According to foreign media reports, PSA and FCA are planning to reduce some brands and products during the merger. This future fourth largest car company in the world currently owns 13 car brands, and their respective values and positioning are being re-evaluated.
In the public statement of the two parties in September last year, the future fourth largest car company in the world indicated that it would retain the existing 65,438+03 brands, and it is estimated that the annual sales of each brand will reach 8.7 million vehicles. However, the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic and the changes in the global market structure forced the high-level officials of both sides to re-examine this decision.
It is particularly noteworthy that in the China market, the sales of both car companies are shrinking rapidly. In 20 19, the sales volume of Dongfeng -PSA joint venture Shenlong automobile decreased by 55%, and only113,600 vehicles were sold, while the sales volume of GAC Fick and FCA joint venture was only 73,900 vehicles, down by 40.96%. From June 5438 to September this year, affected by the epidemic, the downward trend of sales of the two car companies seems to have no signs of stopping-GAC Fick fell by 46.6%, while the sales of Wuhan-based Shenlong Automobile fell by 65.5%.
If the merger of the two car companies is completed on 202 1 as planned, the basic sales volume of Stellantis in China market can only start from 65438+ 10,000 vehicles/year, and the market share will be less than 1%. At this time, keeping multi-brand and independent platforms/products in China market is obviously not conducive to the development of business and management. In order to reduce costs, brands and products will be cut off.
It can be reasonably predicted that the "slimming" strategy implemented in the China market will probably continue to occur in the global market, and some classic models and brands may officially die out on a global scale.
And we guess that FCA with 9 brands may be greatly affected. Take Lancia as an example. At present, there is only one car called YPSILON, 20 1 1 which has not been replaced for 9 years, and the annual sales volume is less than 60,000.
Fiat 500, Chrysler Pacifica, Maserati President and other models are the first choice in their respective market segments, but the limitations of market area and product positioning are relatively large, the platform is also special, and the extensibility is limited, so it is difficult to meet the mainstream market demand with large sales volume.
Comparatively speaking, PSA's brands and products are more oriented to the mainstream market. Small compact products of Peugeot and Citroen brands are widely recognized in the European market. EMP2 platform has formed a certain modular effect, while Opel holds the E2XX platform left by GM (that is, the development platform of Buick Regal, Cadillac XT4 and other products). Next, it will be more convenient to develop compact and medium-sized cars that meet the mainstream needs of the global market.
Of course, FCA still has its own place. For example, although the global sales of Jeep brand declined slightly last year, it still reached 654.38+0.49 million, of which 67% were concentrated in the North American market. The sales volume in North America is close to 6.5438 million units, and the market share in the United States is as high as 5.6%. Such a solid sales foundation cannot be ignored.
By the same token, the pickup truck model represented by Dodge Ram is excellent in terms of its recognition in the North American market and sales figures. High-end sports positioning brand Alpha? Romeo, as well as the high-end luxury brand Maserati, are also the only ones in the future merger.
Therefore, FCA is in full swing to launch new cars to prove the irreplaceable value of its brand. Is it a full-size SUV that Jeep is about to resurrect? Wagoneer, or the high-performance GT sports car MC20 just released by Maserati, and the planned Alfa? Entry-level SUV on the same platform in Tervio, Romeos? Grecale, are trying to find market gaps and expand their living space.
FCA strives to catch up with the prosperity of luxury brands and the popularity of medium and large SUVs. If we can take advantage of the relaxation of pickup truck policy in China market again, we may still have a certain voice in the world in the future.
In addition, it is worth noting that on the issue of "slimming", the top management from PSA seems to be more active. Philip, chief financial officer of PSA? De? Rovira said: It is obviously unreasonable that so many brands and products exist in the new group at the same time. At present, we haven't heard the statement of the former FCA executives.
Previously, Shenlong Automobile had made a high-profile "confession" to the China market with confidence. From June to October this year, Shenlong grew by 27%. The current CEO of PSA is also the first CEO of the merged enterprise Stellantis, and he is 1 1 person of the board of directors. Carlos. Carlos Tavares (Carlos? Tavares) is said to have emphasized the importance of China market within PSA. Taking this as a weather vane, Stellantis may take the performance of China market as a reference for the merger strategy.
In any case, I hope that the two major car companies can cooperate sincerely, complement each other's advantages, and maximize the interests of coordination, instead of "fighting in the same room" and staged a drama that looks more like unilateral hegemony.
The author of this article is the Kicking Car Gang? warm braw
This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.