Few people know that 2020 is the125th anniversary of the birth of Skoda brand and the15th anniversary of Skoda's entry into China. In July this year, Skoda celebrated the 3 millionth car rolled off the assembly line in China. However, compared with such a weighty history and sales volume, Skoda has less and less voice in the China market.
After the Sixth National Congress, it was devastated.
In 20 19, Skoda sold 282,000 vehicles in China, down 17.3% from the previous year. Due to the lack of market strength in China, Skoda's global market declined by 0.9%. Excluding the China market, Skoda's global growth exceeds 5%.
Skoda's contribution in China is not only gone, but may even become a drag. Is this only available on 20 19?
As early as 20 17, Skoda commemorated the milestone of delivering 2 million vehicles in China. Skoda has used these 2 million cars in China for 65,438+00 years. Starting from 20 17, Skoda quickly completed the sales of 1 10,000 vehicles. Skoda's actual market performance doesn't seem as cold as we have seen.
20 17 years sales of 309,000 vehicles;
In 20 18, it sold 346,5438+00,000 vehicles;
282,000 vehicles were sold in 20 19;
In 20 19, Skoda experienced the worst decline in China. The overall depression of China automobile market is an inevitable "pot". However, it was also found that Skoda's sales in the first half of 2065,438+09 decreased by 265,438+0%, which was lower than the market's 65,438+05.2%. At the "last madness" moment before the handover of the National Sixth last year, Skoda even experienced a sales shrinkage of up to 365,438+0%.
Consumers are keenly aware that Skoda's most recognized "cost-effective" advantage has not been recognized when the whole market is experiencing price reduction promotion. From 2065438 to March 2009, in order to cooperate with the national VAT reduction and exemption policy, Skoda once had an official price reduction, with the range of 4000- 15000 yuan. In addition to the suggested retail price, the dealer will also provide additional cash discounts to clear the goods as much as possible. Prior to this, Skoda's inventory coefficient has been much higher than the market average.
Some people say that switching from "National Five" to "National Six" is a life-and-death robbery for some car companies. This sentence is especially suitable for Skoda. On the one hand, brand price reduction and inventory clearance could not be well promoted before the Sixth National Congress, on the other hand, the price of new cars could not rebound after the Sixth National Congress. When the price/performance ratio is no longer, the value-keeping rate and brand reputation are declining, it is difficult for Skoda to satisfy those consumers with tight budgets and picky.
After the downturn of 20 19, fewer and fewer people choose Skoda in 2020. In the first nine months of this year, Skoda sold less than 10 in China. 10,000 vehicles, the average monthly sales just broke through 10,000. According to this development trend, the year-on-year decline of Skoda will be expanded to more than 40% this year.
SAIC Volkswagen Skoda has no choice but to return.
In June, 65438+ 10 this year, Skoda once changed its name in China market, from "SAIC Skoda" to "SAIC Volkswagen Skoda". There are different interpretations of this change.
From the official point of view, this is a brand re-starting and resource re-adjustment. As early as 2005, Volkswagen Group introduced Skoda to China, put it under the brand of Shanghai Volkswagen, and launched it under the name of "Shanghai Volkswagen Skoda".
Relying on Shanghai Volkswagen, which was most recognized by consumers in China at that time, this original brand introduced from Europe was understood and accepted by domestic consumers as soon as possible. Because of the aura and support of Shanghai Volkswagen, Skoda entered China less than five years ago, and the China market has become Skoda's largest single market in the world.
Putting Skoda into Shanghai Volkswagen system is an effective strategy: on the one hand, Skoda needs to make consumers recognize Skoda's product quality by means of publicity such as "sharing the same roots with the public and producing * * *"; On the other hand, we should also use "the price is slightly lower than the public, and the investment in new technology is slightly faster than the public" to form differentiation and strengthen the cost-effective advantage of Skoda brand in China. Because of the intention of Shanghai Volkswagen, Skoda models once had the reputation of "cheaper Volkswagen" and "everyone who knows the public buys Skoda", thus successfully expanding sales.
However, the subtle relationship with SAIC Volkswagen supported Skoda and delayed Skoda. As early as 20 16, the tail of every Skoda model was not "SAIC Volkswagen" but "SAIC Skoda", but until the first half of this year, SAIC Volkswagen still needed to explain Skoda's independence.
In fact, the vast majority of consumers who buy Skoda are aware of its relationship with SAIC Volkswagen. It can even be said that the purchase of Skoda is precisely because of its relationship with SAIC Volkswagen. However, Skoda doesn't want consumers to form the idea that Skoda should establish an independent joint venture brand image and compete with second-tier joint venture brands with a slightly lower posture than Volkswagen, instead of being a sub-brand of SAIC Volkswagen (similar to Jetta of FAW-Volkswagen) and sharing food in the camp of independent brands.
However, Skoda also understands that in the China market, except those strong Japanese, German and American brands, it has been difficult for other overseas brands to survive alone. For example, Skoda, especially SEAT, failed to enter China for the second time. Therefore, after emphasizing the independence of Skoda brand at the communication meeting of SAIC Volkswagen in April this year, it was found that Skoda once again launched the name of "Shanghai Volkswagen Skoda" at the Beijing Auto Show at the end of September.
