of supply and price increases was heard. Driven by various factors, the automotive industry has quietly entered the reshaping stage of brand trust. Among the traditional car companies, represented by GAC Toyota, it can complete a 26.9% year-on-year increase in monthly sales in the overall adversity of the industry, relying on strong brand power and product power. Based on the focus of surpassing its opponents, the trust of GAC Toyota's flagship Camry has continued to rise, and its advantages are obvious. Some car companies that focus on new energy products, such as Tesla and BYD, are also showing their strength in the competition, and the latter has achieved a year-on-year increase of 160.9% in monthly sales with the power of new energy vehicles. Obviously, in this change of not advancing or retreating, if you want to become a winner, you can only rely on yourself to fight.
In Toyota's dictionary, the key to determining the success or failure of the market is whether it has "affordable" high technology. Just like Tesla in software control, or BYD in the field of batteries, Toyota's polishing of the core technology system of the car can be described as doing its best to make steel. Taking Camry as an example, from the development of TNGA architecture to the most successful dual engine power of commercialization, from TSS security to the in-vehicle interconnection function that fully combines the use habits of local consumers, the complete set of mature technology system has laid a solid foundation for the flagship status of product achievements.
In today's market, product competition has moved from the competition of function and performance to the era when value determines success or failure, and behind the market competition is actually the competition of values. Whether it is to exchange low prices for sales, or to streamline the core configuration, to control the cost of the use experience, and even to use counterfeiting, false publicity to attract customers and other means will inevitably decline. GAC Toyota Camry from 2017 to reach million sales, to last year's sales of more than 200,000 vehicles, and more than 200,000 yuan of models accounted for 57%, all because Toyota's "value first" principle has never changed.
Focus on the original intention, Camry fashion leading the way
GAC Toyota Camry's performance at the beginning of 2022 is indeed outstanding, with cumulative sales of 68,904 vehicles in the first quarter, an increase of 73.3% year-on-year, and the market flagship position is particularly strong. Just as the letter "C" in Camry's "Camry" represents both the product name and the meaning of "Concentration", Camry has won so many users' trust that it is inseparable from the focus on concept, technology and value.
Almost all automakers are fighting for the attention of young consumers. The new generation of Chinese consumers is more aware and pursuing fashion, personalization, technology and cost performance than ever before. In the face of these demands, different companies have different coping strategies. Nowadays, the "youthfulness" of many products is still on the surface, or through exaggerated design to create attractiveness, but technically lackluster; or only by color and light and shadow effects to create "fashion", putting convenience and safety in a secondary position; and some product designs have sports car lines and mediocre performance. All of this is probably too speculative.
In view of the characteristics of young people, Camry's approach is based on the origin of mobile tools and based on the TNGA architecture to achieve comprehensive improvement in power, driving and handling. The product features are low center of gravity, component miniaturization, high rigidity bodywork, efficient powertrain, new chassis suspension, and high safety. This systematic way of improving product capabilities has led the market.
Camry also thoughtfully offers a personality option for the fashion-chasing young consumer group, including luxury and sports dual-look styling options, allowing the vehicle to adapt to groups ranging from young age to young mindset. Camry's drive to achieve many leapfrog feelings includes excellent ergonomics, where the principles of comfort and ease of use are placed in an important position, the layout of the vehicle's functional areas is precisely planned, all common control mechanisms are within reach, and the operation never distracts the driver. In accordance with the "less is more" principle, by streamlining unnecessary operations, Camry makes human-computer interaction a breeze, and the more you use it, the more interesting it is.
Continuous improvement, no shortcuts to technical sharpening
Once upon a time, after Volkswagen issued the sentiment that Chinese consumers liked "simple big cars", German car companies began to play the game of configuration addition and subtraction, and many companies followed up, reducing costs and immediately appearing in the market. Soon, selling a combination of simple technology and generous configurations at low prices became a way to survive. In contrast, Camry's ultimate pursuit of electrification, intelligence, high efficiency and high safety has never wavered, and the principle of continuous improvement has been carried throughout the product life cycle.
Camry's efficient powertrain is a banner of the market segment, and the new 2.5L Dynamic Force Engine engine's cylinder block, cylinder head, intake and exhaust system, radiators, etc. are carefully designed, compact and powerful. Toyota's high-speed combustion technology and D-4S dual injection technology fully guarantee the combustion efficiency. Camry's dual engine thermal efficiency is 41%, and the comprehensive fuel consumption is 4.1 liters/100 km. It is worth mentioning that the Camry Dual Engine THS II Fourth Generation Hybrid System is equipped with a new generation of parallel E-CVT using a heteroaxial parallel layout, which is not only efficient, but also has an important help to improve the acceleration capacity of the vehicle.
Camry's intelligent technology is also top-notch, especially the optimized three-screen linkage equipment covers 9 of the 11 models, which greatly enhances the sense of acquisition of entry-level users. In addition to the popular OTA online upgrade, AutoNavi Map/Tencent Map real-time intelligent road condition display, remote air conditioning control, remote car search, theft tracking, remote fault diagnosis, emergency rescue and other services, Camry has also expanded modern social methods with the times and begun to support the car WeChat function.
Toyota has contributed advanced passive safety technologies such as GOA's high-rigid bodywork to the automotive industry, and the Camry has included the highest achievements in almost all authoritative safety ratings in China and the United States. At present, the Camry series is equipped with 10 airbags as standard, and Toyota's new generation of TSS Chi Heng safety also appears in all models with sub-low and above. The Camry Collision Avoidance Assist Package includes PCS Pre-Collision Safety System, DRCC Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, LTA Lane Track Assist System and AHB Auto-Adjust high beam System, which can achieve quasi-L2 level autonomous driving, comparable to higher-level models. In addition, almost all of the Safety Assist function controls of camry are one-click operation, simple and practical.
How is a value star made?
Facts have proved that when the value of a product deviates from the actual quality, consumers naturally stay away. In an era when the functions and performance of the mid-size car market tend to be homogeneous, Camry is winning high value prestige with quality and quality that exceeds its peers. The quality of the car is mainly reflected in the feedback brought to the driver and occupants when the vehicle is moving. Usually, exercise and comfort are a pair of contradictions, as a mature commuting tool, Camry can achieve stable performance in almost any working condition. Through the blessing of TNGA architecture, Camry pursues not only fast, but also can bring reliable, comfortable and advanced driving experience.
Usually, consumers choose a car to consider the manufacturing process. In the evaluation index of automotive products, quality and quality are also guaranteed by manufacturing to a certain extent. Toyota's lean production principles are reflected in the manufacturing process to minimize defects, as evidenced by the fact that toyota's zero-defect factory in Guangzhou has created a production line with world-class software and hardware standards that is about 10 percentage points higher than the industry average.
Usually, the value of automotive products reflects the relationship between consumers' efforts and returns, and brand influence, use costs, resale value, product price system and after-sales service are all areas covered by product value. Camry's value focus is to stand at the height of the market, to provide consumers with different needs of reasonable car purchase solutions, through different body types, different power systems, different configuration combinations, different price points of the product, as well as the market segment in the excellent service commitment, so that users get a commensurate with the flagship status of the experience.
Camry focuses on every aspect of the product development and consumption process, after continuous accumulation, the comprehensive quality is opening up the distance with the main competitors, reflected in the consumer market, is the thriving performance and excellent reputation. This flagship "C" gravity is not only particularly pronounced this spring, but will also continue to show in the summer, autumn, and winter seasons that follow, so let's wait and see.