After the increase in sales volume, the Korean car "happy" and "worry"

An analysis of the overall performance of the passenger vehicle market in May was a clear feature: the sharp increase of Korean cars.

Data show that in May, Beijing and Dongfeng Yueda Kia’s year-on-year growth rates were all above 70%, of which, Beijing Hyundai once again crowded into the top ten list of single-month sales of passenger vehicles with monthly sales of more than 60,000 units. single.

In the SUV sector, Korean car sales surged by 127.4% in a single month, not only significantly ahead of the overall growth of the SUV market, but also in stark contrast to the downward trend of the German and American cars.

So, how is the current strong market performance of Korean cars driven? In the future, can this growth momentum continue?

Next, we analyze the above issues from the following aspects.

Internal and external drivers drive the Korean car market to “warm up”

First of all, it must be pointed out that the rapid growth of Korean cars this year is not unrelated to the low base of last year.

As we all know, last year, especially in the first half of last year, the Korean car suffered the most severe market test in history. The sales volume showed a cliff-type decline, the plant was shut down, and the brand was in a quandary. Therefore, when the sales volume of a single month during the same period last year fell to near the “freezing point,” this year, once the sales volume returned to normal levels, it showed a year-on-year growth rate, which was a high growth exceeding the market average.

Therefore, from this point of view, the so-called “high” growth exhibited by Korean cars this year only follows the “steps” of other companies, and the Korean car market has entered a relatively stable period.

Of course, this "stationary period" is not easy for the Korean cars whose sales have plummeted last year.

This can be mainly seen from both inside and outside factors.

Externally, if the political tension between China and South Korea triggered by Sadr is the main driver of the collapse of the Korean car last year, then a considerable part of the “recovery” of Korean cars this year will also be attributed to the political relations between China and South Korea. Ease. Of course, the external factors of the political environment are not easy for us to expand here.

The internal cause was attributed to a series of self-help operations initiated by Korean cars since the second half of last year.

Among these self-rescue measures, in addition to the large profits from the terminal prices of existing products, one of the most significant measures is to upgrade the existing models, reduce the official guide price, and increase their cost/performance advantages.

On the eve of the Guangzhou Auto Show last year, Beijing Hyundai’s new generation of ix35 was officially launched. The official guide price was as low as RMB 119,900, which was nearly 50,000 yuan lower than the starting price of CR-V in its class. This close to the price of its own brand of its own products, so that it can significantly improve the cost. After the new generation ix35 entered the market, its monthly sales rose rapidly from the previous 3,000 units to more than 10,000 units, once again becoming the main models of Beijing Hyundai.

Similarly, initiatives such as this have also been reflected in Dongfeng Yueda KIA.

In April of this year, Dongfeng Yueda reached a new generation of Chia. The selling price is also set at RMB 119,900. Compared with the new generation of ix35, the new generation of Chi running only manual and automatic models, according to With different configurations, the selling price was RMB 119,900 and RMB 139,900 respectively. The lean streamlined models and affordable price make it possible to quickly increase sales in a single month.

From this point of view, the recovery of Korean car sales has a very close relationship with the continued downward pressure on prices. However, the continuous decline in the price of the product also makes the Korean brand's brand premium almost zero.

The B-class car is weak and the Korean car brand has insufficient premium capacity

As we all know, SUV products are known for their functionality, and they are inherently cost-effective. They have little impact on the brand's premium price. Among the various products, B-Class vehicles are the key products that affect brand premium capabilities. We take Beijing Modern, the representative of Korean cars, as an example to see the current market status of its Class B vehicles.

In the modern Beijing Hyundai product line, Mingtu and Sonata 9 are representatives of their Class B vehicles. From the sales point of view, the sales price of the low-priced month is above 10,000 units, and the performance is relatively stable, but also relatively strong; and Sonata 9 is obviously “lagging behind” a lot. This year, the highest single-month sales are only a thousand units. In May, sales were 544 units.

In both cases, the sales performance was one high and one low, and the gap was quite obvious.

There is no doubt that in the case of severe competition in Class B vehicles, compared with the joint-venture B-Class vehicles such as Magotan, Passat, Camry, etc., the price of Mingtu is the lowest, plus the terminal market is not a small discount, the final price and Class A cars are quite horizontal. Therefore, the low selling price is the main reason why the name is “hot”.

In fact, in terms of product positioning, the name map is not commensurate with the positioning of the B-Class. This is reflected not only in the “high height” of the Class B vehicle, but also in its unsatisfactory product performance. . Heavy smell in the car, noise, abnormal sound, hanging hard, etc., Tucao repeatedly users; driving quality loss B-level car standards.

Let's take a look at Sonata 9.

If you say that the cable was used as a "Pan cough????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 16? In 017 years, the sales volume of Cable Nine was only 13,900 units a year, down 60% year-on-year.

The industry believes that compared with Sosa 8, the performance of Sok Kau market is faltering, and it is not related to its “inconsistent” product positioning.

In August last year, the new Sonata 9 was officially launched, and the new car was priced at 169,800 yuan - 231,800 yuan. The new car has changed its appearance in the past by users, and adopted a brand-new family design language. The front face design is more radical and bold, and it is also more in line with the aesthetic tastes of young consumers. However, the interior is still “absent” and stable. The style contrasts with the aggressive appearance.

Therefore, although the appearance of the brand new Sonata 9 has been further upgraded, due to the “outdatedness” and limited terminal concessions of the interior, its sales volume has not only not improved but it has stagnated.

Compared with the strong market performance of B-Class vehicles such as Magotan, Passat, and Camry, neither Ren Ming or Sonata 9 are competitors of the above models in terms of market share and product strength. As a result, relying on the low-cost market changes, and the weak market of Sonata 9, can not help Beijing Hyundai to enhance brand premium.

In addition, the selling prices of Korean cars and the launch of various "low-cost" models have further reduced the brand premium ability of Korean cars.

In the passenger car market where independent brands are aggressively attacking, what brand of joint venture brand that loses its brand premium ability can rely on what kind of capital will be established in the market in the future? In the long run, the Korean cars that are eagerly seeking "cost-effectiveness" will not be optimistic about their future development.