The car giant started by marrying the daughter of the king

It is rare for China's own car companies to produce a high-end, classy Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan.

Naturally, all media outlets will give it a good publicity.

A lot of information can be known without anyone asking around.

As a result, other manufacturers who had been paying attention to this matter naturally also got the news.

"President, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan newly launched by the BMW Group has a relatively high positioning and is in strong competition with our Lexus LS400."

Saito Shangying received the relevant information as soon as possible.

There is no way, the appearance of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is really amazing.

In theory, the Lexus LS 400 adopts a smooth and rounded design style, with simple and generous body lines, without too many edges and decorations, showing an elegant and calm temperament.

This design is very much in line with the current aesthetic trend of luxury cars and will not be outdated even after many years.

But I am afraid of comparison in everything.

The appearance of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan is obviously better than that of the LS400.

But when it comes to motivation, everyone is very similar.

The LS400 also uses a V8 engine with a 4AT automatic transmission, which is the same type as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

“The Mercedes-Benz S-Class looks great, but it’s a luxury car, so it’s not just about appearance, right?”

Shoichiro Toyoda was very satisfied with the LS400.

The interior configuration of this car is very rich.

The interior of the car uses a large amount of high-quality leather, wood and metal materials. The seats are made of soft and comfortable genuine leather with a delicate feel, and excellent wrapping and support.

The use of mahogany decoration adds a luxurious and elegant atmosphere to the interior of the car.

It is also equipped with very advanced comfort features such as automatic air conditioning, electric seats, electric sunroof, cruise control, etc.

It is also equipped with the Lexus memory system, which can record the position information of seats, steering wheels, etc., for the convenience of different drivers.

It is even equipped with a Nakamichi premium audio system, which provides excellent sound quality and brings high-quality music enjoyment to passengers.

Coupled with the use of a four-wheel double wishbone independent suspension system, the chassis performance is also outstanding.

This suspension system can effectively filter out road bumps and provide excellent handling stability and comfort.

At the same time, the speed-sensitive power steering system allows the driver to feel the appropriate steering force at different speeds.

These features and detailed designs enabled the LS400 to dethrone the BMW 7 Series from its leading position in the American luxury car market after it was launched on the market.

Now Shoei Saito also feels the risk of LS400 being delisted.

"President, the interior configuration of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan is not much inferior to ours, and its power performance is also comparable."

"I even suspect that the other party developed this model to target our LS400."

"Mercedes-Benz has big ambitions and wants to go the high-end route."

After Saito Shoei said this, Shoichiro Toyoda felt the crisis.

This matter seems to be really troublesome.

"Did General Motors choose to cooperate with Mercedes-Benz this time?"

In the past, all BMW Group products sold in the United States were produced under the GM brand.

That’s why it has such a great influence.

Otherwise, if Toyota relies solely on the BMW Group, it is not actually very worried.

“GM has directly put the Cadillac logo on the Mercedes-Benz S-Class this time, which seems to indicate that it has high expectations for it.

“That’s why I think it needs further attention.”

This news from Shoei Saito is definitely not good news for Toyota Motor.

Cadillac's positioning is very similar to that of Lexus.

The positioning of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan is very similar to that of the LS400.

By then, it will really have a relatively big impact.

"Please arrange for more people to keep an eye on this matter and see what response plans BMW and Mercedes will take."

General Motors is not so easy to bully.

Even Akio Toyoda didn't dare to use any shady tricks.

......"

"Bill, do you think the Cadillac S-Series sedan that General Motors has recently promoted will have an impact on our Lincoln City?"

As the president of Ford Motor Company, Peterson is most concerned about the performance of its old rival General Motors.

In the American market, the competition between the two is the strongest.

Basically, all the models that Ford has, General Motors has.

There is a certain degree of competition between any products.

Even in recent years, foreign car companies such as Toyota have entered the American market and achieved good results.

But the market leaders are still GM and Ford.

"The car is over 5.5 meters long, 1.9 meters wide, and has a wheelbase of nearly 3 meters. Overall, it is larger than a Cadillac."

"But since they are all equipped with V8 engines, there won't be a big difference in power performance."

“To a certain extent, it will have an impact.”

As the vice president and sales director of Ford Motor Company, Bill naturally paid attention to the developments of the Cadillac S-Class sedan.

He even knew that General Motors had developed this product in cooperation with BMW Group.

"The front face of the Lincoln City uses a large chrome grille, matched with sharp headlights, creating a luxurious and atmospheric visual effect."

“The side lines of the car are simple and smooth, and the extra-long proportions of the car highlight its status as a flagship sedan.”

"At the rear of the car, the taillights are uniquely designed, and the Lincoln logo is embedded in the taillights, making it highly recognizable."

"In theory, this design is already very good."

"But compared with the Cadillac S Series, everyone can still clearly feel the difference."

Peterson did not mean to belittle the designers on his side, but was stating a fact.

Over the years, all the projects that General Motors has collaborated on with BMW Group have been very classic.

Especially in terms of appearance design, it has completely led the design trend in the automotive industry in recent years.

The newly launched models now have more or less incorporated some relevant design elements.

Each model looks much rounder and more fashionable.

"The Lincoln Town Car is really well made."

“Not only does it look great, but the interior is also very luxurious.”

"But the Cadillac S is not bad either, we have to pay attention to it."

Bill did not lose confidence because of the strength of his competitors.

Ford Motor Company has gone through various challenges to get to where it is today.

Nowadays, there is no shortage of one more car to challenge yourself.

"We need to consider launching a facelift model as soon as possible to further enhance our own advantages and form a certain difference with the Cadillac S-Class."

"Otherwise, it's easy to get caught up in vicious competition."

