From knock-off old-man's electric vehicles to industrial giant

Chapter 236 Starry Sky L7, the best family SUV under 500,000!

No.

A car does retain its value.

But you...

There's absolutely no discount on this car, and the dealership is still charging an extra 20,000 yuan. Isn't that going too far?
Lu Zhiheng was stunned.

To be honest, the Highlander isn't a luxury car in the traditional sense.

This thing is a best-selling family car.

However, the final price of this car is quite high. If you really want to add options, it will basically reach 300,000 yuan. This price range is somewhat associated with a "strict hierarchy".

For example, "myth of retaining value", "durable and low failure rate"...

Gradually, the argument shifted to: "Let them raise the price; it holds its value well anyway, so we won't lose much when we sell."

-

"I'm buying this car with good intentions, so I hope you'll offer me a reasonable discount..."

Lu Zhiheng took a breath, then, feeling that it might not be forceful enough, added, "At this price, I might as well go and check out other 4S stores."

Unexpectedly, the salesperson was even more assertive than him.

"Sir, it's like this... Right now, there's a shortage of Highlanders in the entire region. If you don't pay the service fee, it will indeed be difficult to get the car. It's the same at other stores, and the price may be even higher than ours."

A very polite tone.

But the content was not very polite.

Look closely, and you'll see that it's not a smile at all; it's clearly a smug, carefree smile.

"You—" Lu Zhiheng felt insulted. He had to ask someone for help after spending over 300,000 yuan on a car?
-

Half an hour later.

He walked out of another Toyota dealership and couldn't help but sigh.

The other party's statement was almost identical to that of another 4S store.

You have to pay extra to pick up the car.

Pay extra to get your car!

If you don't accept the price increase, then I'm sorry, sir, we don't have any quota available at the moment.

He was so angry he almost fainted.

Buying a car involves various optional extras, mandatory financing loans, service fees, registration fees, and then there's the added markup at the dealership. Who can resist that?
But no way.

Joint venture luxury cars all follow this pattern, especially some popular models.

Outsmarting them is useless; the channels are in their hands.

I had seen similar cases online before, but I never thought it would happen to me in the blink of an eye. I also didn't expect the Highlander to be selling so well as the end of the year approached. It seems like you can't get a car in the whole country without paying extra.

Adding another 20,000 yuan is certainly not unaffordable.

But adding this to the level, Lu Zhiheng really couldn't understand what the point was.

If we don't raise the price, we probably won't be able to get the car before the new year.

I have to buy one eventually.

What if the price increases a year later?

You might as well just buy it now, even if it hurts.

With his mind in turmoil, Lu Zhiheng wandered aimlessly towards the open-air parking lot, intending to go home and discuss it with his wife.

Just then, my eyes fell on a row of permanent advertising spaces in the mall. One advertised the Highlander, the other the Audi Q5, and next to those two, there was another permanent advertising board that was clearly newly installed, displaying a brand new promotional poster.
—The Xingchen L7, the best family SUV under 500,000 yuan! (The best under 500,000 yuan—that's our goal)
……

"Dude, is it really that abstract?"

Lu Zhiheng was the first to see the slogan, his eyes widened and his lips twitched slightly.

Ideally, within 500,000?
That's undeniably arrogant.

But soon I saw the parentheses next to it.

But this label wasn't in small print; it was in large print, as if they were afraid others wouldn't see it.

In comparison, this advertisement is much more eye-catching than the previous two, and it also has a more comical feel to it.

Lu Zhiheng has never liked new energy vehicles; in fact, he is somewhat resistant to them.

Although the development of new energy vehicles has been very rapid in the past two years, and some new energy vehicles seem to be selling quite well.

But he didn't consider this aspect at all when he bought the new car.

There is no other reason.

For ordinary people, stability is the most important thing!
The biggest characteristic of traditional car brands after so many years of development is their stability and reliability!
Buying a popular gasoline car might only increase the price slightly, and the subsequent operating costs might be a bit higher.

And what about buying an electric car?
It seems like you're exempt from taxes and save on fuel costs, but what if the battery fails? What if the battery ages or spontaneously combusts? Could it explode in a car accident?

These are all things that have a probability of happening.

Although new energy vehicles are becoming safer, and this Xingchen Motors seems to have a very big reputation.

They conducted needle puncture tests, compression tests, and various other tests online, which seemed very safe and advertised a very long cycle life.

But Lu Zhiheng didn't dare to gamble.

He bought a family car, after all, and his family will rely on it for transportation for the next five years or more.

Even if the car manufacturer provides after-sales service, it will still be a frustrating experience if problems arise.

Ordinary people buy cars for a one-time, hassle-free experience. New brands like these need at least three to five years, or even five to eight years, to convince these conservative consumers to trust them.

There is another reason.

There are just too many new energy vehicle brands that have emerged in recent years.

Brands like Zhidou Motors, Youxia Motors, Qidian Motors, Qiantu Motors, and Leding Motors... these are all new energy vehicle brands. Lu Zhiheng had seen them in a post before.

Some people have compiled statistics showing that these brands, which were quite popular and had a lot of buzz a couple of years ago, have all failed this year, with news of funding shortages, production delays, and even bankruptcy.

