AutoBeta(AutoBeta.net)07/03 Report--

Auto Industry concern learned from Stellantis Group that Stellantis Group has appointed Zhang Jun as general manager of DS brand in China, which will take effect from July 1st.

According to the data, Zhang Jun's career began in 2004 and has held a series of important positions at Nissan and Audi, specializing in marketing, supply chain and vehicle project management, operations management, new energy vehicles and sales strategic planning. On September 1st, 2021, Stellantis Group appointed Zhang Jun as China Executive Committee member and General Manager of Alfa Romeo China. Zhang Jun reported to Gr é goire OLIVIER, Stellantis Group Global Executive Committee member and China Chief operating Officer, and Zhang Jun also reported to Stellantis Group Global Executive Committee member, Alfa Romeo Global CEO Ambato (Jean-Philippe IMPARATO).

DS, a luxury brand of France's PSA (Peugeot Citroen) group, is known as the "presidential car" in France. In November 2011, Changan Automobile and PSA Group invested a total of 7.6 billion yuan to establish Changan Peugeot Citroen, each holding 50% of the joint venture company. As Changan is in urgent need of new products, the accelerated compression timeline forced France to come up with three new models that are still in the process of development-the DS 3, the DS 4 and the DS 5. In September 2013, DS 5, the first domestic model of Peugeot Citroen in Chang'an, was officially launched, followed by the introduction of DS 5LS, DS 6, DS 4S, DS7 and other models. In March 2014, the DS brand was officially spun off from Peugeot Citroen and French luxury brands continued to enter the Chinese market.

The DS brand entered China with a mediocre performance, selling 26000 vehicles in 2014, and has been on a downward trend since then. According to the data, the sales of DS brand in China from 2015 to 2020 are 21000, 16000, 5847, 3867, 1179 and 376respectively. Against the backdrop of sluggish sales, the number of dealers of the DS brand has also greatly reduced. The number of dealers of the DS brand in China exceeded 100 in 2016, but only 78 remained in 2020, and nearly half of them only provide after-sales service, while the number of dealers has dropped by nearly 80%.

Due to brand positioning, product pricing, market and other reasons, DS brand sales in China continues to be depressed, operating losses continue, Changan logo Citroen has gradually become a "liability" for both shareholders. In order to solve the survival problem of Changan PSA and divest the loss assets as soon as possible, Changan Automobile and PSA Group began to plan how to "throw off the burden", and Changan logo Citroen also began to enter the countdown to dissolution. In December 2019, Changan Automobile and PSA Group respectively transferred their 50% stake in the joint venture Peugeot Citroen, and Changan logo Citroen changed from a joint venture into a wholly owned company by Baoneng. In May 2020, the industrial and commercial information of Changan Peugeot Citroen was changed, and the company changed its name to Shenzhen Baoneng Automobile Co., Ltd., which is wholly owned by Shenzhen Qianhai Ruizhi Investment Co., Ltd., which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Baoneng New Energy Automobile Group Co., Ltd.

Changan Peugeot Citroen has been sold off by Changan Automobile and PSA Group. At one time, there were rumors that the DS brand would withdraw from the Chinese market, but B é atrice Foucher, CEO of the DS brand, said that he would spare no effort to reinvigorate the DS brand in China. The relevant person in charge of the PSA Group said, "the DS brand returns to the Asia-Pacific headquarters of the PSA Group. After the handover is completed, the sales work will be taken over by the DS brand team. The DS brand officially embarks on the road of independent development in China and does not interfere with DPCA."

Data show that Baoneng Group's entry into the automotive industry began in 2017 and officially entered the automobile manufacturing industry through the acquisition of Guanzhi Automobile, and Baoneng Group is not a "clear master". After Baoneng acquired Changan logo Citroen, the brand-new flagship car DS 9 made in Shenzhen factory was officially put on the market in March 2021. The new car is based on the EMP3 platform. The current official price is 25.49-404900 yuan, providing 1.6t gasoline and 1.6t plug-in hybrid power.

The "flagship" car once again exposed the French's overconfidence and lack of self-knowledge in building cars. Beatrice Beatrice Foucher, brand director of DS, said in a media interview that the launch of the DS 9 was aimed at turning Peugeot Citroen into a luxury carmaker worthy of its name in a "real sense". She also said, "DS is exactly the same luxury car brand as BMW Audi Mercedes-Benz. DS owners love to drive, especially fashionable cars like the DS 9. "

A popular joke vividly describes DS's situation in China: a sales consultant who left Toyota's 4S store went to DS for an interview with a goal of selling 50 cars a month, and he was immediately asked to take over as sales director.

DS, unaccustomed to the Chinese auto market, has repeatedly jumped on the brink of obscurity and on the verge of delisting. Of course, this muddling along attitude of development, it is difficult to see the hope of DS out of the predicament, now luxury brands have begun to enter the big reshuffle, there is not much time left for DS, and do it and cherish it! According to the official release, the DS 7 Lufu Collection will be officially listed in China on July 14.

In fact, it has been difficult for the DS brand to enter the Chinese market from the very beginning, which has something to do with the performance of French cars in the Chinese market. In 2016, China overtook France for the first time to become the world's largest single market for PSA Group, and then PSA Group's sales in China began to shrink. DPCA, a joint venture, continued to decline after reaching a peak of 704800 vehicles in 2015, falling by 15.2%, 36.85%, 32.89%, 55.17% and 55.74% respectively from 2015 to 2020, halving sales for two years in a row. In April 2020, Dongfeng Renault, established by France Renault Group and Dongfeng Automobile Group in December 2013, officially announced its withdrawal from the Chinese market.

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