The SUV market has become hollowed out, and automobile research and development should not be rushed

It is hard to count how many SUVs have been launched this year, and the models in the price range of 60,000 to 120,000 yuan are even more crowded. The biggest contributor to this situation is naturally the local car companies, who are working hard to build SUVs. But not all SUVs are SUVs. I gradually miss the early years, when sedans were sedans, SUVs were SUVs, and sports cars were sports cars. Unlike now, the crossover is too outrageous, SUVs are like sedans, and sedans are like MPVs , gradually losing the characteristics they should have.

I have always believed that car R&D must be rigorous and rigid, and there is no room for error. In the past, it took at least four years and at most six years to design a new car from the initial market research to the final mass production. It was not uncommon in the automotive industry to invest huge amounts of money to build a new platform to build a new car. What about now? Everything is pursued quickly, impetuously, and violently.

Some time ago, I attended the launch of a new car. The head of the car company proudly declared that the entire new car development took only 10 months, refreshing the industry standard and creating the highest efficiency. How to shorten the development time? The person in charge said that the platform is ready-made, the engine is ready-made, and the electronic system can be purchased; the reliability and durability have been done before and do not need to be repeated; the only thing that needs to be done is to design a new shape. Of course, only in this way can a new car be launched in such a short time. This is still considered to be moral. If even the shape is a copycat, the development cycle will be further compressed. The question is, is such a new car still a new car? Are you sure it is not "golden outside, rotten inside"?

People like cars, to some extent, because cars are the epitome of mechanical engineering aesthetics. In cars, people can feel the exquisite craftsmanship that is accurate to the millimeter, and can experience the vigorous power of human transformation; they can pursue speed and show their personal aesthetics. Perhaps in the short term, people will be attracted by low prices, but it won’t take too long for Chinese consumers to return to the starting point and reflect on the original intention of buying a car. By then, a large number of hollow new cars currently flooding the market will be eliminated. After the great waves, there will not be many car companies and new cars that can survive.

I would like to advise automobile companies not to go too far and forget how to start. There is nothing wrong with adapting to the market. But it cannot be used as an excuse to abandon all the persistence. The so-called brand is a promise, which means reliable quality and perfect after-sales service. On the one hand, automobile companies are shouting about building brands, and on the other hand, they are mass-producing hollow products. There is no more contradictory phenomenon than this.

In the first three quarters of this year, the segment with the largest growth in China's auto market is still SUV. I am not against automakers launching SUVs, on the contrary, I support it. But following the trend and hastily launching new cars will have a price. A good woman will never have trouble finding a husband, and a good car will never be late. When Honda CRV was at its peak, Volkswagen was thinking about Tiguan. When Volkswagen Tiguan dominated the market, Buick was honing Envision. When Toyota Highlander and Edge monopolized seven-seat SUVs, GAC Trumpchi was quietly brewing GS8.

There is no need to worry about the decline of SUVs. It now seems that SUVs will become on par with sedans. The growth rate may slow down, but the market share will definitely not decrease.

Automobile R&D cannot be done too fast, otherwise it will be hollow. On this point, car manufacturers should keep in mind and car buyers should pay attention. In addition to SUVs, new energy vehicles also have the hollow phenomenon. Of course, this is a later story.

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.