The outside world does not think that the return of "SAIC Volkswagen Skoda" is a new beginning. In the past few years, "SAIC Skoda" has been unable to find a clear position for itself, but in the increasingly fierce market competition in the future, Skoda is unable to face it alone and can only choose to form an alliance with SAIC Volkswagen again.
The significance of this return is already different from the combination in 2005. Skoda and SAIC Volkswagen have both glory and loss. This year, SAIC Volkswagen continues to be affected by the Passat incident. After a "ten-day losing streak", SAIC Volkswagen's sales in the first ten months dropped by 24% compared with last year. For example, in the past 10 month, when the whole automobile market picked up, SAIC Volkswagen became the only brand in the top ten with a year-on-year decline in sales.
Nowadays, the collapse of SAIC- Volkswagen's reputation after the Passat incident, coupled with the lack of competitiveness of SUV series, the suppression by FAW-Volkswagen and Japanese brands, and the loss of LaVida's crown status have caused many problems to SAIC- Volkswagen's current situation. As a result, the Skoda crisis that has long been attached to SAIC Volkswagen is even greater. When consumers are unwilling to choose SAIC Volkswagen, they will not consider the cheap version of SAIC Volkswagen.
The official decline is not conducive to the brand to start again.
In April this year, with the coming of the 25th anniversary of Skoda/KLOC-0, Skoda made price adjustment in China, and the official guide price of all models was lowered to 779-247,900 yuan, with an overall decrease of 1500 yuan to 24,500 yuan.
At the moment when the overall tone of the automobile market is "brand up", it goes without saying that Skoda chooses to be a full-time official. SAIC Volkswagen's explanation for the official demotion of various departments is frank: this official demotion is not a short-term marketing behavior, but the first step of Skoda brand repositioning.
So, what is Skoda's position after its formal surrender?
At present, Skoda cars include Xindong, Xinrui, Ming Rui series and Express, and the adjusted price range is 77,900-229,900 yuan. SUVs include Comuk series, Crocker series and Kodiak series, and the adjusted price range is 89,900-247,900 yuan.
For example, the price of the 2020 model launched in February this year is between 7.84-114 yuan, of which the minimum manual standard version of the new model is 865,438+0.4 million yuan, and the minimum manual standard version of the new model is1.5l.
On the surface, after Skoda was officially downgraded, he set the threshold at less than 80,000 yuan, and he was modest about his position in this market. However, if we look back at the previous Skoda Haorui/Xindong, we will find that the lowest price has been lowered every time in recent years, starting from 20 19 7 19 yuan, starting from 20 18 76,900 yuan, and even as low as 69,900 yuan.
By the time the 2020 model was launched at the beginning of this year, Skoda had actually raised the threshold of these two entry models, removed the manual entry version of 1.5L, and took the manual standard version of 1.5L as the minimum, making the starting price of all models at 78,400 yuan, compared with the manual standard version of 20 19, 2020.
The price of Haorui/Xindongguan was reduced before 2020.
The adjustment of official guidance price is more about the brand's understanding of its own market positioning. This year, Skoda has adopted a brand-new price system, and the price of the entry compact car is less than 80,000 yuan, which is still the level of the joint venture brand. However, in terms of the price of entry-level compact cars, Skoda's cutting-edge threshold is lower than that of similar products such as Hyundai Elantra and Chevrolet Knight.
According to SAIC- Volkswagen, after the official drop, the price difference between Skoda and Volkswagen will be more obvious, which will highlight Skoda's cost-effective advantage in competing products at the same level. Based on the relationship between Skoda and SAIC Volkswagen in terms of brand, vehicle research and development, technology investment, etc., the price of Skoda is still higher than that of Jetta brand after the official reduction. Skoda does not think that the official health is to enter the price positioning of its own brand.
The idea is reasonable, but the market response is not enthusiastic. After the price adjustment was announced in April this year, the monthly sales of Skoda brand still fluctuated around 1 10,000 vehicles. Only after the "Golden September and Silver 10" increased to nearly 20,000 vehicles per month, compared with last year's 65,438+February, the decline was still serious. Moreover, even if Skoda adjusted the overall price, due to the terminal price reduction for a long time in the past, the adjusted price could not make consumers feel clearly. At present, the dealer's quotation for Xindong/Xinrui entry models is still as low as 70,000 yuan.
The main models are still like this, and it is more difficult for Skoda to benefit from this new price system. For example, in the medium-sized SUV market with the strongest demand and the most opportunities, Kodiak's monthly sales have been below 2,000 this year. As the brand goes downhill, the sense of existence is getting lower and lower.
Ashton tubercle
When a brand chooses the whole department to go downhill and regards it as the first step for the brand to start again, then it is more difficult for the brand to go up again. Perhaps for Skoda or SAIC Volkswagen, Skoda's task is not to go up, but to sell as many cars as possible and contribute to SAIC Volkswagen's volume.
Now it seems that such an idea is not easy to realize. Skoda survives in the cracks, but the gap is getting smaller and smaller, and there are more and more competitors.
Figure? |? From the network
This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.