The car giant started by marrying the daughter of the king

Chapter 442: The market responded enthusiastically, and the competitors were anxious
"I heard that when Land Rover gave quotations to supporting manufacturers, the quotation premise was very high, more than 2 units per month."

"Jiang, are you confident that the sales of Highlander will surpass that of Land Rover G Series?"

Edward asked a very crucial question.

General Motors will actively cooperate with Land Rover and will not hesitate to lose face by selling OEM cars.

Isn't it because Land Rover's products sell well and can bring profits to General Motors?
Without this premise, it would be meaningless to mention anything else.

"I think Highlander has the potential to surpass Land Rover G Series, but it will take some time for the market to respond."

"By next year at the latest, I think its sales in the North American market will surpass that of the Land Rover G."

Jiang Hui didn't say anything too decisive.

Even though he is quite optimistic about the Highlander urban SUV.

"If this can surpass the Land Rover G Series, then Land Rover will have three heavyweight products that are selling well in the market."

"Jiang, I hope that the cooperation between the two sides can go smoothly this time."

After hearing Jiang Hui's words, Edward felt relieved.

Next year, the pressure on their sales department will be much less.

And if the sales of Highlander are really ideal, General Motors can also officially start the development of urban SUV models.

By then, this will be a brand new new market, bringing GM's sales to a new level.

As for the details of the cooperation, Jiang Hui naturally does not need to communicate in detail. Both parties only need to decide on the general direction.

Soon, General Motors sent the first formal order for 1 vehicles, and the Highlander model started its overseas expansion as soon as it went into mass production.

Land Rover did not conceal this information.

Lingnan Province and Shenzhen City were both proactive in promoting this information, and naturally, domestic and foreign counterparts quickly noticed it.

"Jianjun, didn't you say that pickup trucks have a bright future?"

"But I see that the new model launched by Land Rover is an SUV, and they don't seem to be planning to continue making pickup trucks."

“Do we need to reconsider the new products we developed?”

During this period, Great Wall Industry Corporation has officially started the development of pickup truck models.

They directly referred to the design of Toyota's latest generation Hilux, preparing to stuff Nanshan Engine's 1.5L engine into it, then made slight changes, drew the blueprints, and notified the supporting factories to prepare the parts.

"Uncle, SUVs will definitely have a big market, and our factory will also develop SUV models in the future."

"But at this stage, we can only focus on pickup trucks. We don't have the energy to take care of so many other things."

Wei Jianjun's attitude was quite firm.

It’s not that he is not optimistic about SUVs, but he thinks pickup trucks have more prospects.

In addition, the pickup truck project has already been launched. If it is postponed and started again, it will cause great damage to morale.

"There are many automobile factories in China now, but the main ones are Land Rover."

"Whether it's FAW or Second Automobile Works, or Capital Automobile Works, Shanghai Automobile Works, Yangcheng Automobile Works, or Jinling Automobile Works."

“None of them make pickup trucks, right?”

"On the contrary, in recent years, the superiors have encouraged the development of the car industry, and all major car manufacturers have launched car projects."

"The Capital Automobile Manufacturing Plant's Shouqi Zhiguang has been quite popular recently."

"Even if we don't produce SUVs, should we consider producing sedans? It's better than producing pickup trucks."

Wei Deliang still looks down on pickup trucks. After all, in China, the prospects of the pickup truck market are not very promising.

But as for overseas, Great Wall Industry Corporation had never tried it before. He felt that this kind of thing was full of unknowns and was scary.

"Uncle, the sales volume of sedans is definitely higher than that of pickup trucks."

"But the competition in the sedan market is also very fierce. FAW's joint ventures with Toyota and Volkswagen are all producing sedans, and Hongqi and BMW are also said to be developing sedans."

"Needless to say, Capital Automobile Manufacturing, whether it is the previous BJ310 or the current Shouqi Zhiguang, they are all targeting this market."

"As a long-established car manufacturer, Shanghai Automobile Manufacturing Plant has also focused on promoting the Santana sedan after cooperating with Volkswagen."

"All car companies are rushing to launch sedan projects. How can Great Wall Industries do better than them?"

"Taking a differentiated route and exploring potential market segments is our hope for rise."

"In the Middle East and Africa, the traffic conditions in many places are bad."

"Pickup trucks, which can carry people and cargo and can be converted into armed vehicles, will have a special market space there."