Peterson spoke his mind directly.

When facing new opponents, we must not panic, but we certainly cannot do nothing.

Soon, Ford Motor Company took action.

…"Edward, the Cadillac S received 500 orders in the first week after it went on sale?"

Murphy looked at the data in front of him with a look of delight on his face.

500 units a week means about 2000 units a month.

This data is not bad for a high-end sedan.

After all, the price of this car is more than twice as expensive as the best-selling Honda Accord.

This is not a car for ordinary people.

"Yes, the market feedback is better than we expected. It seems that the previous advertising campaign has also played a good effect."

"Various car magazines have given this car high praise."

"As word of mouth spreads, it is likely that subsequent sales data will be able to maintain this level."

For Edward, if he can maintain this sales volume, it would be a success.

It sells about 2 vehicles a year in the American market and about 1 vehicles in the European market.

By then, the profits brought to General Motors by these 3 Cadillac Ss will be higher than the profits from 6 units of many other models.

Whether it is a mobile phone or a car, the higher the end of the product, the higher the profit margin.

Sometimes the profit from selling ten low-end products may not be as much as that from selling one high-end product.

This is true now, and it will be so decades later.

"It seems that the BMW Group's approach of focusing on the exterior design of its cars is quite correct."

"As long as the power performance is not bad, the appearance will seriously affect consumers' willingness to buy."

Murphy has always believed that performance is the most critical factor in whether a car sells well.

So General Motors has put a lot of effort in this regard.

Now his thoughts have changed a little.

Performance is important, but appearance should never be ignored.

Otherwise, no matter how good the performance of a car is, it may not sell well.

"Well, appearance is indeed very important. The Korean car companies that have developed in recent years are following a path similar to that of the BMW Group."

"The appearance of each of their models is very good, making people feel that it is more beautiful than similar products."

“Obviously, BMW Group is following a similar path.”

Edward has been in contact with BMW Group for such a long time, so he can naturally understand what Murphy said.

Facts speak louder than words.

From a car company with no presence to a barely global automotive giant, the most impressive thing about the BMW Group is that each of its cars is beautifully designed.

Relying on its attractive appearance, it has won over many consumers.

The key is that the appearance is beautiful enough, classic enough, and it has attracted a lot of media coverage.

People can save a lot of advertising costs.

"We should also pay more attention to the exterior design."

"In the future, if the appearance of various models is not beautiful, they will not be easily mass-produced."

Murphy's decision has invisibly improved the appearance of many subsequent GM products.

Although there is no way to reach the level of BMW Group, it is still a great improvement.

It can be said that the emergence of the BMW Group has invisibly made new products in the global automotive industry more beautiful.

……

"Mr. Jiang, General Motors has increased the forecast number of orders for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class to 2000 per month."

"It may be further increased to 3000 vehicles in the future."

"If we add our performance in the domestic and other overseas markets, we can eventually achieve our target of more than 3 Mercedes-Benz S-Class cars per year."

“You can even touch the threshold of 5 vehicles.”

Chen Chenxing is in a good mood now.

As the most high-end product of Mercedes-Benz, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan is now considered a success.

With this sales support, BMW Group will have more confidence in its research and development work on large-displacement engines in the future.

Chen Chenxing is more confident about the subsequent sales of more large-displacement models.

You know, compared with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan, the group has higher expectations for the sales of the Land Rover Range Rover large SUV.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class can ensure sales of 3 units and challenge 5 units.

Then it is very possible for Land Rover Range Rover to ensure an annual production of 5 vehicles and challenge 8 vehicles.

Thinking of this, Chen Chenxing couldn't help but smile.

The higher the end of the car model, the higher the profit margin.

This is especially true when the production quantity exceeds the planned quantity.

This means that many depreciation expenses such as development costs and mold fees can be amortized more quickly, leaving a higher profit margin for the entire vehicle.

“It seems that everyone’s pursuit of beautiful things is very consistent.”

"Among all our sedan products, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has the most beautiful and elegant design."

"That kind of dignified and elegant style is most suitable for high-end cars."

Jiang Hui also breathed a sigh of relief now.

Apart from the Panamera produced by Chitu Auto, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan is considered to be the highest-end product of the BMW Group to date.

Jiang Hui has no plans to launch higher-end sedans for many years to come.

Except for the bulletproof version of Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

"Yes, a good appearance and good overall performance are enough to win over most customers."

"What we want now is to enhance the brand value of Mercedes-Benz and make everyone feel that driving a Land Rover or riding in a Mercedes-Benz is an ultimate enjoyment."

Chen Chenxing inadvertently shouted out the slogan that Jiang Hui wanted to say.

"Drive a Land Rover, ride in a Mercedes."

"I think you can market this slogan well and make it something that everyone is familiar with."

A recognizable advertisement can sometimes play a very big role.

Just like the saying “There must be a road before a car reaches the mountain, and there must be a Toyota car on the road”, it has brought great benefits to Toyota.

Same goes for driving a BMW or riding in a Mercedes.

It also has a similar effect.

It is definitely worth looking forward to the change now.

"Well, I'll find an opportunity to communicate with some media and see if I can embed this sentence into some advertisements."

As a professional marketer, Chen Chenxing naturally understood the significance of Jiang Hui's actions.

In an instant, he thought about what measures he should take next to best achieve this effect.

He has a wide network of contacts, so he feels confident.

"In addition to the media, some popular things among the market, such as storytelling channels, can also be considered appropriately."

"Those people are not our target customers, but their recognition of Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover will encourage our target customers to choose our products."

When Jiang Hui said this, Chen Chenxing's eyes lit up.

This statement is very interesting and makes sense. (End of this chapter)