"Those who win the B-class car market will win the world" is the eternal law of the car market. However, under the influence of factors such as the upward trend of independent brands and the fierce battle between "oil" and "electricity", the "involution" of the B-class car market continues to upgrade.
It is not difficult to find that from 2023 to the present, a large number of new players have emerged in the B-class car market, such as Zeekrypton 007, Xpeng P7 facelift, BYD Seal DM-i, etc. At the same time, the joint venture brands have also set off a "replacement tide" since last year, including Buick LaCrosse, Camry, and Sonata have completed the replacement one after another. A new competition has begun.
Millions of users choose, difficult to replace the "legend"
Throughout the history of China's auto market, there has never been a shortage of "hot models" or hot-selling models in the B-class car market, but models that can flourish for a long time and are even regarded as "legendary" are almost rare. FAW-Volkswagen Magotan and GAC Toyota Camry belong to this ranks.
Taking FAW-Volkswagen Magotan as an example, it not only won the "sales champion" in the B-segment car market in 2017 and 2018, but also achieved millions of sales in just six years. Even in 2023, when the involution continues to upgrade, Magotan still shows strong vitality, and firmly occupies the top spot in the B-class car market with an annual sales volume of 189,370 units.
Behind all this, it is related to the characteristics of the B-segment car market. According to data, most of the B-class car users come from first- and second-tier cities, belong to the middle class with higher incomes, and "seek stability" in the direction of product purchase, and have strict requirements for product quality, market reputation, brand, etc., so the market pattern is relatively stable.
After long-term deep cultivation in China's auto market, Camry and Magotan not only have a large amount of product retention, but also have a good reputation for product quality, and their influence is self-evident, and their benchmark status is difficult to be replaced.
The wheels of the times are rolling forward, and the "tastes" of consumers are also changing, quality and reputation are important, but user needs are changing with each passing day, even "legendary" models such as Magotan and Camry cannot tolerate the slightest slack.
Perhaps these changes are temporarily difficult to shake the market position of Camry and Magotan, but FAW-Volkswagen, GAC Toyota, etc., as "user-oriented" car companies, are inevitable to change in a timely manner.
King-class competition, competing for the "leader" of B-class cars
In 2023, GAC Toyota will take the lead in "attacking" and officially unveiling the ninth-generation Camry at the Guangzhou Auto Show, and will successively complete product pre-sales, listing, and product delivery from January to March this year. The starting price of 173,800 yuan, coupled with the influence accumulated over the years, made the ninth-generation Camry the "focus" of the March auto market.
Now, the new generation of FAW-Volkswagen Magotan has been officially unveiled at this Beijing Auto Show. Camry and Magotan are highly sought after by users in the mid-to-high-end sedan market, and with the end of the replacement of the two sides, a "B-class car leader" competition will kick off.
The design of the new generation of Volkswagen Magotan was designed by legendary designer Marco Pavone, Volkswagen Exterior Design Director, adhering to the "Timeless" creative concept.
Compared with the overly aggressive design of the ninth-generation Camry, the new generation Magotan has made a series of "subtractions" in the design, which are simple but not simple, such as the three-dimensional and layered shape of the front bumper, the combination of modern aesthetics and practicality in the headlights, and the fastback C-pillar design.
With the blessing of various designs, the new car conforms to the mainstream aesthetic changes while retaining the sense of luxury and luxury that B-class cars should have.
In terms of body size, the length, width and height of the new generation Magotan are 4990/1854/1487mm, and the wheelbase is 2871mm, which is ahead of competing products such as Camry.
At the same time, FAW-Volkswagen has a leading advantage in the body size, because it has been deeply involved in the B-class car market for many years and has a deep insight into the needs of users in the mid-to-high-end sedan market, so the new car has made a series of optimizations in ride comfort, including seat materials, front and rear configurations, etc.
For example, the seat materials have been repeatedly refined and proven to adjust the softness of the seat to the most comfortable level, so that the seat is both soft and supportive.
At the same time, unlike some car companies that ignore the comfort of the rear row, the new generation of Magotan has upgraded the rear row, including reducing the height of the middle aisle, and equipped with functions such as electric adjustment of the backrest, cloud headrest, and 8-point massage, so as to truly realize that every seat in the car is a "C position" to meet the needs of users for medium and high-end cars.
Since entering the era of new energy vehicles, there has been another factor affecting consumers' car purchases - the level of intelligence, mainly intelligent driving, intelligent cockpit, etc. In the face of user demands, whether it is the ninth-generation Camry or the new generation of Magotan, they are actively evolving.
