Chongqing’s own Changan Automobile Co. debuted at the August 2014 Moscow International Auto Salon (MIAS). Changan brought its new generation of premium models to the show including: Eado, Eado XT, Raeton, CS35 and CS75. This marks Changan’s first big entry into a key European car market, and Changan’s move to become a truly global company. Changan Auto’s Vice President, Mr. Ronghua Zhu, launched Changan’s official show display with a brief talk on Changan’s market development strategy.

Moscow’s Auto Salon moves Changan into the global industry

Changan’s debut at the Moscow show included five models and two Blue Core power trains. Changan’s range of vehicles represented the growing sophistication of the Changan brand in the areas of technology, fashion and safety. The striking presence of Changan’s new line of vehicles attracted the attention of the Russian media and public.

Changan also announced the official Russian launch date of the Eado compact sedan as well as its local pricing. Among all the Chinese brands presented at the Moscow show, four of Changan’s vehicles captured audience attention and won great acclaim: CS35 cuv, CS75 cuv, Eado XT coup and the Reaton executive sedan. A common Russian media reaction to the Changan vehicles was: “I didn’t expect Chinese vehicles could be done so stylishly with a European touch.”

In recent years, Changan gradually updated and replaced its entire vehicle line with new modern models. Changan has built its brand to encompass three key pillars: technology, fashion and safety. This year Changan will became the first Chinese automotive brand to hit and exceed the one million sales mark in the globally competitive Chinese home market. From January to July, Changan Auto has sold 840,000 vehicles among which 440,000 units were passenger cars. Changan sales have increased by 47% this year, that growth rate is 36% higher than the industry average. Changan is China’s #1 auto brand in domestic sales growth.

Changan’s Vice President Zhu believes the driving force behind Changan’s growth is its continuous and significant investment in R&D, and the brand’s commitment to meeting consumer needs.

Product quality wins the heart of Russian consumers

Changan is the only Chinese automaker with global research centers in the UK, USA, Italy and Japan. The Changan team includes more than 6,000 automotive professionals from fifteen countries covering over twenty-one different nationalities.

Soon to join Changan’s global team will be a council of twelve global industry experts that will review and approve all future vehicle programs through a Test Verification System (TVS). Changan will be the first company to have this kind of TVS for each of its vehicle programs. The TVS process will use a verification system that is three times more rigorous than what you find in the rest of the industry. TVS will sample over 150 pre-production vehicles during each vehicle development process to ensure each vehicle will exceed consumer expectations. Just the reliability testing processes will involve over four million km in road testing in temperatures ranging from -40°C to +82°C (-40°F to +180°F). To ensure reliability, Changan has chosen some of the worlds most hostile driving environments to test its cars: the frozen Russian Arctic, the brutal hot Middle-Eastern summers and Brazil’s extremely rough and humid rainforests. Changan takes its products through these tests in order to ensure every vehicle program is ready to meet the needs of its customers before mass production begins. Changan’s current IPTV rating (Incidents Per Thousand Vehicles) now matches the standard set by joint venture foreign cars made and sold in China. New Changan models like the CS75 now actually surpass the IPTC ratings of foreign cars made and sold in China. Changan’s commitment to quality has helped Changan become the fastest-growing Chinese brand in China.

Russia is one of the key global markets for Changan. Vice President Zhu announced that Changan would launch one to two new models each year in Russia. Changan expects its Russian sales will reach 100,000 vehicles by 2020. In the next two years, Changan will build up a sales network with 90 outlets growing to 200 outlets by 2020. The Changan sale network by 2020 will cover all Federal Districts in Russia. In addition, Changan will establish a full vehicle service network: Training Centers, Spare Parts Centers and Customer Relationship Centers. These service infrastructure platforms will ensure that spare parts, service and customer care will exceed expectations. In the next two years, Changan aims to set up over 160 service centers, reaching 200 centers by 2020. Changan wants its customers to have an exceptional service experience and an overall enjoyable after-sales experience.

There was one feature that Changan vehicles exhibited at the Moscow show that was absent in other Chinese branded cars. Changan models came equipped with automatic transmissions. Automatic transmissions are perfect for local Moscow driving conditions. Vice President Zhu explained to Russian reporters that the models Changan currently sells in Russia are fully adapted to local Russian requirements. He went on to point out that Changan cars reliably start on cold winter days, when you need them the most. A few Russian news writers mentioned: “Changan vehicles are very stylish, beautiful and have a European quality.”

Entering the Russian market with a new international strategy

A Chinese proverb says: “Good things in life are worth waiting for.” Although Changan has entered the Russia relatively late, Changan’s commitment to its global R&D strategy has allowed it to enter the international marketplace with a competitive line of vehicles. As stated by Changan’s Office of Overseas Business Development: "Every Changan vehicle represents the new image of Chinese brands in the world. We want to provide a better automobile experience for Russian automobile consumers; I believe Changan Auto will have a bright future in Russian market.”

Quite a few Russian dealers were already discussing franchise opportunities with Changan during the Moscow show; it proved that Changan has already begun to meet expectations during its Moscow debut. With the Moscow show, Changan officially entered the Russian market. Vice President Zhu summarized his hopes for Russia and Changan with this: “Going forward and getting closer with Russia.” The people of Changan look forward to assisting in the establishment of a strong and positive global image for the Chinese automobile industry. Hopefully, Changan with its entry into the Russian market will soon successfully earn the trust and acclaim of Russian consumers.

22 April 2015