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The first 11 months of 2020 have passed, and the battle for the top sales of second-tier luxury brands is still in doubt. What is different from the past is that Lexus has surpassed and has temporarily taken the lead in cumulative sales. Cadillac's monthly sales expand further and are still expected to retain its top spot.

The Cadillac brand sold 24307 vehicles in November, up 45 per cent from a year earlier, according to manufacturer data, with cumulative sales of 202483 vehicles from January to November, up 4 per cent from a year earlier.

For Lexus, terminal sales in November were 20632, up 6.8% from a year earlier. From January to November, Lexus's cumulative sales reached 202647, up 12.4% from a year earlier.

In terms of data, Lexus sales in China have maintained steady growth this year, with more than 200000 units in the first November, and the cumulative growth rate has also reached double digits. At present, Lexus is temporarily ahead of Cadillac with a sales advantage of 164. and rose to the top of the second-tier luxury brand.

The Cadillac brand has been volatile this year, with a sharp decline in the first half of the year, thanks to continued catch-up in the second half of the year. Cadillac, which has been making efforts in recent months, its monthly sales have risen to 24000. According to this trend, Cadillac is expected to regain the top spot by overtaking Lexus in the last month.

The steady growth of Lexus does put pressure on Cadillac.

Cadillac has always had a solid market position, but since 2019, Cadillac has been repeatedly pressed by Lexus brands behind it, and it is only after Cadillac started a crazy "price for volume" that Cadillac continues to take the lead by a small margin. Cadillac's annual sales in 2019 were 212507, down 7.6% from a year earlier, while Lexus's annual sales were 200521, up 25% from a year earlier, making the two brands' sales very close.

In 2020, Lexus maintains a monthly growth trend, and Lexus has a good reputation in terms of brand reputation, loyalty and products. In addition, Lexus adopts order sales, which can effectively control prices and orders, and is also the embodiment of brand value. In the end, it is also reflected in sales.

The difference is that Cadillac terminal price reduction is greater, "price for volume" is one of the ways for the brand to achieve sales growth.

The sharp price reduction competition has given Cadillac a short-term benefit, with sales growing rapidly and standing firm. However, this can easily lead to a serious decline in brand premium, product market price confusion, low second-hand salvage value, and brand loyalty. Especially with the market returning to rationality, this phenomenon is particularly obvious. This is also where Cadillac is widely criticized by consumers and netizens.

However, with the in-depth adjustment and upgrading of the product line, the Cadillac product line has been further improved and the market positioning has become clearer, thus helping to increase brand sales. At present, Cadillac has three cars: CT4, CT5 and CT6, as well as three SUV models: XT4, XT5 and XT6.

It can be seen that after years of operation in China, there is indeed a big gap between Cadillac and Lexus in brand tonality, which also forms the trend and pattern of today's second-tier luxury market. An executive of a luxury car company once pointed out that at present, competitive means such as price for quantity are no longer applicable to luxury cars, and if they continue to pursue sales at the expense of brand value, they will encounter greater challenges and difficulties in the future. Luxury brands should adhere to value marketing, not blindly pursue sales.

However, only in terms of sales, the battle for the top sales of luxury brands in 2020 is still in doubt, and Cadillac is still expected to regain its position.

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