In the global sales rankings of automobile manufacturers in 2019, we see that the first place is Volkswagen as always, while the second place is Toyota, and the third place comes from the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. These three manufacturers are not only the top three in the sales list, but they are also the only three automobile groups whose sales exceeded 10 million in 2019.
There is a saying in the market that although Toyota cannot yet reach the top of the championship in terms of sales, it can be very proud of its bicycle profits.
The Volkswagen Group includes the Volkswagen parent brand, Skoda, Audi, Bentley, Seat, Bugatti, Porsche, etc., and is a huge brand system. But in comparison, we have to admire Toyota's strength, because in addition to Toyota's parent brand, Toyota only has four sub-brands. Except for Lexus and Subaru, which are well known to Chinese people, the remaining two brands are not that famous. Far and wide.
Of course, I admire Toyota not only because it has created eye-catching sales results despite not having many sub-brands, but also because it is outstanding in marketing and technology.
Let’s talk about marketing capabilities first. There are many price-increased cars brought out by Toyota. We can understand that some super luxury cars will be hard to find due to limited sales or special craftsmanship, and the price will be increased to purchase the car. But Toyota has created such a myth in every price segment.
The brand premium capability brought by the Toyota brand is not inferior to any first-tier luxury brands. It is said to be a marketing strategy and a sales method, but some people are willing to pay for it.
Of course, apart from the price-increased models, Toyota's single-car profits are indeed quite considerable. We will find that Toyota's prices do not have any advantage in the competition of the same level, and it almost does not participate in price wars. If you stick to the bottom line of price while ensuring the price of the bicycle, then the profit margin will be self-evident compared to exchanging price for volume.
Then let’s talk about the core issue of Toyota’s development, which still comes from the power of technology. We talked a few days ago that the strength of the Korean brand lies in its strong technology, and Toyota's strong technology requires its own brands to work hard to catch up. For now, we have to admit that the gap between Autonomous and Toyota is a chasm.
In fact, independent development itself is inseparable from Toyota's technical strength. For example, the earliest Xiali 2000 purchased Toyota's 8A engine, and BYD F3 was developed on the basis of the old model. etc.
In fact, from the perspective of the number of automobile patents, Toyota’s patents have accounted for 1/4 of the world’s automobile patents. In 2017, the United States approved a Toyota patent in 2015 patents, and Toyota opened some of its patents in 2019. The number of free and open patents was approximately 23,740, which is a considerable number.
Toyota’s number of patents is not just the accumulation of time, but also the passion for technology. This is the true technology fanatic, not self-proclaimed, but actually proven by data.
Final words:
For independent brands, Toyota is like Mount Everest. It is a mountain that is more difficult to surpass and climb than the Korean brand. From a sales perspective, Toyota may not be as good as some independent companies in the domestic market. However, compared with Toyota, at least in terms of sticking to the bottom line of price, it is difficult to achieve independence. And if technology surpasses this road, independence will also need to be further improved. Go full throttle.
In 2020, the market will not be easy, and the challenge for independence will be even more arduous. However, returning to the technology itself, I believe it will be a year of intensive technological breakthroughs, and we are ready to wait for the next spring.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.