評(píng)論
打印
The Chinese billionaire owner of Volvo Cars has promised to “modernise” the Swedish company’s classic Scandinavian designs as it races to catch up with rivals in the world’s largest car market.
沃爾沃汽車(Volvo Cars)的中國(guó)億萬(wàn)富翁老板承諾讓這家瑞典公司的經(jīng)典北歐設(shè)計(jì)“現(xiàn)代化”。目前，沃爾沃急于在全球最大的汽車市場(chǎng)趕上競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手。
Li Shufu, chairman of one of China’s most successful private car companies, acquired Volvo from Ford in 2010. While executives from both its parent company, Zhejiang Geely Holdings, and Volvo Cars have denied there is any tension over strategy at the Swedish carmaker, Mr Li said changes were needed at a company he described as a late-comer for the fast-transforming China market.
中國(guó)最成功民營(yíng)汽車企業(yè)之一的董事長(zhǎng)李書福2010年從福特(Ford)手中收購(gòu)了沃爾沃。雖然母公司浙江吉利控股(Zhejiang Geely Holdings)和沃爾沃的高管均否認(rèn)雙方在這家瑞典汽車制造商的戰(zhàn)略上有任何矛盾，但李書福稱該公司在快速轉(zhuǎn)型的中國(guó)市場(chǎng)上是后來者，因而需要有所改變。
“Because of a lapse of investment in product development over the years under previous ownership, we do see a lack of modernisation of Scandinavian design,” Mr Li said in an interview with the Financial Times.
“由于上一個(gè)東家在產(chǎn)品開發(fā)上多年投資不足，我們確實(shí)看到北歐的設(shè)計(jì)缺乏現(xiàn)代化，”李書福在接受英國(guó)《金融時(shí)報(bào)》采訪時(shí)表示。
“In this fast-developing world, particularly in the fast-transforming China market, we really need to take this opportunity and offer a modern interpretation of Scandinavian design which fits people’s demands perfectly.”
“在快速發(fā)展的當(dāng)今世界，尤其是在快速轉(zhuǎn)型的中國(guó)市場(chǎng)，我們真的需要借這個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)，提供對(duì)北歐設(shè)計(jì)的現(xiàn)代化詮釋，完美切合人們的需求。”
China’s passenger car market, including SUVs, grew 16 per cent last year with 18m units sold as it continued to accelerate away from other developing and developed markets.
中國(guó)的乘用車（包括運(yùn)動(dòng)型多用途車(SUV)）市場(chǎng)去年增長(zhǎng)16%，銷量達(dá)到1800萬(wàn)輛，呈繼續(xù)加速發(fā)展趨勢(shì)，與其他發(fā)展中國(guó)家和發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家市場(chǎng)拉開距離。
As a result, success in the country has become critical to manufacturers’ global ambitions. They have also had to adapt their products for the often unique demands of Chinese car buyers, such as greater back-seat legroom for owners who prefer to be chauffeured through the traffic gridlock that affects China’s largest cities.
其結(jié)果是，汽車制造商若想實(shí)現(xiàn)自己的全球抱負(fù)，在中國(guó)取得成功已成為至關(guān)重要的一環(huán)。它們還不得不改動(dòng)產(chǎn)品設(shè)計(jì)，以滿足中國(guó)購(gòu)車者往往獨(dú)特的需求，比如加大后排座腿部空間，以迎合在交通擁堵的中國(guó)大城市寧愿請(qǐng)人駕車的車主。
“We need to be better in sedans and listen to customers both in China and the US,” Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive of Volvo Cars, told the FT in March. “It involves a focus on back-seat passengers in a different way.”
“我們需要在轎車方面做得更好，傾聽中國(guó)和美國(guó)兩個(gè)市場(chǎng)客戶的意見，”沃爾沃汽車首席執(zhí)行官霍坎•薩穆埃爾松(Håkan Samuelsson)今年3月對(duì)英國(guó)《金融時(shí)報(bào)》表示，“包括以一種不同的方式關(guān)注后排座乘客。”
Mr Li, too, said Volvo Cars had fallen short in selling itself to Chinese customers.
李書福也表示，沃爾沃在向中國(guó)客戶推銷自己方面未盡人意。
“Product investment, quality management and all the things that are key for a car company – great, there has been no compromise in those aspects,” he said.
“產(chǎn)品投資、質(zhì)量管理和一家汽車公司的所有關(guān)鍵要素——這些方面都做得很好，不打任何折扣，”他表示。
“But I feel there’s a lot we could do on communication, particularly from a Chinese perspective. The Volvo, I know . . . deserves a much better appreciation in the market.”
“但我覺得我們?cè)跍贤ǚ矫嬗泻芏嗍驴勺觯貏e是從中國(guó)的角度來看。我所知道的沃爾沃……理應(yīng)在市場(chǎng)上得到好得多的認(rèn)可。”
Analysts say the rush of multinational car manufacturers into China has made its market the most competitive in the history of the automotive industry – and has also put immense pressure on domestic brands such as Geely, whose sales fell 40 per cent year on year in January and February.
分析師表示，跨國(guó)汽車制造商涌入中國(guó)，已使中國(guó)市場(chǎng)成為汽車業(yè)史上競(jìng)爭(zhēng)最激烈的市場(chǎng)，也給本土品牌帶來巨大壓力——吉利也未能幸免，今年1、2月其銷量同比下降40%。
Mr Li reiterated his support for a lifting of Beijing’s 50 per cent cap on foreign ownership in the car sector. Though technically treated as a foreign entity in China, Volvo Cars’ investments are done in collaboration with its Chinese parent.
李書福重申，他支持放開合資股比（北京方面規(guī)定外資在汽車企業(yè)中的持股比例上限為50%）。盡管沃爾沃理論上在中國(guó)是一個(gè)外資實(shí)體，但該公司的投資是與中國(guó)母公司合作進(jìn)行的。
