Miscellaneous talk: Always tied, never surpassed, what is behind the success of Buick GL8?

Little Baidi:

Long time no see! After hanging out with Brother VAN for a long time, I seem to have fallen in love with the van as well. But this is not the point. The point is that Brother VAN is too busy and asked me to take charge, so I have no choice but to chat with you...

When I was a car novice and a poor boy , one time I called for a taxi, and by some strange combination of circumstances, I arrived at the wrong place. I only discovered the truth of the matter when a "big loaf" with a Buick logo slid next to me, but it was too late. I had no choice but to experience the travel of an "upper-class person" under the reception of the driver.

The moment I boarded this "big bread" and my butt was stuck to the second row of seats, all I could think about was "the happiness of the rich." The seat is so comfortable. How can I describe it? It's like being used to sleeping on a wooden bed in a dormitory and suddenly encountering a high-end king bed in a five-star hotel. After a journey of more than ten kilometers, I was quickly run over by a car. In the driver's kind instructions, I reluctantly moved out of the car, still not satisfied. When I looked back at the order, I realized that the car was called Buick GL8. Why was it still fresh in my memory? Also because that trip cost me nearly 100 yuan, even after using a coupon.

Later I slowly started to get involved with cars and learned that the GL8 was not a "big bread", but an MPV model from IKEA. Not only that, it is also the leader in the MPV industry and a real star model. Almost every competing product is released, and the GL8 is always brought out for comparison, just like the situation of the iPhone at domestic mobile phone launches back then and now.

However, it is easy to please the gods but difficult to give them away. Bundling the GL8 may bring some attention to one's own products in a short period of time. However, after the heat is over, consumers will still use real money to support the Buick GL8, so This has allowed it to undoubtedly become the dominant player in the domestic MPV market for 20 years.

Not only that, after the GL8 was launched this year, its product strength has been further improved, and the launch of the Aivia model has not only segmented the market, but also allowed it to hit the high end. Thanks to the combination of multiple technologies, GL8's sales have soared, reaching a monthly sales of 17,000. Some people may ask, is there not even one car that can threaten the dominance of GL8 in more than 20 years? Sorry, there are many challengers, but none of them can beat me.

Since it is so popular, GL8 must have its own unique advantages, so we might as well analyze it from many aspects and explore the way to its success.

First of all, excellent products are inseparable from hard comprehensive strength. Let’s not even mention it, just look at the latest GL8. In the second quarter of this year, all Buick GL8 models were launched, covering three major series (Business Class, ES Luzun, and Avenir), with prices ranging from 200,000 to 500,000 yuan, which can be said to be a strong lineup. .

The new GL8 series comes standard with a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder turbocharged engine with a maximum power of 174 kilowatts (237 horsepower) and a peak torque of 350 Nm. It also has Tripower variable valve management technology, which can adjust the The road conditions intelligently switch between "four-cylinder high-performance mode", "four-cylinder economy mode" and "two-cylinder super economy mode".

The engine is matched with a new 9-speed automatic transmission, which has a dense gear ratio and smooth shifting, while also effectively improving fuel consumption. According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the fuel consumption of the new GL8 is less than 8 mpg per 100 kilometers. You must know that this is a 7-seater large MPV with a length of over 5 meters 2.

Speaking of body size, we have to mention one of the major advantages of GL8, which is the abundance of space. With a length of over 5.2 meters and a wheelbase of more than 3 meters, it can carry 7 people without any pressure, and the trunk can even accommodate a lot of luggage. Whether traveling at home or receiving business, large space often means not crowded, and more personal space will be reserved, which will naturally create a sense of comfort.

Coupled with the professionally tuned chassis, comfortable seats, super sound insulation, etc. that Buick GL8 has always been proud of, it is very important to make people feel happy whether riding or driving. of a link.

One more thing that must be mentioned is that after the facelift of GL8, the atmosphere of the vehicle has been improved to a higher level. This change is more vividly reflected in the ES Lu Zun and Aivia models. Especially the dual 12.3-inch large-size connected screens make the technological sense of the vehicle interior skyrocket. The Avia model also has a 14.6-inch HUD head-up display and streaming rearview mirror, making the GL8, which itself has American luxury, keep up with the pace of technology and the times.

As for the appearance of the vehicle, I was not going to mention it originally, but unlike car fans who often talk about it online, ordinary consumers will pay special attention to this aspect when buying a car. After all, everyone wants to buy a car for themselves and A car that everyone else likes. GL8 has been sold in the Chinese market for 20 years, and its popularity has continued unabated, which is inseparable from its own design. The appearance of the new GL8 has been changed to keep pace with the times. It adopts a spread-wing design. The whole looks majestic and exquisite, and it is hard not to like it.