Due to the influence of traditional fuel vehicles, it is difficult for fuel vehicle users to enjoy the same intelligent experience as new energy vehicles. In the face of the user's dilemma, the new generation of Magotan completely breaks the boundaries and truly realizes the "same wisdom of oil and electricity".
The all-new Magotan is equipped with Volkswagen's next-generation electrical architecture, which increases the data exchange speed by 4 times and the data transmission by up to 200 times, greatly improving the richness of the vehicle's functions and bringing users a leading intelligent experience. Specifically, the new generation of Magotan uses a combination of 15-inch 2K central control screen and 10.25-inch LCD instrument, and considering the riding experience of the co-pilot, the new car is also equipped with an 11.6-inch co-pilot screen.
Among them, the 8155 chip is built into the central control screen, which can greatly improve the computing power of the car and bring a smooth experience to the car and machine, and the voice assistant of iFLYTEK has been fully upgraded with the addition of the voice engine, so that the car machine has more accurate and efficient voice interaction.
Although the ninth-generation Camry central control screen also uses the 8155 chip, it is slightly inferior to the new generation Magotan in terms of screen size, number of screens, entertainment functions, etc.
In terms of intelligent driving, the new generation Magotan adopts the IQ.Pilot intelligent driving assistance system, which was developed by Volkswagen and DJI for China's road conditions, suitable for urban or high-speed ordinary scenes and congestion scenarios, and can achieve 130km/h L2+ assisted driving function. At the same time, IQ.Pilot also has functions such as adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, lever lane change, and emergency congestion handling.
This means that the new generation of Magotan provides users with the strongest intelligent experience in the field of traditional fuel vehicles.
For reference, the ninth-generation Camry is equipped with a new generation of T-Pilot intelligent driving assistance system, with 18 safe intelligent driving functions, such as emergency driving stop assist, automatic lane change assistance, etc., but it still does not cover urban intelligent driving. Obviously, only at the level of intelligent driving, the new generation of Magotan has the upper hand, and the level of intelligent driving is in the first echelon.
When it comes to Magotan, it is inevitable that people will be reminded of the label of "technical Volkswagen", and the golden power combination of "TSI + DSG" enjoys a prestigious reputation in the domestic auto market.
The all-new Magotan will be equipped with 1.5T and 2.0T high-power engines. The 2.0-liter engine has a maximum power of 162 kW and a peak torque of 350 Nm. For reference, the ninth-generation Camry 2.5L version has a maximum power of 152kW and a peak torque of 244Nm.
FAW-Volkswagen Magotan is an indispensable factor in the "evergreen" car market, in addition to actively meeting the needs of users, insisting on high quality. FAW-Volkswagen has always adhered to German standards, such as the new generation Magotan has undergone rigorous tests before its launch, including a 1,600-minute rain test for the whole vehicle, and two ......years of exposure to 50 degrees Celsius and three times the strong light.
It is true that the new generation of Magotan products has a new look, but the original intention of pursuing high quality remains the same.
Sincerity into the game, oil and electricity double supplement
Surrounded by strong enemies, the new generation of Magotan is relying on its product advantages to show its strong competitiveness. It is foreseeable that in the future, with the entry of a new generation of Magotan into the market, the top position of the product in the domestic B-class car market will be strengthened again.
Of course, before the official debut of the new generation Magotan at the Beijing Auto Show, FAW-Volkswagen also brought users a number of fan benefits, including a replacement subsidy of up to 24,000 yuan for all models, and a maximum of 36 periods of 0 interest rates. Specifically, the maximum replacement subsidy of 16,000 yuan for the patrol and the border is limited, and the replacement subsidy of up to 16,000 yuan for the Tanyue X and Tanyue GTE.
At the same time, pure electric models also enjoy exclusive policies, such as 6000 ID. coupons, 20+ custom rights and interests, and optional options for the purchase of the ID. pure car version. Through a comprehensive time-limited subsidy policy, FAW-Volkswagen not only demonstrates its sincere feedback to consumers, but also demonstrates the brand's positive attitude towards promoting consumption upgrading.
summary
In the history of China's automobile development, there have been countless models, or submerged by the long river of time, or fleeting like meteors, and the models that can always be active in the market do not rely on the "Tianji horse racing" strategy and gimmick configuration, but more to meet the true needs of users, in the excellent quality, continuous improvement of ingenuity, etc., and finally become a "legendary" model and brand.