The luxury car market has always been the domain of BBA. However, Lexus came to the top, step by step, BMW 3 Series fell off the altar, and Lexus ES successfully ascended. What the hell is going on?
1. BMW 3 Series fell to the altar?
The Ashkenazi BBA has a long history of hundreds of years and has shaped the image of luxury car brands around the world. Especially in China, BBA basically monopolizes the luxury car market, and it is difficult for other brands to touch. For example, in the field of medium-sized luxury cars, the top three in the sales list have always been Audi A4L, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3 Series, and other brand models are difficult to shake their status. But in the Year of the Tiger, under the pressure of Lexus's steps, the BMW 3 Series finally fell from the altar and was squeezed out of the top three by Lexus ES.
2. Lexus ES successfully ascended?
The sales data for March this year has been released, and people have found that the long-solidified mid-size luxury car market has undergone great changes, and the traditional BBA monopoly pattern has been broken. The data shows that the Audi A4L sold as many as 10,720 units in March. As the only model to sell more than 10,000 copies, the Audi A4L won the top spot in the sales of medium-sized luxury cars; the second place was the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, with a total of 9489 new cars sold; and the third was the Lexus ES that sold 8885 units, which was doubly surprising. The BMW 3 Series sold only 8172 units in the same period, slipping to the fourth place.
The 3 series is known as the soul of BMW and is favored by the majority of consumers, so why has the sales ranking fallen sharply? Some say it's caused by a shortage of chip supplies, but that's not the root cause. If it is a chip problem, why are the sales of audi A4L and Mercedes-Benz C-class unaffected? In the final analysis, it is still the product strength of the new generation of BMW 3 Series, which has gone wrong. BMW is known for its handling, but the power of the new BMW 3 Series has become a short board. Taking the 2022 320i sports suit version as an example, 156 horsepower, 250 N·m of torque, and 9S acceleration of 100 kilometers, such a power performance is indeed a bit weak, and the bmw has always given the impression, which is very different.
3. Lexus surpasses BMW?
It is worth mentioning that the official starting price of Lexus ES is already 300,000, and the sales terminal has never been preferential, and it has frequently increased the price. In contrast, the BMW 3 series, the official starting price is also 300,000, but the sales terminal often has a discount of 20,000 or 30,000. In other words, the BMW 3 Series is priced lower overall than the Lexus ES, but sales are still lagging behind. No wonder some netizens joked that the BMW 3 Series lost the face of a first-line luxury car. The Audi A4L, which is accustomed to exchanging price for volume, generally does not exceed 300,000 yuan, without saying a word.
It can be seen that in the mid-size luxury car market, The Lexus ES has surpassed the BMW 3 Series and audi A4L and become a presence that can be kept pace with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Why are Lexus ES sales so hot? First of all, Riko. Craftsman spirit and imported car compulsion, Lexus atmosphere low-key and introverted texture, unique brand image is refreshing, highlighting the personality of business elites. Second, face. The exterior design caters to the preferences of the Chinese people, the expensive front face, the streamlined slender body, and the luxurious and atmospheric shape, which is very attractive.
Finally, talk about motivation. Lexus ES has been criticized the most for its power, such as the entry-level ES200 Premier Edition model, equipped with a 2.0-liter self-priming engine with an output of 173 horsepower, 208N·m, and a CVT transmission. Such a motivation, in the eyes of those who pursue a sense of control, is of course very weak. But we need to understand that consumers who buy Lexus are basically not deliberately pursuing motivation. For them, motivation is enough. So weak power is a short board for BMW, but for Lexus, it is not a big disadvantage.