"The development of the Land Rover X Series there has proven this."

Wei Jianjun would definitely not compromise at this time.

Otherwise all efforts will be in vain.

The uncle and nephew argued about this topic for a long time, and finally Wei Deliang made concessions and the factory continued to develop pickup trucks.

……

As the world's first urban SUV model, the official launch of Highlander naturally attracted the attention of Toyota Motor Corporation.

"President, I have already found out that this new urban SUV model launched by Land Rover will be sold under General Motors' Buick brand in the North American market."

"According to the latest promotional content from General Motors, the new car will be officially launched in North America starting next week."

"I heard that GM and Land Rover have very high expectations for this urban SUV and want it to outsell the Land Rover G-series off-road vehicle."

During the lunch break, Saito Shoei reported the latest news he had obtained to Shoichiro Toyoda.

If you order a special report for this kind of thing, it might seem like a big deal.

After all, the car has not yet been officially launched in North America. If Toyota itself is scared, it is obviously not a good thing.

However, feeling the potential threat posed by this car, Saito Shoei felt that if he did not inform Shoichiro Toyoda in advance, he would be blamed for his poor vision and failure to detect the crisis in time.

"City SUV? This concept is quite novel."

"Aren't SUVs all about off-road performance? Why is it that Land Rover emphasizes urban attributes?"

From the name, Shoichiro Toyoda felt a strange atmosphere.

"Both Land Rover and General Motors are now emphasizing that Highlander is the world's first urban SUV."

"This car combines the advantages of a sedan with the performance of an off-road vehicle, and can meet the various needs of consumers."

"Although there is a gimmick in this, I think the market segment they have created is worthy of attention."

Saito Shangying has a good vision.

Otherwise, he would not be able to hold on to his position as head of Toyota Motor Marketing Headquarters.

Urban SUV is a new thing, but if you think about it a little bit in combination with the promotional content of Land Rover, you will feel that a car positioned in this way can indeed meet the needs of some people.

"What direct impact do you think this car will have on us after it goes on the market?"

It is a bit difficult for Akio Toyoda to make a direct judgment now.

After all, it is something brand new and no one has ever come into contact with it.

If we wait half a year and many things actually happen, it will be different.

"The launch of this car will definitely have a certain impact on traditional off-road vehicles, but the impact should not be particularly large, after all, the customer groups are different."

"On the contrary, some people who previously bought sedans may consider buying city SUVs instead."

"After all, city SUVs have a more domineering appearance, a higher field of vision, and ride comfort similar to that of sedans."

"This can still meet the car purchasing needs of some people."

Saito Shangying gave his judgment very directly.

However, he had no way to answer this question very quantitatively.

"Assign someone to track the market performance of Highlander every week after it is launched in the North American market."

"At the same time, we will also pay attention to the sales changes of SUVs and sedans in the same price range."

"Then we will try to make an accurate judgment within the next three months to see what countermeasures the company should take."

"For this matter, you should briefly report the progress to me every week."

After thinking for a while, Shoichiro Toyoda gave his opinion.

With the emergence of such a special product, and considering the impressive performance of Land Rover in the past after its cooperation with General Motors, Shoichiro Toyoda felt that it should still be taken seriously.

Naturally, people from Ford Motor Company are also paying close attention to this matter, just like Shoichiro Toyoda.

"Bill, General Motors has been vigorously promoting the Buick Highlander model these days. This car appeared very suddenly."

"I heard that this is also a model they collaborated with Land Rover in China?"

Peterson has a clear understanding of the changes that have taken place in General Motors, the industry leader, in recent years.

General Motors, which was once stuck in a quagmire, is now slowly getting out of its slump and seems to be on the verge of a new lease of life.

However, several models of General Motors that have performed well in recent years are either OEM models developed in cooperation with Land Rover, or models directly designed by Jiang Hui.

Their new models, such as the Chevrolet Lumina and Pontiac Grand Am, received a lukewarm response.

At the same time, GM made some technological innovations, such as the introduction of electronic fuel injection systems and anti-lock braking systems (ABS), but the application of these technologies did not significantly enhance its market competitiveness.

It can be said that high labor costs and fierce market competition have put pressure on GM's profits.

This also makes them more dependent on their cooperation with Land Rover.

Peterson naturally took all of this into consideration.

