迈瑞宝整容对抗丰田

    通用汽车公司（General Motors）的雪佛兰（Chevrolet）事业部对中级轿车迈瑞宝（Malibu）做了一番整容手术，同时对它的引擎也进行了一些修改，希望在两三年后推出全新车型之前，能靠这次小幅度的改款推高销量和定价。

    通用近来可以说是好消息不断，特别是它的IPO股价提高到了每股33美元。破产重组四年后，通用汽车终于重新站稳了脚跟，投资人也因此倍感鼓舞。另外凯迪拉克（Cadillac）近来收入颇丰，而且随着市场对皮卡的需求加大，通用汽车最近的皮卡车型雪佛兰西尔瓦多（Silverado）和GMC Sierra也获得了好评，而且对这两款皮卡的需求也在增加。最好的消息莫过于美国财政部正在出售它持有的通用股份，意味着通用汽车或许很快就会摘掉“政府汽车”的帽子。

    作为通用汽车旗下最重要的品牌，雪佛兰于2012年推出了现款迈瑞宝，迈瑞宝的目标是要从日产天籁（Nissan Altima）、本田雅阁（Honda Accord）、丰田凯美瑞（Toyota Camry）以及通用的同城对手福特福星（Ford Fusion）手里争抢客源，可是这款车型有些美中不足。

    因此，雪佛兰对迈瑞宝的一些短板进行了修补。雪佛兰的一名发言人查德•里昂斯说：“促进这次升级的原因有几个方面。首先是我们自己也承认，迈瑞宝需要提高在这个细分市场里的竞争力。”同时他表示车主的反馈也起了重要作用。为了使迈瑞宝变得更有竞争力，雪佛兰的工程师们扩大了它的后排空间，提高了它的燃油经济性，而且还对外观进行了重新设计。

    汽车网站Edmunds.com的米歇尔•克雷布斯指出：“改款迈瑞宝的这些变化已经是通用汽车在这么短的时间里所能做的一切了。但我不确定消费者是否能注意到老款与改款之间有多大区别。”她认为，迈瑞宝面临的困难有一部分要归咎于通用公司松散、低效的市场营销，通用自己则坚决反对这种看法。

    2013年的头五个月里，丰田（Toyota）凯美瑞占据了中级家轿市场的头把交椅，销量为171,756辆，比去年同期下降5.5%。第二名是本田（Honda）雅阁，销量为155,183辆，比去年同期上涨22.9%。第3名为日产（Nissan）天籁，销量为140,883辆，比去年同期上涨4.1%。福特（Ford）福星卖出136,833辆，比去年同期上涨21.7%。其次才是雪佛兰迈瑞宝，销量为89,812辆，比去年同期下降18.4%。

    汽车估值网站“凯丽蓝皮书”（Kelley Blue Book）的高级分析师艾里克•古提雷兹称：“迈瑞宝所在的中级家轿市场是竞争最激烈的一个市场。去年这个市场里有很多重新设计的车型上市，而且这个市场里也有很多忠实的消费者。（新）迈瑞宝看起来要比一年前重新设计上市的老款漂亮多了，应该会有助于促进销量。但是要想打败凯美瑞或雅阁夺得销量第一的位子，恐怕还很困难。”

    当然，迈瑞宝的风险要远远大于自夸的资本。通用汽车的大量税前利润都来自它的全尺寸皮卡车型，而它的轿车利润却十分疲软。通用汽车的轿车车型一直在不断改善，但仍然无法缩小与亚洲顶级竞争对手的差距。以凯迪拉克为例，虽然它已经成功转变为豪车市场的一个强有力的竞争对手，但是仍然无法和奥迪（Audi）、雷克萨斯（Lexus）、奔驰（Mercedes）、宝马（BMW）等品牌相提并论，因此也无法开出更高的价格。

    做了拉皮整容手术的迈瑞宝究竟销量如何，接下来的几个月就会见分晓。如果通用的中期小改款的确有效，那么它的销量和定价应该会立刻改观。让我们看看通用的营销人员能否用事实反驳人们的批评，响亮地告诉大家，一辆更出色的迈瑞宝已经到了经销商的门店里。（财富中文网）

    译者：朴成奎

    General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet division is keeping fingers crossed that plastic surgery on its midsize Malibu sedan -- plus some tinkering with its engine -- will be sufficient to boost sales and pricing until an all-new model appears two or three years hence.

    GM (GM) has been enjoying a spate of good news lately, particularly the increase in its shares above the public offering price of $33. Investors are heartened that the automaker has stabilized following four years of post-bankruptcy restructuring. Cadillac has posted big gains of late; and GM's new pickup trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra had received positive reviews as demand rises for pickups. Best of all, the U.S. Treasury is selling its stake in GM, which soon will render the "Government Motors" moniker obsolete.

    The Malibu, the family sedan entry for GM's most important brand Chevrolet, has been a fly in the ointment. Introduced in 2012, the Malibu's mission was to recruit shoppers in the segment from competitors such as the Nissan (NSANY) Altima, Honda (HMC) Accord, Toyota (TM) Camry and, most importantly, Ford (F) Fusion, GM's crosstown rival.

    Instead, Malibu pulled up somewhat lame. "What sparked the update was several things, the first being our own acknowledgment that Malibu needed to be even more competitive in this segment," said Chad Lyons, a Chevrolet spokesman. Feedback from owners played a role, he said. To make the Malibu more competitive, Chevrolet engineers increased room in the rear, improved fuel efficiency, and redesigned the exterior.

    Michelle Krebs of Edmunds.com said: "The changes in the Malibu are about all GM could do in that short period of time. I'm not sure consumers will notice there's much of a difference between the two." She attributed Malibu's difficulties, in part, to haphazard and insufficient marketing -- a charge GM disputes.

    Through the first five months of 2013, the Toyota Camry was the top seller in the midsize segment with sales of 171,756, a decrease of 5.5% from last year. Second was Honda's Accord with 155,183, up 22.9%; Nissan's Altima sold 140,883, up 4.1%, and Ford dealers sold 136,833 Fusions, up 21.7%. Chevrolet Malibu brought up the rear with sales of 89,812, a decline of 18.4%.

    "The Malibu is in the most hotly contested segment, the midsize segment, where there have been so many new redesigns in the past year and with so many loyal buyers," said Alec Gutierrez, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book. "The (new) Malibu looks much sleeker than its predecessor, which was just redesigned a year ago and should help boost sales but will still have a hard time beating the Camry or Accord for the No. 1 spot."

    The stakes, of course, are far bigger than bragging rights. GM's fullsize pickup trucks generate enormous pre-tax margins for the automaker, while GM's cars struggle financially. GM's car models keep getting better -- but they haven't closed the gap with the top performers from Asia. Cadillac, for example, has turned itself into a stronger competitor among luxury car models, though not yet in the same league with Audi, Lexus, Mercedes, and BMW, meaning it can't command higher prices.

    The next few months should be telling for the facelifted Malibu. If GM's midcourse corrections are effective, sales volume and pricing should improve right away. Let's see if GM's marketers can rebut the critics and communicate a resounding message that a better Malibu is available at dealer showrooms.