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"Million Dollar Luxury Car" Selling "Pie" or "Trap"?

Chinanews.com, April 8 (Zhongxin Finance, Ge Cheng) If I want to buy a new "Mercedes-Benz" flagship SUV with a million-level price of less than 300,000 yuan, you must wonder if I have a "fever". The magic is that in the context of the "price war" in the automotive industry, this may be becoming a reality...

Exhibition car in a 4S store in Beijing Photo by Ge Cheng of Zhongxin Finance

The "three-fold" car is on fire, one price a day

Recently, the topic of "2021 BJ90 dropped 710,000 yuan" has attracted attention.

According to BAIC's official website, "BJ90 is derived from the German S-class full-size SUV platform, and the commonality rate of original parts exceeds 90%. ”

As an "open secret", the industry knows that the engine appearance, parameters and interior layout of the BJ90 are almost exactly the same as the old Mercedes-Benz GLS. In other words, a "Mercedes-Benz" flagship SUV with an original price of 998,000 yuan is being sold at a "fracture" price of less than 300,000 yuan.

Recently, Zhongxin Finance went to Beijing off-road 4S store to learn about the relevant situation. According to Ms. Qi, the sales consultant in the store, the BJ90 that was rumored to have "dropped 710,000" on the Internet is a 2021 stock car, and there are no existing cars in the store.

"At present, there are only 2023 new cars in the store, and the price after the discount is about 350,000 yuan, and the original price of this car is less than 500,000 yuan, which is not as exaggerated as the online rumor '710,000 yuan drop'." For consumers who insist on learning about the 2021 BJ90, Ms. Qi recommends asking the seller of Tianjin Port if there is a current car.

After several rounds, Zhongxin Finance contacted a parallel importer in Tianjin Port.

Photos posted by the dealer show several BJ90s covered with wrap in a neat yard in the parking lot. He said that due to the special "import" status of BJ90, the "first stop" after a large number of new cars arrive in Tianjin Port is located in Tianjin Port. Previously, the price of the 2021 BJ90 was also about 330,000 yuan, and recently it has dropped to about 280,000 yuan.

The car dealer also said, "These days BJ90 is particularly popular, almost one price a day, yesterday it was 285,000, today it has risen to 295,000." If you are willing to wait, now arrange the order from the manufacturer, pull out from the big warehouse, and there may be a new car with a price of more than 280,000. ”

"Although car dealers have old existing cars, these cars can neither enjoy the installment interest-free, replacement subsidies, etc. provided by the manufacturer, nor do they have a three-year warranty of 100,000 kilometers, and they can only pay for their own repair if they are broken." Ms. Qi reminded.

Infographic: Auto parts. Photo by Lin Bo

"Pie" or "trap"?

In the face of less than 300,000 "Mercedes-Benz" flagship SUVs, some car bloggers were the first to sit still and said that they wanted to "pick up leaks". But after understanding the specific cost, some people called it a "trap" and dismissed the idea.

A car blogger told Zhongxin Finance that the BJ90 of less than 300,000 yuan is indeed very "fragrant", but because this car parts come from Mercedes-Benz, import channels are required, and the price of maintenance will be particularly high. "The wipers of ordinary cars are only tens of dollars, and the BJ90 may cost thousands of yuan; Ordinary car change oil can not be used up in a large barrel, BJ90 may need two barrels, or even more. ”

The blogger also said that the BJ90 is a full-size SUV with a curb weight of more than 2.5 tons. This car may turn into a "fuel tiger", jammed the car, and the fuel consumption of 15 liters per 100 kilometers is ordinary. If you start rashly, there may be a problem of "affordability and unaffordability".

In addition to the problems of expensive parts and high fuel consumption, "niche cars" such as BJ90, whose monthly sales often maintain double digits, also face the problem of "difficult to sell" used cars.

A second-hand car dealer told Zhongxin Finance, "There are fewer people who see niche cars, and fewer people buy them, and generally we will not accept them." Even if you have to collect it, the price will be particularly low. For fear that no one will buy it, it will be smashed in their own hands. ”

Who is paying for "face"?

Almost at the same time as the BJ90 discount of 710,000 yuan, the "original model" Mercedes-Benz GLS also ushered in a facelift. After the facelift, the starting price of the Mercedes-Benz GLS is still more than one million. Obviously, the difference between the "shell" model and the "original" is close to a million.

Why is this happening? Some insiders told Zhongxin Finance that the price of a car with little difference before and after can be doubled several times after changing the standard is not common in the automotive industry.

In his opinion, at present, the BJ90 has similarities with the situation encountered by the Volkswagen Phaeton. Both the BJ90 and Phaeton are built on high-end platforms, both of which are flagship models of their respective brands, and the common feature is "low-key and luxurious". But from the sales data, these two cars are not welcomed by the market.

According to his analysis, the reason for this phenomenon is mainly due to the essential difference between cars and refrigerators, color TVs and other household appliances in terms of social attributes. The symbols behind the car brand can largely influence consumers' purchase intentions.

In other words, even if the difference between BJ90 and Mercedes-Benz GLS is limited in terms of the vehicle itself, from the perspective of "face", Mercedes-Benz GLS is still far better than BJ90, so there is a huge gap between the needs of the two corresponding to consumer groups.

According to data from the Passenger Association, in 2022, NIO ET7, ET5 and Li ONE will appear in the sales list of more than 300,000 models.

With the rise of new energy vehicles, the consumption choice of spending hundreds of thousands more "changing the logo" in the era of fuel vehicles is quietly changing.

According to data from the Passenger Association of China, in 2022, there will already be three new energy models of "new forces in car manufacturing" that appear in the sales list of more than 300,000 models.

At present, the luxury attributes of Chinese brand new energy vehicles are rapidly being recognized by consumers. More and more Chinese brands are breaking the shackles and moving towards the high-end road. A number of Chinese brands, including BYD, Geely, Great Wall and Changan, have successively launched their luxury brands with the help of their own resources.

In the future, there may be more consumers who pay for "face" on Chinese brands. (End)

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