*This article is reproduced from the autocarweekly WeChat official account.
Author: Wild Xiaochen
The 2021 Shanghai Auto Show seems to have been the most lively automotive event in recent years. After experiencing a cold wave, being in a bottleneck, suffering from Covid, and getting through the downturn, the old veterans who have been immersed in the industry for a long time sighed in unison that there seems to be something different this year.
There were long banners outside the exhibition hall with the words “Embrace Change”. This seems to be a prophecy, and also seems to be a looming destiny that we all find ourselves in.
A new wave of innovation in science and technology and business models is flourishing, and the global division of labor system, industrial development, and value chain pattern are opening up a new era. Cutting-edge technological achievements such as artificial intelligence, big data, deep learning, industrial Internet of Things, blockchain, cloud computing, and cloud services have gradually become a reality, moving from laboratories into the industrial field, and from closed testing places into real life.
All the refreshing and dazzling new technologies and their industrial applications are unprecedentedly refreshing the heat of the automotive industry’s Internet, and will also reshape the future international competitive landscape. Car people are all planning in this silent competition, embracing change and waiting for the wind to come.
Rolls-Royce: We won’t adopt hybrid power, we will directly adopt pure electric power
Not long ago, Rolls-Royce announced its first quarter sales.
Rolls-Royce delivered a total of 1,380 cars in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 62% compared to the same period in 2020, and broke the sales record set by Rolls-Royce in the first quarter of 2019. Rolls-Royce CEO Ottawos said that the first-quarter sales this year not only broke the sales record set in 2019, but also reached the highest performance in Rolls-Royce’s 116-year history.
Compared with many car companies severely injured during the epidemic, the rarity of the SSR player Rolls-Royce has caused it to only suffer minor injuries in this global storm, and when the market gradually recovers to health, Rolls-Royce can also reach its peak of life based on the upward trend of social trends.
Looking at the models, the demand for the new Ghost and Cullinan is particularly strong, and related orders have been scheduled until the second half of 2021. At the same time, the volume of the Bespoke high-end customization business has also refreshed records. Looking at regional markets, sales of Rolls-Royce in all global markets are showing a growing trend. Among them, China, the United States, and the Asia-Pacific region have the strongest sales growth performance.
## Consumer Trends
In China, Rolls-Royce has seen a unique consumer trend arising from the young demographic. According to Li Long, the average age of Rolls-Royce customers in China is 39 years old, with some minor fluctuations every year. Additionally, in 2020, customers under the age of 30 accounted for 16% of car owners in China.
After the most critical period of the pandemic, the performance of Rolls-Royce in the Chinese market continues to increase its share in the global market. The current sales in the Chinese market make up approximately 30% of Rolls-Royce’s global sales, specifically at 28.5%. Since the beginning of Q1 of this year, China has become the largest market for Rolls-Royce globally, exceeding all expectations for performance.
Regarding embracing changes, the most substantial advancement over the next five years is undoubtedly the electrification of vehicles. Rolls-Royce still adheres to its precise principles, as Li Long explains, and all products will be fully electric over the next ten years. They will not use hybrid power but will directly adopt pure electric power, including autonomous driving, artificial intelligence, and interconnected vehicle technology, which are increasingly favored in the future.
Differentiation of Luxury Cars
In the electrification stage of the future, according to Li Long, there is a significant difference between mass-produced cars and ultra-luxury cars. Mass-produced cars do not have a specifically defined usage scenario, whereas ultra-luxury cars cater to specific user needs. Customers can have all choices of ABCD four models for different usage scenarios in ultra-luxury cars. Compared to mass-produced vehicles that need to be led by the market, luxury vehicles can guide the market, and users do not have to compromise with the choices.
Bespoke Cars
At the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show, Rolls Royce displayed four bespoke luxury car models, showcasing the brand’s unparalleled premium customization technology. The bespoke models were the global debut of the Ghost Zenith Collection, the recently launched Phantom Tempus Collection, the stylish and dynamic Cullinan Black Badge, and the Wraith Black Badge.
Li mentioned that Rolls-Royce buyers tend to be uninterested in technical parameters because this is not their main focus. Torque and horsepower figures have little importance to the client base. Instead, buyers of Rolls-Royce’s customized luxury goods tend to discuss color and clothing matches, leather quality, and stitching, as these are essential concerns for customers.## Dongfeng Citroen: The Real Citroen is Back
Finding its positioning may be the most important thing Citroen has done in 2020.
As a brand with a unique independent identity and high recognition, Citroen has seemed to be in a state of panic in the declining numbers for a long time. It struggles harder in the swamp, which is understandable because everyone is afraid of the mud in front of them; it’s instinctual.
During the time from Shanghai back to Wuhan, the gap between cloud and mud made Citroen panic and settle down, gradually finding a way out by returning to its original intention.