General Motors, which had been performing poorly, was able to get out of the quagmire through cooperation with Land Rover. If Ford, which has performed well in itself, can seize the market changes led by Land Rover, can it fare better?

Even replace General Motors as the leader of the global automotive industry?
"Yes, Buick's Highlander is Land Rover's Highlander."

"It is expected that the Highlander model will be launched in North America, Europe and the Middle East under the Buick and Land Rover brands within this month."

"They are marketed as the world's first urban SUV, which has attracted a lot of attention from the media and consumers."

"I think the company can also consider developing urban SUV models." As the sales director of Ford Motor Company, Bill naturally knows this important change in the market.

In recent years, the new models launched by Ford have been more successful than those of General Motors.

For example, the Ford Taurus launched in 1985 achieved major breakthroughs in design and technology, becoming a best-selling model and driving the brand's revival.

At the same time, Ford expanded its product lines including sedans, trucks and SUVs to meet different market demands.

Ford also actively expanded in markets such as Europe, Asia and South America, increasing its global market share.

It has also established cooperative relationships with Japanese companies such as Mazda, enhancing its technological strength and market competitiveness.

Behind all these things are the efforts of Bill, the heir of the Ford family.

Sooner or later, Ford Motor Company will be handed over to Bill to manage.

That's why he directly suggested that the company develop an urban SUV model.

"Land Rover is still unwilling to cooperate with us?"

"Our cooperation plan will not be worse than that of General Motors."

Previously, Peterson had asked Bill to go to Shenzhen to discuss OEM with Land Rover.

But it ultimately failed.

"As long as GM doesn't give up, Land Rover will continue to choose to cooperate with them."

"Land Rover's attitude has always been the same and has never changed."

After Bill said this, Peterson didn't dwell on this topic anymore.

After all, he could understand why Land Rover had such an opinion.

If Land Rover offends General Motors, it will inevitably suffer huge losses.

If he were the head of Land Rover, he would not easily choose to cooperate with Ford.

"Try to arrange for someone to find out what new products Land Rover is developing in the future."

"We can consider developing similar new products at the same time, and strive to adapt to the new market trends and cater to consumer needs, just like Land Rover."

Peterson's words are an acknowledgement of Land Rover's influence in leading consumer trends.

In recent years, any model launched by Land Rover has become a best-selling model in the market.

As a Chinese car company, being able to achieve this level is absolutely incredible.

"I have heard that Mercedes-Benz, a subsidiary of the BMW Group, is developing a mid-size sedan to compete with Toyota's Camry and Honda's Accord."

“But we already have similar products.”

"In the next stage, I think the most important thing to do is to develop a medium-to-large urban SUV similar to Highlander."

Although Bill's rank is lower than Peterson's, the special status allows him to make suggestions without so many concerns.

Most of the time, his suggestions are adopted by Peterson.

This time is no exception.

Ford Motor Company soon held a special meeting to launch the development planning work for the new urban SUV model.

……

"Edward, the sales of Highlander reached 3000 units in the first week?"

Murphy looked at the report in his hand and felt quite happy.

Although General Motors is now facing considerable competition from Japanese automakers, it still holds the top spot in sales in the United States.

And the sales volume has been growing continuously in recent years.

The sales of the newly launched Highlander seem to be very good. If the sales can increase by more than 100,000 units a year, it will definitely be a good thing.

Because GM did not have any upfront investment in this car, it can make as much money as it sells.

"Yes, as the world's first urban SUV, Highlander is positioned as a family-friendly SUV, providing three rows of seats and a variety of configuration options to meet the needs of family users."

"I expect that there will be more and more SUVs of this type on the market in the future."

"As a new product in the market segment, other competitors will certainly carefully analyze the market performance of Highlander."

"In a few years, it is estimated that competitors such as Ford, Toyota and Honda will launch similar products."

Edward knew that the market competition was very fierce. Although GM was at the forefront in urban SUVs, it might not be able to maintain this position forever.

So I'm also thinking about whether GM should develop urban SUVs for brands such as Chevrolet and Buick as soon as possible.

As the leader in the American automobile market, it is naturally impossible for General Motors to cooperate only with Land Rover.

In terms of volume, 90% of sales are still contributed by GM's own models.

The sales contribution of all the BMW Group's partner models combined is less than 10%.

Of course, this means that there is still a lot of room for cooperation between the two sides.

