2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 658 CRV has a rival!

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to tonight's press conference!

After the energetic dance, all the lights went out, leaving only two beams of light in the center of the booth. Tan Jincheng, dressed in a rare formal suit, slowly walked into the center and began to speak.

"On February 14, 2008, Weilai Automobile was established, and automobiles became an important strategy for the Shanchi Group. Twenty months later, today, Weilai Automobile's first self-owned brand model, Yuechi, is unveiled to everyone."

"Over the course of 20 months, we experienced unspeakable suffering and also enjoyed the honors brought to us by the Olympics. Both the disaster and the honor have made us more resilient and confident."

"In the span of 20 months, the global financial crisis has brought about significant changes to the world. However, the crisis has also brought opportunities, and the global automotive industry chain has undergone unpredictable changes."

"A brand new era, with infinite possibilities."

"And so, here we come!"

Dressed in a formal suit, Tan Jincheng spoke eloquently on stage. His handsome face and resolute eyes made him look incredibly charming under the lights.

His concluding remark, "We've arrived," further revealed his ambition.

Those who were dealing with Tan Jincheng for the first time were somewhat stunned: "It's so good to be young. How long has it been since we've spoken so arrogantly?"

Mr. Wei sighed. There was nothing wrong with such a slightly arrogant statement, but at their age, after experiencing a lot in life, it was difficult for them to speak so freely anymore.

Sitting next to him was Xia Bing, the vice president of BYD Auto Sales Company, who was enjoying great success this year. She nodded in agreement.

To Xia Bing's right is Ying Jianren, president of Zhongtai Auto. This CEO, who is very familiar with Tan Jincheng, smiled and said, "Hehe, this is just the beginning, and President Tan's speech is still a little reserved."

Meanwhile, Yu Nagasawa, sitting to Wei's left, smiled. He didn't understand Chinese, but he had headphones with real-time simultaneous translation, and the conversations of the other executives were being relayed by the translator beside him.

Yes, how could someone who dares to order 6 sets of engine equipment in one go not be arrogant?

However, after receiving the high-spec version of the Yuechi A1 from Tan Jincheng, Changze Yu, who did not understand at the time, finally realized that Tan Jincheng's arrogance came from his confidence and his faith in the Yuechi A1.

Like everyone else, Yu Nagasawa was immediately struck by the beauty of the Yuechi A1.

With its sophisticated yet stable design and predominantly black color scheme, the Yuechi A1 boasts a modern industrial design.

As a professional, Yu Nagasawa's first thought after the test drive was: "The CRV has a competitor now!"

As a fellow Japanese brand, Yutaka Nagasawa is well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of Japanese cars. In terms of advantages, the CRV is not much different from all other Japanese cars.

The product is advertised as fuel-efficient, inexpensive to maintain, and stylish in appearance that appeals to young people. With the brand's backing, it's no wonder it sells well.

The disadvantages are also largely the same, mainly due to cost-cutting measures such as shoddy workmanship, insufficient power, and mediocre safety performance.

The interior is ordinary; the so-called genuine leather seats are actually just engineering plastics, lacking shock absorption, and the space is relatively small for an SUV.

"What kind of car is the Yuechi A1? Without a doubt, it's an SUV!"

Tan Jincheng's performance continued, and the actual car model had been driven to the center of the booth. Boss Tan was preparing to introduce the car model.

This seemingly pointless remark drew a burst of laughter from the audience.

Tan Jincheng laughed along: "Don't laugh, everyone. Although this sounds like a pointless statement, there's more to come."

"Of course, what I just said was indeed a playful remark, like 'Hearing your words is like hearing a whole new set of stories.'"

There was only one car and one person on the stage, and a PPT was playing on the big screen, but the scene was anything but deserted. Many people there were actually seeing the actual product for the first time.

4600*1860*1720的车身尺寸，对比起本田CRV的车身尺寸数据还要略优一些，目前在售的CRV车身尺寸是4570*1780*1710，两者的轴距分别是2680与2620。

In comparison, Yuechi is better. These parameters are displayed on the big screen. Mr. Tan couldn't resist comparing it with the competitors.

If it's not good to compare with our own domestic brands, then let's criticize joint venture brands instead.

Of course, the brand name is still covered up, but everyone knows which company's data is being compared.

"What are the selling points of SUVs? There are many reasons, such as strong off-road capability, safety performance, and sporty performance."

"However, I think the biggest advantage is its space performance. Compared with sedans, the larger space of SUVs allows passengers to enjoy a comfortable ride even on long journeys."

"As a mid-size SUV, our Yuechi A1 fully considers the needs of users and has made significant improvements in terms of space. As you can see from the data on the large screen behind me, compared with our competitors, our vehicle dimensions are slightly better."

"So what I said just now wasn't just a joke in a simplistic sense."

"In addition, we have not neglected the safety features that everyone is concerned about, such as anti-lock braking system, electronic stability control system, and burglar alarm, etc."

"These technical data will be explained to you by Mr. Zhang Yong, the general manager of Weilai Automobile. I myself am not even a half-baked expert in automotive technology."

