National brands are revival and want to collectively break the market bottleneck

Shanghai brand, Beijing brand, Hongqi brand car, so strange and familiar brand, once again returned to the public view.

Recently, in the 233 batches of “Vehicle Production Enterprises and Products” announcement issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, SAIC Motor’s Shanghai-branded sedan and the BAIC Group’s Beijing-brand sedan were impressively listed, together with the inclusion of Hongqi-branded sedan, which means that once disappeared domestically Traditional brands return to high profile again.

However, can the return of these brands bring a new wave to the market? Can disappear for many years stand firm in the fierce market? Can you return to the mainstream of the market? Wait, this series of problems is still placed on these old brands. The analysis pointed out that the re-introduction of national brands is to cater to the needs of independent brands, to promote their own brands, but also the need for manufacturers to maintain emotional.

Many national and old brands are brewing and revitalizing

Recently, in the announcement of 233 batches of "Vehicle Production Enterprises and Products" issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Shanghai-brand cars appeared in the announcement, including three models with serial numbers CSA7200, CSA7300 and CSA7240. This also means that after 20 years in the past, the Shanghai brand car will once again return to SAIC Motor's product line, and it will also become the third self-owned brand of SAIC Motor after Roewe and MG. However, according to related parties of SAIC, Shanghai brand car is currently only in the planning stage, and there is no clear product information and timetable.

Compared with Shanghai cars, the Beijing brand cars launched by BAIC Group are one step closer to the market. It is understood that with the Shanghai brand vehicle with the batch of vehicle product announcements, Beijing Automotive Group Beijing Automobile also has 3 models short-listed, including the pure electric car BJ7000 and cars BJ7130, BJ7150. The BC301 models that have been previously disclosed have been renamed as "Beijing Automotive E Series", and according to the different displacements of the engine 1.5L and 1.3L, respectively, named Beijing Automobile E150 and E130, the car will also be officially listed in March this year Sales, taking the lead in accepting market challenges.

In addition, the red flag brand cars that have been announced for a long time have revealed to the outside world that they will accept market challenges with a new look, or they will become the driving seats for provincial and ministerial level officials. According to the plan of FAW Group, FAW Car had spent more than 1.7 billion yuan in 2009, based on the H platform to build a red flag C131 project, hoping to compete for the domestic C-class car market.

Or will promote the high-end brand

As early as the 1970s, China’s auto industry had the mantra of “South Shanghai Red Flag”. With the successive revival of the Shanghai, Beijing and Hongqi brands, once the memory was once again awakened and a new technical coat was put on.

It is reported that the Shanghai brand car was born in 1963. It was produced by the Shanghai automobile factory at that time. For a long period of time, the Shanghai brand car was the symbol of the Chinese car industry, as was the Hongqi sedan. At that time, the Hongqi sedan was mainly used as a national leader. And "Shanghai" achieved planned mass production. In 1991, due to production costs and other reasons, Shanghai sedan began to stop production. So far, Shanghai brand cars have already withdrawn from the historical stage for 21 years.

Compared with the Shanghai brand, the Hongqi sedan is a household name in China. The Hongqi sedan was born in 1958. It is a high-class sedan designed and produced by FAW for the 10th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. For a long time, it has shouldered the heavy responsibility of the national leader. However, due to the production cost and technical reasons, the Red Flag sedan ups and downs and finally stopped production for a time.

However, after SAIC and FAW Group have owned their own brands and have been basically mature after years of development, why should these old brands be introduced? Car senior analyst Zhong Shi told this newspaper that this time re-introducing national brands is to meet the needs of independent brands, to carry forward their own brands, but also manufacturers in order to maintain emotional needs. But this is likely to be the wishful thinking of the manufacturers, because many car owners today are separated from these brands for several generations. There is actually no emotion for these brands. Moreover, these brands are all geographically named. If they are named geographically, they are not sufficiently radiant to the market, which has a negative effect on market development.

With the rapid economic development and continuous social progress, the connotations and images of "Beijing" and "Shanghai" are undergoing major changes. The use of geographically-named brands by independent brands can not only better convey the brand's deep historical heritage, but also demonstrate its confidence and determination to build a high-end image. In fact, there are precedents for successful adoption of geographically-named car companies in the world. For example, Pontiac and Fiat are brands named after place names. Moreover, naming brands without using place names is not a “golden rule”. Even if it is not common in the world, China can still name them according to its own way. This is a manifestation of the spirit of self-reliance, self-reliance, and self-reliance of Chinese automakers.

It can be foreseen that the name "beijing" is the first step in Beijing's upward breakout. As a rising star of its own brand, Beijing Automotive has made early warning of high-end high-end products. At the 2011 Global Auto Forum, Xu He, head of Beijing Auto, shouted out the slogan of "taking aloft the high-end line to the top."

Market performance remains a big question mark

However, in the Chinese market, joint-venture brands have already largely occupied the market space of their own brands. Last year, with the withdrawal of stimulus policies, the share of China’s own brands in major market segments has declined to varying degrees. These old brands’ Launch, can bring a new atmosphere to the market?