Forget about after-sales service, you can't even find a single service point.

Wouldn't it be tragic to buy a car from one of these bankrupt new energy vehicle brands?

I have nowhere to cry!

People online are gloating.

Lu Zhiheng believes that it's not a bad thing for ordinary people to be conservative.

Since it's impossible to predict which new energy vehicle brands will ultimately survive, it's better to buy a joint venture brand car for peace of mind; there's a reason why it's more expensive.

Besides, he doesn't really understand the technology of new energy vehicles.

Humans have a natural aversion to things they don't understand.

But I don't know why today.

Perhaps frustrated by his repeated setbacks at Toyota 4S stores, he inexplicably ended up at the entrance of a Xingchen Automotive brand direct-sale store.

"Hello sir, are you here to look at cars?"

Before I even entered, a friendly salesperson greeted me.

"Ah, well—" Lu Zhiheng felt slightly embarrassed, still hesitating whether to go in or not: "I'm just looking around, I didn't make an appointment in advance, I probably won't buy a car..."

"It's alright, sir. Anyone who is interested in our Star Auto is our valued guest. You are welcome to come in and browse freely."

The saleswoman invited him in, and her attitude was warm and welcoming throughout.

As soon as I entered the store.

Lu Zhiheng was immediately drawn to the large "Dawn Gold" colored vehicle in front of him!

The paint has a special texture, and the exterior and unique star-ring headlights are extremely impactful!
Lu Zhiheng stood there, his eyes glazed over.

He then couldn't help but reveal a hint of admiration.

...

This car—it's really good!

At first glance, it might look a bit strange, as its appearance is out of place with the current gasoline-powered vehicle system.

If you look at it a few more times, you'll find it has a unique beauty.

"Your coffee, sir."

While he was still admiring the coffee, the official sales representative from Xingchen Automotive warmly and considerately offered him a cup of hot coffee. Lu Zhiheng subconsciously accepted it, then paused in surprise.

—This service is pretty good?!

He was at the Toyota dealership just now, sitting and discussing the specifications, when they poured him half a cup of boiling water, scalding hot.

Because he refused to pay extra, Lu Zhiheng left the store without even drinking a sip of water before it cooled down.

But it's not over yet.

I just took a sip of coffee, and a rich, aromatic flavor filled the air.

"Sir, it's lunchtime now. Have you had lunch yet? If not, we also have a food area with tea, snacks, and freshly cooked dishes by our chef. It's self-service now, and meals and drinks are free," the sales representative enthusiastically reminded him.

This really stunned Lu Zhiheng.

Free coffee and free lunch?

"You might have misunderstood, I'm not buying a car today," Lu Zhiheng quickly declined.

He has also visited some 4S stores. Some stores offer free meals, but usually the salesperson has to bring you in or prepare a separate boxed lunch. These are all based on buying a car or maintenance. It's not that you won't get this treatment if you just go for a test drive, but it's rare.

The arrogant attitude of these two Highlander dealerships today would never allow them to provide this kind of service.

"You've misunderstood. Our free self-service is for all customers who are looking at cars. Even if you don't order a car, as long as you are interested in looking at cars and register your test drive information, you are still our valued guest and can enjoy free food and drinks." The official sales representative from Xingchen spoke in a very friendly tone.

This truly surprised Lu Zhiheng.

Can you really get free food and drinks just by casually strolling around and looking at cars?
Is the simple meal at Xingchen Automotive a bit too easy to afford?
Once inside, his level of shock was refreshed once again!
Minced meat and eggplant, braised chicken legs with scallions, pork rib and radish soup... these are all common home-style dishes, placed in the refrigerator, emitting a steaming aroma. The kitchen work environment can be seen at a glance, and these dishes were all recently made.

There was also a row of freshly cut cantaloupes on the side, and fruits, drinks, and dishes were all available.

"Good heavens, are you sure you won't lose money?" Lu Zhiheng gasped. This was the first time he'd seen a car company like this. It felt like walking into a canteen, full of the atmosphere of everyday life. He couldn't help but ask, "With such low barriers to entry, and this being a high-traffic area near a commercial district, what if passersby register under the guise of looking at cars and test driving, then freeload off the food and drinks? Wouldn't that be a huge loss for you?"

He wasn't making malicious speculations.

Rather, it's that such low-probability events are bound to happen.

The salesperson's response surprised him even more:
"We welcome passersby to come and see the car."

"If such a thing happens, we will prepare a separate boxed lunch and invite the other party to eat... This was decided by General Manager Xu. His meaning is that if someone comes to freeload, then the other party must have encountered some difficulties."

For test drive customers who register at the store, there are a total of three free meals.

For valued car owners who have already purchased a vehicle, there is no limit to the amount of dining they can enjoy at Xingchen stores.

Furthermore, our daily meal portions are fixed, and there are often leftovers at the end of the day, so providing a few extra meals won't cause any additional disruption.

The salesperson explained it this way.

His words were deafening!
Lu Zhiheng was stunned!
He actually heard such a touching set of rules at a car dealership!
(End of this chapter)