"I am now explaining this car to you as a Yuechi customer; of course, you can also think of me as a not-so-professional car salesman." The first row was filled with big names in the automotive industry and leaders from Shanghai and Ningbo who came to attend the ceremony. The representatives from Beicang District were naturally Leader Gu and his secretary Zhao Jinsheng.

"This kid has a great ability to control the situation; he's humorous yet professional. But isn't it a bit inappropriate to compare him to other car brands?"

The launch events for FlashTech's two-wheeled electric vehicles in the past were nothing compared to today's. Before coming, Director Gu knew that Tan Jincheng had made this launch event a grand affair, but after entering the venue, he found that it was even bigger than he had imagined.

For a moment, he was a little worried about Tan Jincheng's ability to control the situation, wondering if the kid could handle it.

Now it seems there's absolutely no problem.

He's quite capable. Old Tan has raised a good son; he can handle such a big scene.

Tan Lihua, who has settled in Beicang, is already familiar with some of the district leaders. Tan Lihua usually acts like a retired senior cadre, and most of the people he associates with are the relatives of these leaders.

Playing chess and fishing together became Tan Lihua's daily activities, and over time, he became familiar with Leader Gu and the others.

Leave professional matters to professionals. To be frank, there are some professional explanations that even Boss Tan can't handle. Although he understands some of them, he can't explain them clearly.

It's time for Zhang Yong to take the stage.

Tan Jincheng then took a short break off the stage and went to the front row to express his gratitude to each of the guests.

The guests also appreciated Tan Jincheng's performance. In addition, Weilai Auto made very thoughtful arrangements for them, with dedicated staff at the airport and train station to handle their reception.

They even booked the best hotel near the Shanghai International Circuit.

Upon approaching Leader Gu, he chuckled and joked, "I thought you couldn't handle such a big event, but I didn't expect you to be so capable. By the way, why didn't you hire a host?"

There happened to be an empty seat next to Leader Gu, so Tan Jincheng sat down: "Please, there's going to be a performance later, we need a host."

The opening dance was just a warm-up. A two-hour new car launch event can't just consist of two men rambling on stage; there has to be some entertainment to lighten the mood.

There are band performances, and celebrities also come in to sing.

"By the way, I didn't see you hire a spokesperson?"

Leader Gu had also experienced the Yuechi A1 beforehand and was very interested in the operation of Yuechi. It was no secret in Beicang that the first batch of 8000 Weilai cars had been put into the market.

The two-wheeled electric vehicle brand FlashChe pioneered the strategy of hiring celebrity endorsements, and within a few years it developed into an industry leader. However, there is no news of Yuechi having any celebrity endorsements.

Tan Jincheng explained, "There isn't a suitable one yet, so we haven't decided on one. Besides, a spokesperson isn't very useful for a car."

For cars costing tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan, few people will easily make a purchase just because of a celebrity's endorsement. This is different from electric cars that cost a few thousand yuan. Celebrity endorsements are just an embellishment for cars and don't actually have a significant impact on sales.

Speaking of which, Liu Huaqiang, one of the spokespeople hired by Hermès, can be considered a professional car spokesperson these days, having endorsed many car models.

"That's true, better to have fewer but better quality vehicles; by the way, can you tell us how much the Yuechi will cost now? And how long do you estimate it will take to sell out the first batch of 8000 vehicles?"

8000 vehicles! They don't know the ex-factory price, but 8000 vehicles is no small number. It can increase the industrial output value of Beicang District by several hundred million yuan this year.

Leader Gu simply couldn't resist the temptation.

Although the two didn't speak loudly, they didn't deliberately lower their voices either. Since they were holding a press conference, the market price would definitely be announced.

Upon hearing this, the guests who had overheard their conversation couldn't help but prick up their ears.

"It's uncertain how long it will take to sell out, since we only officially started pre-orders today. I haven't seen the specific data yet; I'll have to wait a couple of days to find out."

"As for the price, the market guidance price for the gasoline version is between 9.58 yuan and 16.28 yuan, and it is divided into three types: urban, elite and premium. The diesel version is simpler, with a price between 12.18 yuan and 14.18 yuan."

"Starting price under 10 yuan, maximum price not exceeding 20 yuan?"

Zhao Jinsheng, who had been eavesdropping the whole time, couldn't help but ask the question before his superior could. He had been cramming on a lot of knowledge about the car market recently.

"Yes, that's what it means."

Now, it wasn't just Yu Nagasawa who felt this way; everyone else felt that the CRV had a competitor.

Since the second half of the year, domestic independent brands have been making quite a splash. No wonder Tan Jincheng was willing to spend so much money to hold this press conference and invest heavily in advertising and marketing.

Mid-size SUVs priced under 20 yuan are enough to make joint venture brands in the market take notice.

The performance on stage continued, but the people in the front row no longer cared. The whispers among themselves also reached Mr. Wei's ears regarding the pricing.

Mr. Wei smiled. This pricing strategy has almost no overlap with the H3's market, so obviously the two are not competing in the same field, which means there's no problem.

This guy is eyeing the market of joint venture brands, he's got guts!
(End of this chapter)