If 2023 is a qualifying battle for Chinese car companies that are involuted, then 2024 is a real battle of life and death. In order to buy a car during the National Day holiday and make a last push to hit the sales target in 2024, new cars were launched on the eve of the National Day. On September 26 alone, nine new cars were launched or pre-orders began. Industry veterans who have been in the industry for more than 20 years call it rare, and the "involution" of China's auto market is still continuing.
When the narrow road meets, the brave wins. Looking at the above newly released models, it is not difficult to see that most of the official guide prices are in the range of 200,000, which belongs to the models used by car companies to carry volume. More choices for consumers means that the competition among car companies is more intense. In the context of the change of consumption concept and the replacement of the new middle-class "high substitution", the competition is which car is fully equipped with high configuration, and it is really not expensive.
Don't be confused by the publicity, don't get lost in the comparison of subdivided tracks
Among the 9 new cars unveiled on the 26th, the more representative ones are the new Zhiji LS6, AVATR 07, Xingtu Yaoguang C-DM electric four-wheel drive and Dongfeng Honda Lingxi L, with prices ranging from 12 to 290,000 yuan. In their slogans, without exception, there is "the only one in the same level".
First up is the all-new Zhiji LS6, the only SUV in its class with four-wheel steering and a digital chassis. According to the official content, the self-developed "Grey Lizard" digital chassis of Zhiji Automobile has global management capabilities, is equipped with a "smart four-wheel steering system", and the price range of the new car is 216,900-279,900 yuan, which is indeed very competitive.
followed by AVATR 07, 21.99 - 289,900, known as "the strongest hexagonal warrior in the same class", backed by Huawei, with Huawei Qiankun Zhijia ADS 3.0 and Hongmeng cockpit 4.0, it does have such confidence. However, paying too much attention to the sense of science and technology and ignoring practicality is also a major reason why AVATR has been criticized for a long time.
Then there is Chery's high-end brand Xingtu's "four-engine four-wheel drive super-hybrid SUV" Yaoguang C-DM electric four-wheel drive, a new energy shape, the first snow leopard four-wheel drive, upgraded Flying Fish chassis 2.0, equipped with L2.9 high-end intelligent driving, can go to the desert off-road, can go off the track to have fun, to meet the new middle-class people's track dream, off-road dream and to take care of the family's comfortable Meng, the four-wheel drive version is priced at 19.99 - 219,900 yuan. This is also a car that the author is more optimistic about, and the price of electric four-wheel drive is less than 200,000, which is indeed very attractive. In addition, the official guide price range of the Yaoguang C-DM two-wheel drive version is 159,900-188,900 yuan.
Finally, there is Dongfeng Honda Lingxi L, priced at 129,800. As a traditional joint venture brand, Dongben did not start as well as domestic independent brands such as Chery in the field of new energy, but it has been making efforts in the future. Dongfeng Honda Lingxi L is the only model in the same class that is equipped with electronic exterior mirrors as standard, which can also show the sincerity of Dongben.
The above four cars are all leaders in their class, and the blessing of "the only one in the same class" has become their "unique skill". As for the other five cars, the Dongfeng Wind Planet Sea S7, Lynk & Co 06 Renew, the 2025 Guangqi Honda Accord, and the new true fragrance version of Changan Qiyuan A07 and AION RT that are also on the market, the quality of the products themselves is also excellent, but they did not leave too deep an impression on the author.
If you subdivide the track, in the popular track of plug-in hybrid, Yaoguang C-DM electric four-wheel drive is undoubtedly the best among the models on the market this time. It breaks the track forbidden area of urban SUVs, and the perception that off-road is exclusive to hard-core SUVs, and from the traditional mechanical four-wheel drive to the era of intelligent electric drive, 000 acceleration in 4 seconds, undoubtedly refreshes the new definition of high-end hybrid.
The price war does not move, and the white-hot technology war is fierce
In March this year, McKinsey released the "2024 McKinsey China Automotive Consumer Insights" report, which showed that more than 80% of consumers said that the price war did not play a positive role in their car purchase decisions. In the context of the change of consumption concept, consumers are not only sensitive to price, but also sensitive to higher quality products and services, the new middle class "high replacement" to replace "flat replacement" is the general trend, do not roll the price of the value, do not force sales breakthrough to force technological innovation, and constantly improve the quality ratio, value ratio, to give users "the same price, double the value", in order to achieve the key to long-term and steady development of car companies.
The most convincing is undoubtedly the representative of the domestic "technology flow", which has just been listed on the list of the world's top 500 enterprises and is in the limelight. Chery, known as the image of a "science and engineering man", also does what it says, and has released five new cars in one go this year. As early as the beginning of this year, Huang Zhaogen, executive deputy general manager of Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. and general manager of Xingtu Marketing Center, said: "Other people's prices lift the table, and our technology lifts the ceiling." ”
A good product speaks for itself. On September 26, the "four-engine four-wheel drive super-hybrid SUV" Xingtu Yaoguang C-DM electric four-wheel drive was launched, and the location was selected at the Ningbo International Circuit, which can be said to be the most urban new car launch conference before the National Day. On the same day, in the pouring rain of the typhoon day, under the witness of the audience on the whole network, the car and Lamborghini Huracan and Porsche Cayenne PK a 000 acceleration on the spot, and the results were equal, "really off the track, really playing off-road, really intelligent driving challenge", I have to sigh again The rigorous and pragmatic "science and engineering man" and put the technology in practice. It can be said that Chery is an automobile brand that truly understands consumers and continues to study changes in market demand.
There are not a few brands like Chery that "roll technology", such as BYD's DM-i, Xiaopeng's XNGP, Huawei's ADS, etc., but without exception they are all technical models that do not play gimmicks and are pragmatic and truth-seeking. This kind of technical warfare is what the industry and consumers are happy to see.
"Top masters" all adhere to "long-termism"
Of course, "volume technology" is not an easy thing, in addition to the high requirements for the system strength and technical team of the car brand, but also a test of a brand's patience and determination. The birth of a new technology often needs to go through a long R&D cycle, market cultivation period and technology iteration period, and labor pains are inevitable in this process. And the only "painkiller" is "long-termism".
This year, Chery was listed on the Fortune 500 list for the first time, and Yin Tongyue, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Chery Holding Group, said: "I believe that this small step today will witness a big step tomorrow and pave the way for Chery to continue to surpass every step in the future." In the face of the era full of uncertainties, Chery must use long-termism to go through the cycle and become a sustainable 'century-old store'. ”
From the perspective of the automotive industry, "long-termism in technology" requires enterprises to have continuous R&D investment in key core technologies, continuous research on the market and users, talent training and team building, all three of which are indispensable.
The so-called "top master" is actually "ten years of sharpening a sword". Only by implementing "long-termism of technology" in all aspects of the brand like Chery can we make truly good technology. This not only promotes the technological progress and market competitiveness of Chinese auto brands, but also lays a solid foundation for the sustainable development of China's auto industry.
epilogue
China's automotive industry, especially the grand occasion of intelligent new energy vehicles going on the market, is not so much "involution", but rather that the industry is "evolving". From price war to technology war, from "volume acceleration" to "volume comprehensive driving texture", these changes are the right way for various brands to continue to explore and seek new ones in the fierce competition.
To put it more bluntly, the outstanding domestic models represented by the Xingtu Yaoguang C-DM electric four-wheel drive are pragmatic and truth-seeking, innovative technology, and product research and development are close to the real demands of consumers.
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