Mixed positioning has hidden dangers, power reduction is confirmed, and the future of Citroen C4 Capgemini's listing is uncertain

On November 1, the first model of SAIC-GM-Wuling Silver Label, the Capgemini MPV, was officially launched, with a price range of 85,800 to 116,800 yuan. SAIC-GM-Wuling said that 95% of Chinese families travel with 1 to 4 people, so Capgemini chose a "large four-seater family car" to meet the needs of daily family travel.

Capgemini goes public

However, in the eyes of industry insiders, models that dare to position themselves as "large four-seaters" are generally the flagships of various brands. Kaijie's involvement in this market is quite like "imitating others without success", and its competitiveness is also very limited. In addition, compared with the 177 horsepower marked in the pre-sale, Kaijie only offers 147 horsepower models after its launch, which will undoubtedly leave consumers with the impression of "reduced configuration", which will in turn affect the brand image of Wuling Silver Logo, which has not yet been established.

In late May this year, SAIC-GM-Wuling officially released the global silver logo. In the future, the silver logo will be sold together with the red logo. The red logo is rooted in China, and the silver logo is oriented to the world. Together, they support the Wuling brand's renewal. As the first mass-produced model of SAIC-GM-Wuling's silver logo, the importance of the Capgemini is self-evident. Compared with its competitors, the biggest highlight of the Capgemini is its "large four-seater" product layout.

In the MPV market, MPV models that dare to use the slogan of "big four-seater" are rare. Buick GL8 Avenir four-seater flagship version and Lexus LM four-seater Royale version are among them. Both are flagships among flagships of their respective brands, with prices as high as 529,900 yuan and 1.466 million yuan.

In contrast, SAIC-GM-Wuling has always been considered a synonym for a mid-to-low-end brand, and its Wuling Hongguang has long dominated the MPV market with its good cost-performance ratio, large carrying capacity, and ability to accommodate multiple people at the same time. Although Wuling's silver logo is available worldwide, Capgemini's entry into the "large four-seater" market still seems out of place.

Capgemini's "big four-seat" layout

In fact, the Citroen C4 Capgemini is not a true "big four-seater", but a six-seater model with the third row that can be laid flat. The consequence of forcibly positioning it as a "big four-seater" is that the third row becomes very unfriendly. One netizen said, "I went to the 4S store for a test drive during the National Day holiday. The power is not good, the aisle in the second row is too narrow, and it is difficult to get into the third row. I hope the manufacturer will improve it."

In addition, with the relaxation of the domestic "two-child policy", most of the models launched in the family MPV market have transformed into large six-seaters or even large seven-seaters. The concept of "large four-seater family car" launched by Citroen C4 SpaceTourist at this time is undoubtedly contrary to the general trend of the family MPV market.

"The positioning of the Citroen C4 SpaceTourer as a large four-seater family car is just a publicity gimmick and has little practical significance." Xue Xu, associate professor at the School of Economics of Peking University, said that SAIC-GM-Wuling did this most likely to "build a plank road in the open and march secretly". While seizing the family car market, it also has to take into account the official car market. This is a standard "mixed positioning" and the purpose is to seize market share.

Xue Xu believes that the key issue for Citroen C4 Citroen now is whether it can meet the experience and wishes of consumers. If the answer is no, it will be blocked in both the home and business markets, and ultimately end up with nothing.

In recent years, with the continuous decline of the MPV market and the upgrading of consumption, the Wuling brand has gradually declined. The latest data shows that from January to September this year, against the backdrop of the continued recovery of the overall auto market, the Wuling brand sold a total of 165,900 vehicles, a year-on-year decrease of 17.05%, significantly higher than the 6.9% decline in the overall auto market.

As the first model of Wuling Silver Logo, Kaijie is undoubtedly responsible for boosting sales. SAIC-GM-Wuling Brand and Marketing Director Zhou Yan said, "We believe that with the addition of Wuling Kaijie and the continuous expansion of Hongguang MINI in the market, the Wuling brand will show a growth trend in the coming period."

However, in addition to the "mixed positioning" criticized by the industry, the newly launched Capgemini was also "hammered" with reduced power. On September 28, Capgemini started pre-sale, and many media reported that "Capgemini is equipped with a 1.5T turbocharged engine with a maximum power of 130 kW (177 horsepower) and a maximum torque of 290 Nm, matched with a CVT gearbox."

SAIC-GM-Wuling official website Capgemini power configuration

After the official launch, the power of the Capgemini has been greatly reduced. The official website of SAIC-GM-Wuling shows that the four models of the Capgemini on sale are all equipped with only 108 kilowatts (147 horsepower). Considering the vehicle's 1.6-ton weight, some netizens bluntly said, "The Capgemini is a small horse pulling a big cart." Some netizens even said, "The advertising was too good, but it ended up being a slap in the face. 177 (horsepower) became 147 (horsepower). Wuling also made false advertising! Disappointing", "For the sake of a model, the reputation of the entire brand is damaged. It will not be restored until this generation is old and no longer buys cars."

Some netizens left comments

Other netizens speculated, "How can Wuling use the same engine as the new Baojun! If it really uses it, how will the new Baojun be sold?" "That (177 horsepower) engine is used to raise the price a second time, and it will not be shown for the time being. If the current configuration fails, it may be brought out in advance to save the situation."

Some careful netizens also found that the power is not the only thing that has been reduced in the Civic. "Now no one mentions the 50% high-strength steel, cage-type body, and the proportion of silent cotton... It seems that the government has taken all the responsibility."

Xue Xu said that Capgemini's reduction in configuration may be due to poor communication between the sales and production departments, or problems with the launch price or supply chain, which led to the failure to fulfill the original promise and ultimately led to an embarrassing situation. Xue Xu emphasized that "the ones who are really affected are Capgemini's potential customers. This group will have a big psychological gap and may even refuse to pay for it."

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.