It is understood that this time Shanghai Automotive launches Shanghai-brand cars that will mainly face government procurement, and its sales expansion will also rely on government support. Relevant knowledge revealed that the sudden resurrection of the Shanghai brand car has a close relationship with the relevant decisions of the Shanghai municipal government. The red flag C301 project is also directly aimed at the official car, it is reported that the future of the red flag car produced by FAW will become the driving force of the provincial and ministerial leadership in China, and has already formed a document to issue.

Moreover, at the end of last year, the relevant state departments issued the “Guidance Catalogue for Foreign Investment Industries”, removing the entire automobile manufacturing item from the encouraged category and adding items such as key parts and components for new energy vehicles. This is understood by the outside world as the country intends to promote industrial integration and encourage the development of autonomous automobiles and new energy automotive industries. In addition, the relevant departments also introduced new standards for government procurement.

Zhong Shi said that the launch of these old brands is not optimistic about the market prospects. China's regional culture is very complicated. For example, a Shanghai brand car, a Cantonese or a Beijinger may not buy it. Therefore, consumers in other regions will not buy it, and the market will be very narrow. There is not much relationship between the company's emotions and the market, so it doesn't matter what the name is. It's just a symbol. What really matters is product and quality. In particular, SAIC already has its own independent brands, Roewe and Grandfather. This time it has been re-introducing the Shanghai card. It is a superfluous move. It not only causes a waste of resources, but also makes it easy for the SAIC trademark to be confused.

Cui Dongshu, deputy secretary of the National Passenger Vehicle Market Information Association, also believes that Shanghai Automobile brand launched by SAIC is an image project. Such a brand launch is a waste of market resources.

Reviving old brands should be technology first

â–¶ The reporter observed that the retro style began to shave the automotive industry. After the red flag announced the start of the recovery plan, BAIC launched the Beijing brand sedan. Today, SAIC Motor has also launched the Shanghai brand sedan, letting this brand that has disappeared for 21 years, return again. To the consumer's field of vision.

From the perspective of brand preference, the review of these old and ethnic brands will undoubtedly increase the external goodwill, make people more pride, emotionally more acceptable, and easier than promoting a brand new brand.

However, from the perspective of long-term development of the brand, the return of these brands must be based on strong technical strength. Take the Shanghai brand car as an example. From the product information of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, it is consistent with the technical parameters of the Roewe brand, but only for a change. Brand, this will not waste market resources? No matter how good the brand is, it also needs strong technical force as a support. This is the same reason that has never changed. The car brands that disappeared in Europe and America in the past two years directly illustrate this principle.

In the release of vehicle product information by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the three models of the Shanghai brand car are consistent with the Roewe brand model technology code. This means that the Shanghai brand car will carry out relevant transformations on the technology of the Roewe brand. And can this transformation be recognized by the market? This is a big question mark?

Otherwise, the launch of these old brands will encounter the market's cold, into a dilemma. No matter if it is a car company or a countryman, they do not want to see it. Of course, we all hope that these national brands will gain market recognition after launching the market. However, these need to be built on strong product strength. Just like the red flag vowed, the C131 project will abandon Audi and Toyota Crown. Impact, facing the Audi A6L, the new BMW 5 Series, Toyota's new crown competition.

Old brand new clothes

■ Link “Beijing Brand”: The Saab platform Beijing brand E series will introduce two displacement models of 1.5L and 1.3L. The overall design style is very similar to Mercedes-Benz’s small-size mpv model B200, and its body size is 3998/1720/1503mm. The headlights use a combination of enamel styling. The shape of the front fog lamp is a triangular design, which is even more savvy and profound, and contrasts with the atmospheric style of the front headlamps.

In the interior design, the series models also refer to the classic color design of the partner Daimler, the interior style uses a classic black and beige interior color matching, the design is very simple, the entire center console is almost no decoration Sexual lines exist, and any area and keystrokes serve objectively existing functions.

It is understood that after this model is listed in March, BAIC will also launch other models developed on the Saab platform.

"Shanghai Brand": Based on Roewe Technology's Shanghai brand, only the announcement information released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is currently not available. However, according to the conditions of Shanghai Brand and Roewe brand parameters, it can be seen from the Roewe 750.

According to the Roewe 750 model information, the new Roewe will launch six models, the power will be equipped with 2.0-liter, 2.4-liter and 3.0-liter three naturally aspirated engines, all with 6-speed tiptronic transmission. It is understood that the new generation of Roewe is based on the BP31 platform development, it is reported that its technology comes from the common Epsilon II platform, led by SAIC-GM's Pan-Asia Design Center. Its body size is 4996mm/1857mm/1502mm with a wheelbase of 2837mm. The tail design is very heavy, rectangular four-outlet exhaust nozzle, similar to the current LaCrosse.

“Red Flag”: More Luxurious At present, regarding the specific situation of the models launched by the Hongqi C131 project, FAW has not yet been released to the public. We do not know whether its policy is to complete its own research and development or based on the German system platform, but its spy photos have been repeatedly Exposure by the media.

Judging from the current exposure of spy photos, the red flag used in the design is still a traditional design, sunflower-style circular badge in the direction of the center, the center console uses a peach-like design, highlighting the luxury car luxury. In addition, the car will also be equipped with a variety of luxury facilities, such as night vision systems, improve night driving safety and so on.