We can often see Citroen conveying its philosophy at many public occasions, interspersed with anecdotes from the old days — the birth of Citroen, the story of the founder. These clichés don’t mean that they are immersed in the glory of the past, but a revival of brand philosophy. This fashionable cycle may be a spiritual path that allows it to find classic features and regain the appearance of being admired in the beginning.
French enjoyment of life, this sense of comfort, was the story that Citroen once poured into. Now we see this layer of previously dusty light on the Citroen C5 X of Versailles.
At the car show booth, Dongfeng Citroen has built a living scene, from cafes to shade-covered paths, with Morris columns, typically French elements, and ice cream tricycles.
Why did they want to create such a showroom with French charm? Lv Tengyun gave the answer: “Because we have found that Chinese and French people have a lot in common, such as enjoying long conversations and drinking coffee with family and friends, and of course Chinese friends prefer tea. We all enjoy good food, which are our common hobbies. When I was working in China, I also had some differences with Chinese colleagues. Chinese colleagues worked very hard. They might work seven days a week and 20 hours a day. As a Frenchman, I’m not used to living like this. I prefer a more comfortable and leisurely way of life, enjoying time with my family and friends.”
“My personal concept is that work is for a better life. After every vacation, the first thing I do is plan my next vacation. I don’t think this way of life is lazy or not passionate about work. It’s actually about enjoying the beautiful moments in life and enjoying life itself. But I don’t think this way of life is exclusive to the French, I think Chinese people also want this way of life. Young Chinese people today hope to enjoy life while working hard to succeed. They want to enjoy life and the wonderful moments in life while thirsting for success.”
The message conveyed from the booth setup is that Dongfeng Citroen wants to convey a concept of travel, which is not only a physical journey, but also a spiritual one.
And in a self-driving tour, the car is an indispensable soul. The most important characteristic of an SUV is that it is not comfortable enough, because if you imagine your family sitting in the rear space during a journey, you would prefer it to bring a comfortable feeling, which an SUV cannot provide. However, Citroen C5 X, with a posture slightly higher than a sedan and more dynamic than a sedan, and with more space than a sedan, especially in its trunk, provides a comfortable feeling.
When seeing an SUV, the trunk of an SUV is indeed spacious, but because the opening of the trunk is relatively small, it is difficult to put things in or take them out. But when seeing C5 X, it can be found that its trunk space is very spacious, the opening is also very large, which is very convenient for extracting and placing luggage.
“We are not simply talking about the function of a machine. All of these are for serving people. So, how to make you comfortable and put the ‘Feel Good’ in a prominent position? This is the prominent concept of Citroen.” Lv Tengyun said. “So, I am very proud that this car is designed by Dongfeng Citroen. It is a very unique car.”
Regarding C5 X, Qu Hongyu also gave a more moving elaboration – “Let you go to poetry and distant places with more elegance.”
Changan Mazda: This is something we will always insist on.
If we talk about the camp that is not optimistic about pure electric vehicles, Mazda must have a name.
At the 2018 “Zoom-Zoom Sustainable Development Strategy 2030” conference, Mazda, headstrong and tough-tongued, stated that they would use a completely new idea to solve the problem-that is, internal combustion engines can also solve the problem of clean and environmentally friendly materials, not just electrification. And they plan to use hybrid devices to address the policy score balance.
At the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show, the black knight CX-5 seems like a signature dish, but the main course is on the CX-30 EV, Changan Mazda’s first electric car. Oikawa Nobuhito also said sincerely: “We know that in the Chinese auto market, if we don’t produce pure electric vehicles, it is difficult to have long-term development in the Chinese market.”
Mazda’s car models have always been manufactured with the concept of enjoyable driving. Even if this car is an electric car, users can still enjoy the pleasure of driving. The CX-30 electric vehicle is equipped with Mazda’s new generation vehicle architecture technology, which uses a new generation of body and chassis to provide the best driving experience.As the traditional car industry rushes to transform into pure electric, Changan Mazda still has its own insistence. Fu Yuanhong said that when people look at the CX-30EV, they may feel that it is a different style from some of the new electric car products in the industry. Why is it a different style? It is because we want to combine Mazda’s core DNA, including its dynamic styling and integrated human-to-car control, with electrification to create a cross-genre product. Therefore, it is not following the path of new car-making forces, but rather continuing Mazda’s core DNA.
The future Chinese market is a diversified and diversified market that may develop in two directions:
First, mainstream brands go for scale;
Second, small-scale brands go for specialization.
Changan Mazda is the latter. “We want to make characteristic boutique products while also meeting the needs of differentiated users – “this is what we will always insist on.”
Tank: They started with playing with Mustangs, and later they only played with tanks.
