Changan Auto fuels up for exquisite mini cars
- Source: ce.cn
- [15:08 April 20 2009]
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By Wang Weiwei
On March 18th, Changan Yuexiang, Changan's new generation economic car with independent brand and receiving much attention in the market, was launched into the market officially. Although it is the fourth type of Changan's independent-brand cars following Benni, Jiexun and Zhixiang, Yuexiang is positioned as a transition work. Compared with the former three types, Yuexiang is unique.
During the entire new car release conference, it is very easy to find out the uniqueness. A scene with the most impulsive force is the moment of issuing the market price. When Zhang Baolin, General Manager of Changan Auto Co. Ltd, announced that the price of Changan Yuexiang 1.5L manually-operated basic type is RMB53, 900 yuan, all participants were astonished, then there was a shower of applause involuntarily. The price range from RMB53,900 yuan to RMB60,900 yuan is very surprising, far lower than the originally anticipated price range from RMB60,000 yuan to RMB80,000 yuan, because what matches with such a low price is the excellent quality of Changan Yuexiang. The shining appearance, smooth line, and modern innervation outline the first impression of Changan Yuexiang; the length of car body is 4360mm, the wheelbase is 2515mm,28 and the integrated oil consumption under the operating condition is only 6.9L/1 hundred kilometer; the conformity of advanced hanging system advantage, plus light-weight car body with high rigid, light-weight engine with high efficiency and excellent transmission system make Changan Yuexiang have surging impetus and smooth gear shifting; the use of NVH resonance restrain technology makes the rattle noise in the inner car of Yuexiang only get 41 DBs. The high cost performance is destined as the selling point of Changan Yuexiang.
Zhu Huarong, Vice General Manager of Changan Auto Co. Ltd, who takes charge of the research and development (R&D), revealed that Yuexiang adopted the brand new B2 platform. Such a platform will generate several derived car types successively, such as Yuexiang's hatchback edition, 1.3L type and automatic car lug type, which will be launched gradually in 2009, and some crossover types will be taken into consideration in the future.
The uniqueness of Yuexiang is also embodied in the launch strategy. As understood, the selling of Yuexiang is according to the manner of regional propulsion. The first station is Chongqing, the next is Sichuan, and then it will extend to the whole country gradually. Xu Liuping, President of Changan Auto Co. Ltd, explained that to adopt such a manner was based on three aspects of consideration: the first is the following capability of the production; the second is to launch into the market step by step, so that the intensive cultivation can be achieved in the regional market, and the service standard can be elevated while selling; the third is that because Chongqing is the headquarter of Changan Auto Co. Ltd, it is expected that Chongqing can be the first success in the southwest market.
Yuexiang was the first type since Xu Liuping came to Changan Auto Co. Ltd. The R&D spends three years, and the prudence in the preparation is also unprecedented. The R&D for Yuexiang was jointly fulfilled by the R&D institutions in Chongqing, Shanghai, Torino in Italy and Yokohama in Japan; during the R&D, a coordination meeting with supplier principals was held every week, and Xu Liuping took participate in almost each time; over 80 colloquia and several driving tests have been held in 21 cities nationwide to solicit the advices of more than 30,000 consumers on Yuexiang and in accordance with the feedback to modify Yuexiang again and again; 5 million km trial operation, various altiplano trials in the altitude of 4 km, the lab under forty below zero and low temperature trial on site, they try their best to seek for better.
From the uniqueness, it can be felt clearly that Changan's independent-brand cars which have experienced 3-year preparation intends to send power by taking advantage of Yuexiang , realize the breakout in the market, and determine to seize a position in the car field. In Xu's eyes, in the field of economic type and the following types, the cars with independent brands possess natural advantages. The economic type and the following types with independent brands have a huge market space. Plus the good situation brought by the favorable policies currently, Changan Auto Co. Ltd shall have a promising future.
In the press release for the new car Yuexiang, Xu Liuping revealed that in the details of the revitalization program in the auto industry, Changan Group had been listed in the supporting members, and become one of China's four major auto groups, which had encouraged Changan very much and firm Changan's confidence on implementing its development strategy on the cars with independent brands designedly and with measured strokes. He expressed that in the future five years, Changan would concentrate resource, take economic, middle and mini type cars as keys, and seek for breakthrough in the aspect of the entire car, drive integration and chassis. During the course, Changan planned to launch more-than-ten-type cars with independent brands. Meanwhile, for the sake of realizing the objective in 2010, during the "Eleventh Five-year Plan", Changan will invest RMB6 billion yuan aggregately on independent innovation, insisting on the independent and innovative "Changan Mode" themed as "take myself as a core to conduct R&D independently", concentrating on building up seven car platforms, five mini-car platforms and three brand new engine platforms, and expediting to launch a series of independently developed autos and engines with independent brands to enter the major segment markets.
