Car companies set global seats in China

　　If betting on the Chinese market 23 years ago was like a gamble, then Dr. Carl Hahn, who was then head of the German Volkswagen Group, was undoubtedly the biggest winner.

　　Today, under the continuous "fermentation" of the Chinese market, the largest car manufacturer in Europe has jumped to become the second largest car group in the world.

　　When the old traditional auto markets in the United States and Europe are sluggish, and when a large number of Chinese consumers holding cash gather to pick up their cars at 4S stores, more and more auto giants realize the importance of grasping the rhythm of the Chinese market.

　　To a large extent, China has already determined the future of those auto giants.

　　Statistics show that among the top five car companies in the world, China is the world's largest market for four companies including General Motors, Volkswagen, Nissan-Renault and Hyundai-Kia.

　　It is widely believed in the industry that the Chinese business, which accounts for nearly 30% of GM's total sales, has played a decisive role in regaining the title of "No. 1" in the global auto market.

　　Not only in the mass car consumption market, the Chinese market has unlimited potential, but also in the high-end luxury car market, China's consumption power should not be underestimated.

　　At the just-concluded Detroit Auto Show, President and CEO of Bentley Die Haimer predicted that this year, China is expected to surpass the United States and become the largest sales market for Bentley.

　　Maserati, which is more high-end and niche, nearly doubled its performance growth in China last year, delivering a total of 780 new cars to Chinese users. As a result, China has become the second largest market for Maserati in the world and the largest market in Asia.

　　On the other hand, Toyota Motor, whose global ranking fell sharply last year, its two joint ventures in China, FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota, barely outperformed industry growth, with cumulative sales of only 880,000 vehicles, and failed to meet the annual target. The Chinese market has dragged down the unfavorable Toyota.

　　Shi Boke, director of Audi's management board, publicly stated that because of the outstanding performance of the Chinese market, Audi was able to make profits every quarter last year. "This has won us space, and this space is exactly what our competitors have lost."

　　Audi successfully used the Chinese market as a fulcrum to dispose of Mercedes-Benz, an old luxury car brand that needed to be looked up to a few years ago. This behavior has seriously stimulated luxury car manufacturers such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

　　Global automakers are looking at the Chinese market as a lifeline, but how to get more profits from this "cash cow" still needs enough wisdom.

　　Ma Yu, a well-known foreign investment expert and director of the Foreign Investment Department of the Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce, said frankly that as a product with high versatility, it is not suitable for a model to travel all over the world. No matter how reasonable the design and the quality of a car are, it still has the problem of adapting to the consumption habits and environment of the local market.

　　Throughout the development history of China's auto industry, there are many multinational auto companies that "get up early and catch up late". Cases such as the short-lived marriage between French Peugeot and GAC, and the grievances and entanglements between Fiat and Nanjing Automobile all show that the Chinese market is not a complete endogenous market, and foreign parties still need to fully understand the characteristics of partners and Chinese consumers respect.