As for the commonplace topics such as induction electric tailgate, anti-pinch electric sliding door, 360° panoramic image, intelligent assisted driving system, etc., we will briefly mention them here. On the GL8, basically It can provide all the functions or configurations that you can use when driving and riding.

The second is brand recognition. Only a good product with a good brand can withstand the test of the market. In the 1990s, Buick crossed the ocean and came to China. In 1998, it launched its first model, the New Century, a mid- to high-end sedan. In 2000, the first GL8 was born, filling the gap in the domestic MPV market and seizing the opportunity in the MPV market.

For more than 20 years, Buick has been deeply involved in the domestic market and launched a number of popular models, effectively maintaining its brand image. Looking back on its positioning, in the General Motors system, Buick is second only to Cadillac and belongs to the mid-to-high end. It is no wonder that Chinese consumers have such a strong sense of identification with the GL8.

The third issue is market performance and user awareness. In fact, I don’t need to introduce this too much. GL8’s ability to dominate the Chinese MPV market and dominate it for many years is the most certain recognition of it by Chinese consumers.

There are other more vivid examples to support this point of view: In addition to corporate and family car purchases, GL8 is also widely used in private car platforms, otherwise I would not be as mentioned at the beginning of the article Placing the wrong order is not. Some friends who are more particular about it will cancel the order when they find that the driver who took the order is not driving a GL8 when placing an order on the private car platform. When asked why, their reason is often that the GL8 is so comfortable, far beyond the comfort of other brands. rival.

Another case that reflects the recognition of GL8 by users is a set of numbers. We all know that after the launch of the new GL8 ES in 2016, Buick also launched Avenir, which is Buick's high-end sub-brand. To put it bluntly, it is more sophisticated and high-end. At present, the Aivia brand models have covered LaCrosse (Buick flagship sedan), Angkeqi (Buick flagship SUV), Angvision S (Buick mid-size SUV) and the protagonist of this article, GL8.

Among them, GL8 is its highlight. Data shows that the Aivia version of GL8 is very attractive to consumers, accounting for more than 10% of the sales of the GL8? ES model. The body is even as high as 20.

The newly launched GL8 Aivia version this year is subdivided into a four-seat gift version (priced at 529,900 yuan), a six-seat gift version (priced at 465,900 yuan) and a seven-seat gift version. Edition (459,900 yuan). Maybe some friends who don’t pay attention to GL8 will be a little surprised. Is GL8 so expensive? Will anyone really pay for it?

Is it expensive? In terms of product strength, it is really not expensive. Take the top-level premium version as an example. I believe you will know its uniqueness after seeing the two independent Nappa leather full-electric seats in the back.

In just 20 days from pre-sale to launch, the orders for the Aivia version of GL8 exceeded that of Buick's Alligator paint, most of which came from exchanges and additional purchases from existing users, and orders Nearly 50% of the hits come from the four-seater premium version, followed by the six-seater xianli version and the seven-seater personal gift version.

If I’m not afraid of offending anyone, it’s not the fault of the product that I can’t afford it, but the fault of making too little money. Mercedes-Benz's V-Class, Toyota Alphard or even Lexus LM, which one is not priced higher than the GL8 Avia, especially the latter two, which often increase the price by tens or hundreds of thousands, are still sought after by a large number of consumers. . In terms of product strength alone, are they really better than the GL8 Avia? not necessarily! Especially the LM, it is nothing more than a facelifted Alfa, transformed and worth twice as much. Therefore, compared with them, GL8 Aivia is really a high-quality product with full "cost-effectiveness".

With the implementation of the 6-year inspection-free policy for non-commercial vehicles with 7 to 9 seats, and the opening up of the country’s second-child policy, MPV models suitable for families are likely to see a wave of growth. Judging from the response of car companies, many new models have indeed been launched on the market in the past two years. As the overlord in this field, GL8 will naturally be compared repeatedly and bundled with marketing. It was before, it is now, and it will still be in the future.

But there are many challengers, and currently none of them can pose a threat to GL8. Of course, GL8 must also be prepared for danger in times of peace and look to the future. In fact, it is very simple. It just needs to keep its own pace and follow its own path, and leave the rest to the market and consumers to choose. I believe that after 20 years of continuous evolution, GL8 can be the best choice in the coming days. Here, continue to maintain your advantage and have a panoramic view of the mountains and small mountains.

OK, the content of this issue ends here~

This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.