If the biggest “bump” event at this auto show, besides Tesla, must be “Baoding Kurland.”
After all, the great wall between tanks and Rolls-Royce is kilometers long. But most of these ideas come from hearsay. If you really stand in the middle of the tank booth, you may also have similar thoughts and feel incredulous about such absurdity.
The flagship model Tank 800 is positioned as a luxury business vehicle to showcase true Chinese luxury style. The design concept of the classic model Tank 700 comes from the sturdy walls and rigid lines of the Great Wall that have stood for thousands of years, presenting a super surrealistic style of mecha technology, embedding luxury, comfort, delicacy, and intelligence, which are unrelated to off-road, into the hard-core and robust copper walls and iron walls.
What kind of people buy tanks?
Liu Yanzhao provides a portrait: “We asked many car enthusiasts why they bought tanks. They said: I think it’s very cool. When I’m driving a Tank 300 with sunglasses on and the window down, I’m the coolest person. This was said by a 57-year-old grandfather. Therefore, we believe that the “play” attribute cannot be given up, so the Tank is positioned as a “cool off-road SUV plaything,” which can integrate the best “play” elements of the entire circle. “
Is this still the Great Wall we know?## Cadillac: We are Prepared
As a second-tier luxury brand, Cadillac has been mercilessly criticized due to its relatively high sales volume in the field and BBA’s godlike position. Whether it is the rookie Hongqi or the old aristocrat Lexus, they are all eyeing this spot.
The transformation of electrification is inevitable. With the direction determined, major OEMs are competing to launch their latest electrification platforms. In this regard, Cadillac did not create electric products by “switching from oil to electricity,” but instead produced electric vehicles based on the Ultium intelligent pure electric platform. The LYRIQ concept car unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show is Cadillac’s sincerity.
Equipped with GM’s latest Ultium battery system and the industry’s first wireless battery management system, it can reduce 90% of cables. The battery system can also be iteratively upgraded through OTA updates. If everything goes according to plan, LYRIQ will be officially put into production in 2022 and enter reality.
“Cadillac emphasizes technology, and electrification can better support technology. There are many technologies involved. As a traditional luxury brand, we have always regarded ‘courage, style, and innovation’ as our brand core to guide our future direction. Of course, we can give this brand more meaning on the new track of the new era. I think the entire brand needs to continue to move upward, and in new environments and new tracks, we can further expand the brand’s connotation,” Gu Yanbin confidently said.
“We have the ability to compete and will continue to bring new feelings, new experiences, and new surprises to customers, because our platform itself is a platform that can be infinitely expanded and full of the future.”
Lincoln: Lincoln has never passively waited
Domestic production seems to be a thunderbolt in the destiny of luxury cars.
If you want to make a big cake, domestic production is an inevitable choice. However, once domesticated, it is inevitable to be involved in the brand, and even the quality slump. There are factual evidences, as well as psychological factors. Even large-volume brands like BBA cannot escape this fate. In order to maintain the original taste of the brand, it seems that it can only be a prince of one side. This is also the reason why Lexus is expanding its territory. But Lincoln seems to have broken this curse of domestication, broken boundaries, and maintained the bottom line.Since 2020, we have suddenly discovered that this low-key and noble brand has never been willing to wait, and the era of electrification has arrived, which is also the strategic direction of Lincoln’s future layout. We have seen the impact of electrification on luxury car brands, and even the automotive industry, only by actively embracing electrification can we have a future. Lincoln has confirmed that it will add a pure electric vehicle model to its product lineup. This year, Lincoln will launch the first domestically produced new energy vehicle model, the all-new Lincoln Corsair PHEV, in China.
Lincoln’s next goal is to continue to deepen electrification, intelligence, digitization, and enter the “Lincoln Way” era 2.0, and constantly accelerate.
At this auto show, Lincoln completed four world premieres: the Lincoln Zephyr Reflection production concept car, the all-new human-machine interaction interface Constellation, the first domestically produced plug-in hybrid vehicle model – the all-new Lincoln Corsair PHEV, and the digitized customer experience Lincoln One ID.
2019 was probably a turning point for Lincoln, and the turnaround of this uncertain elephant has finally paid off today. In 2021, Lincoln’s market share in the Chinese luxury car market continues to rise: relevant data shows that in the first quarter of 2021, the luxury car market increased by an impressive 85% compared to the same period last year, and the market share has increased significantly, from 16.7% last year to 18.4%.
Facing the increasingly difficult automotive market, Lincoln’s upward trend has not blinded their judgment. Mao Jingbo said that as a newcomer to the Chinese luxury car market, the base of Lincoln is currently very small. Although the sales volume in the first quarter is considerable, the overall market share is still not large.
“Lincoln needs not only to celebrate, but more importantly, to remain sober.”
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.