"I have asked the R&D center to start taking action and come up with a development plan for our own urban SUV as soon as possible."

"Land Rover has opened up a whole new market, so we naturally have to pay attention to it."

Murphy was able to secure the position of CEO of General Motors, which naturally shows that he has some skills.

In recent years, General Motors has taken quite a lot of actions.

"The Highlander will be launched in Europe soon. By then, I estimate that more than 1 Highlanders will be imported from Land Rover every month."

"In order to avoid a situation where supply exceeds demand later, I think we should increase the order quantity in advance and then adjust it according to market response later?"

Edward feels that judging from the current market feedback, it should not be particularly difficult for Highlander to achieve monthly sales of over 10,000 units in the American market.

If the European market is expected to achieve the same level as the American market, then the current quantity ordered from Land Rover will be completely insufficient.

According to the information he had learned, Land Rover asked its supporting factories to prepare parts based on its production capacity of more than 2 vehicles per month.

However, Highlander is not only sold through General Motors, but also by Land Rover itself in markets such as China, the Middle East and Europe.

Considering the need for early distribution, it is entirely possible that production capacity will be tight.

"No problem. Communicate with the purchasing department and increase the monthly order quantity to 2 vehicles first, and then adjust it based on the situation."

Murphy waved his hand and gave a direct conclusion.

Anyway, these cars will definitely be sold after they are ordered.

The difference is just selling it earlier or later.

……

"Director, the response to Highlander in the American market is very good."

"The sales volume in the first week was basically on par with that of the Land Rover G-series SUV."

"It is expected that as word of mouth spreads, sales will likely increase further in the future."

Chen Chenxing came to Jiang Hui's office in a good mood and reported on the sales of Highlander.

Land Rover plans to produce 2 vehicles per month.

If necessary, more production will be arranged.

Now that the monthly sales in one place in the United States are expected to exceed 1 vehicles, it is obviously not a big deal to sell more than 2 vehicles worldwide every month.

"The various design styles and interior elements of our Highlander are all designed with the needs of American consumers in mind."

"Sales of 1 vehicles per month is considered a normal level."

"If we can further increase the number to more than 1.5, our global monthly sales will hopefully exceed 3."

The Land Rover Highlander is a model that Jiang Hui designed based on the history of Toyota's Highlander launched for the American market in 2000.

This car was developed for the American market and it is normal that it is liked by local consumers.

The current American automobile market is still the largest automobile market in the world, with annual sales reaching approximately 1500 million vehicles.

Compared with the Chinese automobile market, this level is definitely far ahead.

In the next decade, the American market will be the most important market for the BMW Group.

Of course, in order to avoid the huge risks brought by a single market, BMW Group will also make efforts in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and even the polar bear market proposed by Zhu Jiansheng.

We will strive to reduce our share of the American market to below 50% as soon as possible.

When the Chinese market fully develops in the future, these problems will no longer be a problem.

"It shouldn't be impossible if we try hard. It just depends on how much advertising resources GM is willing to invest."

"We will also promote the Highlander model in Europe and the Middle East as soon as possible, and strive to achieve monthly sales of 3 units as soon as possible."

Chen Chenxing now feels that Jiang Hui’s decision to cooperate with General Motors and enter the American market through OEM was absolutely the right one.

It seems that BMW Group suffered a great loss and did not even have a chance to get its name in front of American consumers.

And General Motors also took a large piece of the profits from the sales of the entire model.

But if you think about it carefully, you will know that without cooperation with General Motors, BMW Group's various models will not be able to be sold smoothly in the American market.

They are even trying to suppress Japan, their little brother, let alone Chinese car companies?
How is it possible that you can make money easily without paying protection fees?
They can find various ways to make you give up the money you earned at any time, or even pay consumers a large amount of money.

"Our models continue to be successful, and the number of international auto giants paying attention to us will probably increase gradually."

"This also means that more auto giants will launch models similar to ours, and market competition will become more intense."

"We also need to adjust our sales policies in a timely manner and provide timely feedback on market conditions."

Jiang Hui knew that it was impossible for the BMW Group to live such a comfortable life forever.

Those automobile giants have a history of at least several decades and at most hundreds of years.

People have experienced many changes in life and have many tricks to use.

If the BMW Group is not careful, it may suffer losses.

(End of this chapter)