Honda has made China's goal is to catch the public's Seiji Kuraishi, Honda is responsible for the biggest challenge faced since its Chinese market, "Honda in China is relatively difficult period, in terms of volume, some did not reach."
As the general manager of Honda China Giken, and Seiji Kuraishi use its worked in the Honda headquarters served as global product development and planning of the person in charge of contacts, successfully lobbied Honda executives and R & D personnel, in 2012 proposed the introduction of the Chinese market within three years, 10 models MTSP new car.
However, in August this year, made two years after the program ended, Honda car sales in China rose less than the overall market growth, Seiji Kuraishi direct cause of the media say: "because of the different number of each vehicle dealership inventory, annual based on the inventory number and the number of individual dealerships departure were adjusted, resulting in our overall sales growth did not reach the level of the market. "
Behind the challenge is how to quickly enhance the brand strength, Honda China on September 21 released a series of new models equipped with the new technology of. Seiji Kuraishi deliberately drew two joint venture companies - executive vice president of Guangqi Honda and Dongfeng Honda Yu Jun, Chen Binbo scene, calling for "the wide and east of the continued efforts in terms of sales."
From conservative to aggressive, deep-seated Honda's strategy is to anchor the large scale introduction of new technologies, Honda products, power systems and a full range of security technologies to improve. In order to facilitate the spread of these technologies to the market, Honda China had a series of technology packed into "FUNTEC" concept.
However, Honda found that the biggest obstacle to its rapid rise in the market for Japanese cars consumers' plates thin, unsafe misunderstanding. "This is Toyota, Nissan, Mazda and other Japanese car a common problem in China, Challenges Seiji Kuraishi that other Japanese brands in the situation to avoid this problem, the Honda to come out to face alone consumer stereotypes.
New car pricing more cautious
Honda China the previous conservative, mainly in technology and the introduction of the slower cars, because the slowdown after 2010 is attributed to this. 2012, Seiji Kuraishi Honda China formulated the medium-term strategic plan, planned from 2013 to 2015 introduced a number of new technologies and more than 10 models of new and modified cars.
Mid-term sales target is set at the time, more than double its sales in 2011. 2011 Honda sales in China is 622,000, which next year to complete more than 1.2 million sales.
Honda plans to introduce models based on the actual situation of the joint venture, in two stages. The first stage is wide of the introduction of models, starting from Ling faction, the wide introduction of the ninth generation Accord continued, the new Fit, the new Odyssey, and a small SUV Bin Chi upcoming.
However, sales growth in the first half of this year from the expected wide of a certain gap, which is the main reason Accord sales fell short of expectations. 2011, the eighth generation Accord at the end of the product life cycle, are still harvested year senior car sales champion, for Honda to carry a lot of new technologies, new Accord high expectations.
"The price factor is the Accord has not yet recovered to the previous generation of the main factors in sales, now we have also been adjusted for the price." Seiji Kuraishi for the 21st Century Business Herald reporter said.
The biggest problem facing the new Accord, Honda Accord Institute devoted a lot of new efforts on pricing more focused on their own technological achievements, while ignoring the Japanese high-class car market in China to take strategic orientation, Teana and Camry are to cut prices to win. The new Accord in technology and overall performance, the subject of Ashkenazi Passat and Magotan, but the consumer market has yet to get rid of the limitations of their top three Japanese, this has led to the reality and expectations of dislocation.
"We launched at the beginning of a line extending section models, sales of the new Accord in the continuing rise in sales is now much higher than just the time of listing." Wide of the Executive Vice President Yu Jun said that the future force recognized brand after sales can still look forward to.
Ikutoshi hand, there are other signs, this year listed the new Fit and New Odyssey are beyond expectations, the new Fit ended September 20, the cumulative sales of more than 31,000. Amount on the card in July 9000 breakthrough, more than POLO, become A0-class hatchback segment first; New Odyssey current monthly orders are between 5000-6000 units, exceeded expectations. "Especially surprising is that 50% of orders are top version." Yu Jun said.
East of the models Honda introduced the second phase of the medium-term strategy. Over the past two years, the East of the new model just introduced Jed, the new Platinum Core from the start of the second half of this year, the East of the four models will be successively introduced within the next year. "Wide of the start earlier than us, give their views on the introduction of models I did, after all, have something there." Chen Binbo said.
When the new Platinum Core pricing mentioned two months after the listing, Chen Binbo pointed at a new Platinum Core overall responsibility for the development of next Hori 川克 himself, "about pricing your question directly, said Hori 川克 has also compared the price of the previous generation will drop some, we want to discuss. "
About Honda models in the medium-term strategy in pricing, Yu Chun's view is: "We hope to get enough vendor support and further improve cost competitiveness, and further enrich configuration, or the formulation of a more competitive price."
The core issue is the brand power
Seiji Kuraishi medium-term strategy in the early stages of the implementation of the proposed target in China is not a Honda Toyota and Nissan, but the public. In terms of technology, the introduction of speed models, Seiji Kuraishi think Honda has far exceeded the other Japanese brands.
Although Honda Product force raised a notch, but to enhance the brand power is much more difficult. Seiji Kuraishi enhance brand strength in order to achieve the goal, and began to Honda China as the main brand promotion plan, request Honda China, the wide, east of the tight fit.
September 21, China announced Honda Odyssey mounted on new, new models such as Platinum Core technology conference, Honda for the first time to face the media gathered a head of tripartite co-promote Honda's safety technologies. Seiji Kuraishi, Yu Jun, Chen Binbo field in a test drive for media technology commentary.
Honda introduced term strategic and technical marketing for two years, realizing that the market for the brand power lifting, mostly depending on the perceptions, the most important thing is not powertrain upgrades, and fuel economy effects of these Honda always has the advantage, but consumers obstacles "Japanese cars unsafe misunderstanding" caused.
"Consumers are not very understanding of Honda's 'Safety for Everyone' safety philosophy. Part of consumers feel that Japanese cars relatively thin steel plate, considered to be unsafe, this is a misunderstanding." Honda technical background, deputy general manager Pat Heung Takahiro said Honda's safety philosophy is that not only protect the occupants, but also to protect pedestrians and other vulnerable might hit square.
Honda Accord and took out the CR-V were opposed to the collision, to verify that the two passive safety in China's core models; and on the new models use a wide range of communications equipment based active safety equipment, such as blind spot display system , collision mitigation braking systems, lane deviation warning systems, automatic parking systems.
"To enhance the brand power takes time to slow down the introduction of new products by the rapid introduction of products in the market will take time to convert." Yu Jun said. Ikutoshi schedule is very tight, Honda technical conference two days ago, he appeared in Dalian to attend the contest dealer service cheer, September 21 the same day he signed the electricity supplier and easy car platform cooperation agreement aimed at as soon as the sales are done.
In the first eight months, China car sales overall market increase of 8%, Honda's sales growth was 5 percent, slightly behind the average growth of the industry. Later this year, Honda as well as small SUV Bean Chile and New Platinum Core two models listed on the amount of "new Platinum Core sales to reach at least 10 times the previous generation." Chen Binbo said.
Currently Ashkenazi stole the show in the Chinese market, Seiji Kuraishi for the Honda brand power upgrade needs to be more patient, "Although sales did not reach expectations, but still have confidence in the medium-term objective." Honda hybrid will be made in the next year models, its technology chosen better cost control line, will be the next important bargaining chip against other brands.