Transformation In The Cold Winter: Roewe R Standard Starts The "Breakthrough" Of SAIC Passenger Car Brand

"All independent brands are going up, and the R mark carries the historical mission or responsibility of SAIC passenger car brand upward. Rongwei now has two standards. One is the new lion standard, which represents the new trend of the country; the R standard is the "new force" of SAIC, bearing the expectations of SAIC passenger cars for the era of electrification and intelligent network connection. This is its positioning. "

On August 13, the day when the first flagship car er6 of SAIC Roewe r standard was launched, Yang Xiaodong, general manager and director of technical center of Shanghai Automotive Group Co., Ltd., said in an interview with 21st century economic reporter.

In the face of fierce competition in the next half year, it has become an objective consensus for independent brands to move forward in China's auto market. In fact, there is no independent brand in China's market.

In the future, the high-end new energy market with broad market growth space is becoming a track for independent brands to break through. Based on the insight into the user's use of electric vehicles and the grasp of the development trend of the industry, SAIC, as the first of the six state-owned automobile groups, is starting a new round of competition on the track of high-end new energy vehicles.

Break the game

In fact, for SAIC in the throes, the pressure of this transformation and the need to break the situation are particularly urgent.

A few days ago, the latest statistics released by the China Automobile Industry Association showed that, from January to July, among the top 15 Chinese brand automobile sales enterprises, although SAIC still ranked first, the sales volume of SAIC passenger cars in July was 51001, a year-on-year decrease of 1.97%; the cumulative sales volume of January July was 292476, a year-on-year decrease of 19.58%.

In the overall market recovery environment, the performance of SAIC passenger cars is undoubtedly a dangerous signal.

In addition, although SAIC's passenger cars are the first enterprises in China to lay out new energy resources, they have also launched a number of new energy products, such as e550, E950, I6 new energy, marvel x, ei5 and other new energy products in the past few years. However, according to the data of the passenger Association, in the first seven months of this year, the national market share of SAIC passenger cars in the pure electric field was only 2%. As a test of SAIC Roewe's medium and high-end market, marvel X has been selling poorly since its listing.

Therefore, how to quickly solve the problem of declining sales and boost the performance of its own brands has become the most urgent task of SAIC passenger cars.

"On the whole, the sales volume of new energy products ranked the top three in the previous years, but a little less than last year. The situation in the first half of this year was not good, and it seems that the sales volume is not very good, but this has a lot to do with the preparation of r-standard new product line." According to Zhu Jun, deputy chief engineer of Shanghai Automotive Group Co., Ltd., deputy director of SAIC technology center and general manager of Jieneng company, as the new technologies pushed forward in the early stage begin to land, new vehicles will serve as carriers for users, and SAIC's new energy products will usher in new opportunities.

"The sales volume in the second half of the year, I dare not say that the whole market. It is certain that SAIC Roewe will at least double the sales volume in the second half of the year compared with the first half of the year." Yu Jingmin, deputy general manager of the passenger car company of Shanghai Automotive Group Co., Ltd., is full of confidence in Rongwei's market performance in the second half of the year.

According to Yu Jingmin, the domestic automobile consumption market has basically entered the stock state. For the automobile industry, the new crown epidemic is not a turning point, but a catalyst and accelerator.

"It is not only to survive in the cold winter, but more importantly, how to live in the cold winter. It's a good time for us to summarize and innovate our thinking in the future Yang Xiaodong told reporters.

Make innovations

As a traditional automobile enterprise, SAIC Group has been relatively active in embracing the new trend of the automobile industry in recent years, and has made many achievements in the fields of Internet automobile and shared travel.

In 2016, SAIC Roewe launched the world's first mass production Internet car Roewe rx5, and last year launched Roewe rx5 max, which can recommend some customized products and services to users through face brushing and login. As the pioneer of Internet vehicles, Roewe also undertakes the "new four modernizations" mission of SAIC, including electrification, intelligent networking, sharing and internationalization.

"Where does Tesla win? It's the result of brand and technology complementing each other. " At the same time, compared with other companies, Tesla does not have the courage to be ahead of others in terms of technology. Of course, the difference is that Tesla does not have the constraints of traditional cars.

The launch of Roewe r standard is obviously a key step for SAIC to try to comprehensively transform. It operates in a mode from marketing to sales, which is the most acceptable to the youngest consumers. And with a more high-end positioning to create a new brand culture, to achieve the leap of brand level. Facing the consumers in the new era with the appearance of "new force of car making".

"For Roewe and SAIC, the idea behind the transformation of our products is not a simple product model for Renault and SAIC Yang Xiaodong said.

On the one hand, Roewe r standard has a very clear self orientation, that is, a high-end pure electric vehicle with a price range of 150000-300000. However, different from the traditional automobile enterprises, Roewe r-standard is brand-new in its business model, products, channels, organization, culture and other dimensions. It is a brand-new independent brand established by the "playing method" of new forces of car making.

On the other hand, R standard adopts a new business model, namely new retail and user operation.

First of all, the new retail has subverted the traditional 4S store sales mode. R standard new retail direct experience center has opened to users and entered the central business circle. Secondly, solve the price problem that users care about. The new retail achieves a unified price, online and offline price, users do not worry about buying expensive. Third, more flexible after-sales service. New retail does not have a fixed after-sales point, users can obtain services through app, applet, official micro blog, official website, etc.

Another business model innovation is in products. "Next year, we will achieve" rechargeable, replaceable and scalable "batteries on the basis of a new architecture. All of the products, one battery, can solve the customer's concerns about the range to the greatest extent. " Yu said.

Break through

However, no matter for SAIC Roewe or other independent brands in China, brand building is not a one-day feat. In the face of the strong momentum of Tesla, the rise of new automobile manufacturing forces and the layout of international luxury brands, the upward development of China's independent brands is bound to be a difficult and narrow track.

"We all know that brand is important, and we all know how to create a brand, but it is difficult to do it, because the operation of enterprises is facing the challenge of the market. Cheap must not be high-end. Once it is expensive, it can't be sold. If it can't be sold, it will reduce its price and become a low-end brand. It will be difficult for Chinese enterprises to start from week to week."

On August 14, Zhao Fuquan, President of the Institute of automotive industry and technology strategy of Tsinghua University and chairman of the World Federation of Automotive Engineers (FISITA), said in an interview with reporters during the 2020 China automobile forum that "no enterprise can make a success if it wants to make money by investing in a car, because the brand needs to be cultivated."

First of all, to build a well-known brand is to build a good reputation in the hearts of consumers.

"Brand must have products, products must have technology, technology must be constantly improved, products must reflect the positioning of the brand, absolutely not expensive or good brand." Zhao Fuquan further pointed out.

Of course, in Zhao Fuquan's opinion, simple advanced technology and reliable quality are not enough for future products. After Internet thinking, consumers will pay more attention to product experience and high-tech elements of "fun", which is also an opportunity for Chinese brands to break through.

"It's far from the day of" witnessing who is the real winner. ". The global auto industry sells about 80 million vehicles a year. In the next decade or so, new energy vehicles will eventually achieve an annual production and sales level of 10 million. At that time, the leading enterprises will be truly successful enterprises. " More people are buying from Toyota or Volkswagen. However, when the level of electrification reaches 10 million, compared with the ultimate experience, more people will choose to be safe and reliable, and this is the market that R standard hopes to occupy more.

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