On November 17th, the 21st Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition officially opened. The development of smart cars and new energy vehicles is not only a revolution in transportation, but also a change in lifestyle and mindset. With the continuous upgrading of competition in new energy vehicles, more new products and technologies will appear before the world. This year’s Guangzhou Auto Show will be themed “New Technology, New Life”, showcasing the latest technological achievements brought about by the development of smart cars and the new changes it brings to consumers.
In response, different executives expressed their views. Gu Yukun, Executive Deputy General Manager of Tank brand, stated that after solving the fuel consumption problem with Hi4-T, there are more opportunities to seize the market share of urban SUVs. Urban SUVs certainly have their own characteristics, but after solving the energy consumption problem, the competitive advantage of off-road vehicles is very strong, including safety, good passability, and a versatile driving experience.
Here’s the interview transcript Sina Auto: Hello, everyone, welcome to the Sina Auto interview room at the 2023 Guangzhou Auto Show. We are very honored to have Tank brand’s Deputy General Manager Gu Yukun here. Mr. Gu, please say hello to the netizens.
Gu Yukun: Hello, everyone, I am Gu Yukun from Tank brand.
Sina Auto: Mr. Gu, I just took a look at the booth and found that Tank is one of the most popular brands this year. Netizens on Weibo are also very interested in Tank brand. Today, we have summarized a few questions that netizens are concerned about on Weibo to ask you. Please answer them for everyone. The first question is, in October, Tank brand’s sales exceeded 20,000 units for the first time. How do you evaluate this achievement? With the launch of the Tank 700 limited edition, what are your expectations for future sales?
Gu Yukun: Currently, Tank brand’s sales have been recognized by customers. 20,000 units is just the starting point for Tank. Previously, the Tank 300 solved the pain points of traditional off-road vehicles not being intelligent, luxurious, or comfortable. Later, the appearance of the Hi4-T truly solved the problem of high fuel consumption of off-road vehicles in urban areas. In October, the sales of the Hi4-T model reached 8,169 units. In the future, it will be even better. Why? Because after solving the fuel consumption problem, the Hi4-T has more opportunities to seize the market share of urban SUVs. Urban SUVs have their own characteristics, but after solving the energy consumption problem of off-road vehicles, there is a great competitive advantage, including safety, good passability, and a versatile driving experience. So I think sales will continue to rise further. In addition, Tank brand is currently very popular in overseas markets. For example, in August, the sales of Tank 500 in Central Asia exceeded 3,000 units, and the overall production capacity of Tank brand is currently saturated. Actually, tanks still have greater potential to be tapped, and we will continue to improve our products to meet the needs of more customers.
Sina Auto: As soon as we hear from General Gu, we know he is a very experienced car person. He has pointed out many pain points that we have also seen. Chinese brands have been moving up recently, our brand is moving up, our products are moving up. In this process, it took three years to create the off-road “leader” product Tank 700. As a behind-the-scenes hero, can you analyze for us the efforts made by Tank brand in high-end development over these three years?
Gu Yukun: The high-end development of car brands needs to be taken step by step. It is impossible for anyone to achieve great success right from the start. What Tank brand can do is to make good products, ensure good quality, truly satisfy customer needs, and meet the needs of global users, including calibration and verification. From product to quality, if we can satisfy user satisfaction and word of mouth, the brand will naturally develop to the next stage. The success of Tank 300 in the past firmly linked the “Tank” IP with “off-road.” After the steps taken with Tank 400 and Tank 500, the Tank 700 Hi4-T limited edition debut represents not only a model, but also a comprehensive solution built around the off-road lifestyle of users, aiming to provide off-road enthusiasts with the true partner they need and expect. Tank 700 made its debut in 2020, and over these three years, through the performance of Tank 300, Tank 400, and Tank 500 in the market, and customer recognition, we have slowly pushed our products towards the high-end. At the same time, Tank 700 Hi4-T also provides ultimate performance, ultimate safety, and ultimate strength, making it a “unique” car in the Chinese car market. Customers may not choose extreme off-road, but the Tank 700 Hi4-T must have extreme capabilities. This is the promise we have accumulated for our customers in the long-term off-road SUV.
Sina Auto: I am curious about one thing, what progress and optimization has been made in the 3.0T Hi4-T compared to the Hi4-T model?
Gu Yukun: The 3.0T Hi4-T is based on the off-road super hybrid architecture Hi4-T, and has made advancements in power, passability, and comfort, becoming an unparalleled architecture in the global off-road field. It is China’s first large-displacement powertrain, equipped with a 3.0T V6 engine and the country’s first 9HAT gearbox, leading a new era of power for Chinese off-road vehicles.
Sina Auto: The all-new Prado made its debut at the auto show, and it is compared to the Tank 500. Do you think the upcoming launch of the Prado will put pressure on Tank?
Gu Yukun: The domestic off-road vehicle market used to be dominated by imported and joint venture brands. Models like the Toyota Prado and Land Cruiser are the evergreen trees in the off-road market. However, I believe that under the leadership of Tank, China’s off-road market is entering a new era led by domestic brands. Tank has absolute advantages in power, luxury, and intelligence, and is confident in facing the competition regardless of the opponent.
Sina Auto: It seems that Mr. Gu has absolute confidence. We also know that since the emergence of new energy vehicles, the domestic car market has undergone earth-shaking changes. We would like Mr. Gu to share with us the intelligence of oil vehicles, or the current traffic and long-termism, or user value and enterprise organization, or the current situation of dealers and enterprise transformation. Can you pick one of these aspects to share with us?
Gu Yukun: Observing the current market trends, we can see that the development momentum of new energy vehicles is very strong. Taking the Tank 500 as an example, the market acceptance of new energy is better than that of oil vehicles. Although fuel vehicles have their unique scarcity and advantages, consumers have higher expectations for the driving experience of new energy vehicles. So, I think fuel vehicles will still have their own market. There are places or situations where new energy vehicles cannot reach, or are inconvenient. Traditional fuel power, especially the fans of large-displacement fuel, are still numerous. As long as there is still demand from users, the Tank will continue to roar its engine.
Sina Auto: Mr. Gu, there is one last question. Please choose one of the topics listed on the big screen, which are the hot topics discussed by netizens on Weibo in the past three months, and share your opinion on it.
Gu Yukun: Let’s choose the first question, “Can HUD replace the large screen?” I think, from the perspective of the driver, it is possible to replace the instrument panel in the future. Because some of the content of the two is common, and currently, intelligence is being integrated into intelligent cabins in the form of 1 to 4 or 1 to 5. So I think HUD has the potential to replace the instrument panel. Currently, the replacement of HUD screens still has issues. Now, customers who buy cars also pay attention to the entertainment for the co-pilot and the rear seats. Gradually, each seat in the car has its own enjoyment, which is also a development direction. I think we can replace and integrate the instrument information, but there is still a long way to go to replace the entire car.
Sina Auto: Okay, thank you for accepting our interview, and I wish Great Wall Motors all the best.
Gu Yukun: Okay, thank you.