International launches are a real treat for the average motoring journalist. That’s not just because of the “clout” and “drip” provided by pictures of exotic locations or glasses of champagne at aircraft cruising altitudes for your Instagram followers.
Nope, for me, it’s also about the thrill of being able to speak directly to the brains behind the products. Often you’ll have a chance to sit with boffins whose portfolios might include suspension, software, even interior plastics. I’ll name drop. One time I sat with Geoffrey Grose, head of vehicle development at McLaren, for dinner. We spent the evening talking about cars. Obviously.
These interactions, after the launch confetti has settled, maybe over a tipple or two, are where the juicier details might let slip. Another occasion, we were at a press drive in the United Arab Emirates with a premium manufacturer. One brand head, who spent a good part of his career in China, told us about a successful bid to move languishing stock of ageing upper-medium sedans.
It was a simple but elegant solution: slap a letter “L” onto the tailgate. You know this market has a thing for extended wheelbase versions of regular cars. The status factor has something to do with it, as I understand.
Anyway, back to our story. The vehicle in question didn’t receive extra wheelbase length to have warranted the letter. No, in this case, the executive told us the “L” denoted Luxury – and buyers lapped the ambitious marketing plan. But these days, similarly half-baked attempts at keeping the Chinese market captivated just won’t cut it.
The Chinese market is where all the action is at and will be for the foreseeable future, so carmakers’ approach to the region’s preferences are a total focus, not an afterthought. Consider that in 2021, China was the biggest market by volume for Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Of the trio, BMW racked up the most sales in China during 2021. From 1988 to 2019 Audi had held the spot of best-selling premium manufacturer in the country. Earlier this year, in an article on China Daily, Audi China’s president Juergen Unser said he planned to regain that position by making the brand “more Chinese”. What exactly does that mean?
The 2021 China Auto Consumer Insights report by management consulting firm McKinsey offers an interesting look into what the market wants. Digital retail services, electric vehicles, connected vehicles and “mobility as a service” (think car subscription) are among the nuggets identified in the study. It also revealed brand loyalty is declining as competition intensifies while luxury, comfort and safety were the three main priorities listed by consumers.
In April Audi revealed its Urbansphere concept, which it claims is a blueprint for the ideal vehicle in a Chinese megacity. It takes on the format of a multi-purpose vehicle with coach doors. It was said to be designed from the inside-out rather than with exterior form as the base. The seats (four individual) swivel and a red carpet is projected onto the floor, a large OLED screen pivots from the roof, each seat has its own sound zone and individual monitors are built into the front seatbacks. It also showcases a “touchless” Multi Media Interface (MMI) operating concept, relying on eye-tracking and gesture control.
The single-frame grille, no longer required for engine cooling (this is an electric vehicle) has been reimagined as a canvas for light. Its entire surface is illuminated.
“One special tribute to China is a luminous accessory that passengers can take with them when they leave their Audi Urbansphere – the Audi light umbrella, a self-illuminating umbrella. Inspired by traditional Chinese umbrellas,” read the press release.
The vehicle is also fully autonomous and capable of dropping off its passengers and fetching them again when required. Audi says the vehicle will find suitable parking while its occupants enjoy their activity. The manufacturer says not to think of their creation as an automobile but an “experience device” that can also take care of dinner reservations or online shopping.
Intriguing though this electrified lounge-on-wheels may be, there are already such expressions in production, sans light-bar umbrellas and full autonomy. The electric BMW iX comes to mind, with its open-plan, luxury-pod interior. One thing the McKinsey report referenced earlier was not so clear about was aesthetic preferences.
German motoring journalist Christopher Butt, editor of Design Field Trip, wrote an excellent article titled “The China Syndrome”, analysing car design for the market. He discussed controversial stylistic elements (extroverted grilles), “superfluous decorum”, the proliferation of touchscreen controls, online features and other aspects carmakers seem to be pushing in their focus to appeal to the market.
“As the list of questionable automotive trends being blamed on ‘China’ is seemingly endless, only the most disingenuous of minds wouldn’t eventually start wondering whether those alleged demands coming from ‘China’ might actually be a red herring – a scapegoat for many of the industry’s own, less enlightened decisions,” he wrote.
Of course, while established premium carmakers seek supremacy in the Chinese market, let’s not forget its domestic carmakers are vying for global domination. Heavy-hitting conglomerates like Geely, owners of Volvo, Lynk & Co and Polestar, have varied portfolios and far-reaching expansion plans. Great Wall Motors (GWM) is eyeing a share of the European market with its electric brand Ora. A 2021 New York Times article reported on how Chinese firms such as MG, Nio and BYD are making strides to steal market share from its European electric rivals in their own markets.
It’s a curious situation. The long-standing European players are making every effort to pander to the Chinese market as those Chinese brands execute their own plans for international motoring supremacy.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.