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Interface News reported that Zheng Jie, chief operating officer of Fick Group in China and president of GAC Fiat Chrysler Automobile sales Co., Ltd., has resigned, Max Trantini has taken over, and Zheng Jie's whereabouts is unknown.

Zheng Jie is the first Chinese to rank among the top management of a world-class automotive group. Her automotive career began in GM China in 1997. She joined Chrysler in 2008 in charge of marketing and communications in the Asia-Pacific region, was promoted to President and General Manager of Chrysler (China) Automotive sales Co., Ltd. in 2010, and became President and General Manager of Fiat Chrysler (China) Automotive sales Co., Ltd in 2014.

In July 2015, Zheng Jie became general manager of Guangzhou Auto Fick sales Company, where he was fully responsible for the product planning, marketing, sales management and after-sales service of domestic and imported cars of Fiat, Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge brands in China. In January 2017, Zheng Jie was appointed Chief operating Officer (COO) of Fick Group in China, with overall responsibility for Fick Group's business in China and joined Fick Group's "Group Executive Committee" (GEC), which is chaired by the Group Chief Executive Officer and is the top management body of Fick Group.

After Zheng Jie became president of the company, GAC Fick's annual sales reached 222332 units in 2017, an increase of 23.6% over the same period last year, achieving 25 consecutive months of year-on-year growth since December 2015, but the situation began to reverse in 2018. GAC Fick's sales halved in 2018, with total sales of less than 130000 units, down 38.99% from the same period last year.

Entering 2019, the performance of the Guangzhou Auto Fick market still did not improve, with sales of 21706 vehicles in the first three months of this year, down 41.32% from the same period last year. So far, sales have declined for 15 consecutive months, and the decline tends to expand further.

Fiat stopped production last year due to poor sales, while the Jeep brand now launches four SUV models in China, namely, the Liberty Man, the Compass, the Free Light and the Big Commander, basically covering the mainstream 13-300000 price range. In fact, Guangzhou Auto Fick's marketing is OK, after all, known as "middle class" positioning, but the lack of product power is difficult to make up, quality and word-of-mouth in front of competitors are not excellent.

Guangzhou Auto Fick has just completed the merger of Jeep import and Fiat dealer channels in 2016, with a dealer network of more than 400. with emotional slogans, Jeep's first model, Free Light, is very popular, with annual sales exceeding 200000 units in 2017, but in fact, this year has already buried hidden dangers. One dealer once said bluntly, "in fact, most of the 200000 sales are in the dealer's inventory."

After 2018, the problems of Jeep models broke out continuously, and even "Free Light" and "Compass" models were named by CCTV for "burning engine oil", and the news of discord between manufacturers and dealers followed. On August 15, 2018, 35 dealers from all over the country came to Shanghai Jeep sales company to ask for an explanation, and a rights protection group composed of 78 dealers Accuse manufacturers of pressing warehouses, forcibly selling unsalable models and vehicle accessories, deducting "rebates", etc.

Despite its difficulties in China, FCA is pinning its hopes on Jeep. Last year, FCA announced its next five-year plan, the main core of which is to weaken the two major brands of Fiat and Chrysler, focusing on Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Jeep, while FCA is betting on Jeep that Jeep will launch eight new or modified models in China by 2022, two of which are Chinese specialties.

Becoming a first-tier luxury brand in China has always been the goal of Jeep, but the reality is to hit it deeply in the face. In the eyes of domestic consumers, what is close to Jeep is not luxury, but more the word "feelings", and the quality of "unrepairable Jeep" products makes people love and hate them.

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