| Configuration | Car Bar | Quotation | Reputation Ying Jianren Wu Jianzhong |

by wjztn on 2011-06-19 11:07:37

The sustained popularity of the new Bora and Lavida in the Chinese market has not only made a fortune for FAW-Volkswagen and SAIC Volkswagen, but also pointed out a "clear path" for many non-mainstream models. The approach of making exterior changes and extending the wheelbase on the basis of existing model platforms to pass off as new cars, this method of "less investment, quick results" was quickly imitated by some manufacturers. Beijing Hyundai, which has been unsuccessful in the subcompact car market, is one of them.

The guide price of the Rina: - Brand: Beijing Hyundai

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At the Beijing Auto Show in April this year, Beijing Hyundai, playing at home, launched the Rina as a key new model, hoping it would make achievements in the subcompact car market. Speaking of the prototype of the Rina, the Yazzent, like Hyundai ix35, Chery QQ, Honda CRV, etc., I believe most netizen friends will not be unfamiliar with it. Although the subcompact car born in 2005 and landed in the Chinese market in March 2006 did not have too outstanding sales performance, its "price reduction gate" incident caused by the official price cut still makes Chinese consumers unforgettable today. From the promise of "no price reduction for two and a half years" by Yoo Jae-man, the general manager of Beijing Hyundai at the press conference to the official price reduction of 8,000 yuan for Yazzent, there was only a short interval of 116 days, and consumers who felt deceived immediately took up legal weapons to defend their rights. Although this lawsuit ended with the defeat of the car owner, the impact on the corporate image of Beijing Hyundai was difficult to eliminate in a short time.

Reviewing the market performance of Hyundai Yazzent over the four years since its launch, it is far less eye-catching than Chevrolet Sail of the same level. In the first year after its launch, although it harvested a total sales volume of 42,174 vehicles with the good reputation laid by Kia千里马 (prototype vehicle Hyundai Yazzent), its annual sales volume fell to 26,665 vehicles and 24,401 vehicles in 2007 and 2008 respectively, compared with the同期sales volume of Sail at 87,031 vehicles and 107,336 vehicles, there is a huge gap. Entering 2009, with the explosive growth of the Chinese car market and its own substantial price reduction, Yazzent achieved an annual sales performance of 59,745 vehicles, but this result still had a significant gap compared with the 118,935 vehicles of Sail and the 113,191 vehicles of Honda Fit.

Entering 2010, although Yazzent delivered an impressive performance of more than 7,000 units per month (manufacturer's wholesale number) in the first six months of this year, from its market price of about 60,000 yuan (official price starting at 71,800 yuan), we can easily see the sales pressure faced by dealers. From the perspective of the manufacturer, Beijing Hyundai, which has always pursued high profits, cannot tolerate the continued decline in the price of Yazzent, and this may also be the most important reason for its launch of the Rina.

With dimensions of 4340mm x 1700mm x 1460mm and a wheelbase of 2570mm, the Beijing Hyundai Rina has reached a relatively high level among subcompact cars in terms of body size, which is what many Chinese consumers value. Compared with Toyota Vios and Honda Fit and other "large subcompact cars", the 20mm advantage in wheelbase will win Rina some favor from consumers. But a harsh reality also faces Rina, that is, while Rina belongs to the large-sized group among subcompact cars, when compared with compact cars like Elantra and Cerato, it no longer has any advantage.

In terms of actual riding experience, Rina has significantly improved in rear legroom compared to Yazzent, but due to the influence of the roof arc line, its performance in rear headroom cannot satisfy people. Compared with other subcompact cars in the same class, Rina's rear headroom performance is not prominent.

In terms of power, Rina and its prototype Yazzent both offer 1.4L and 1.6L displacement options, with the 1.4L model still being the main product. In terms of data, the maximum power and torque of the 1.4L model are 78.7kw/6300rpm and 135.4Nm/5000rpm respectively; the 1.6L model is 90.4kw/6300rpm and 155Nm/4200rpm. In terms of maximum engine power output, Rina indeed leads in the same class, but whether these high-speed engines can be accepted by domestic consumers remains to be tested by time. For most drivers accustomed to shifting gears around 2500rpm, the actual power performance of Rina's 1.4L model may not necessarily be better than that of POLO or Fabia 1.4L models with a maximum power of 63kw/5000rpm and a maximum torque of 130Nm/3750rpm, because Rina's maximum power and torque come too late, appearing in the almost unused high-speed range in daily use. If you want to fully unleash all the potential of Rina, you can only keep the engine in the high-speed range at the cost of high fuel consumption, which is unacceptable to most economic car consumers.

The same 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmission as Yazzent still serve on Rina. I am not surprised by this transmission combination, because Beijing Hyundai's compact and mid-size cars are still at this level. Compared with the 5-speed automatic of Fit, the 6-speed automatic/manual of POLO, Fabia and other models, and the CVT transmission adopted by many self-owned brand models, Rina has a considerable disadvantage in automatic transmission technology content.

In terms of configuration, Hyundai Rina adheres to the principle of simplicity. In its entry-level model configuration list, we do not see very practical configurations such as central control lock, electric adjustable mirrors, front fog lights, and luggage compartment lighting. Its practice of using 175/70R14 tires on multiple low-end models and not providing rear independent headrests, four-way adjustable steering wheels, and automatic air conditioning across the entire series also makes people feel somewhat disappointed. Slightly comforting is that ABS, EBD, and dual airbags safety configuration combinations are available across the entire series of Rina, but this still has a certain gap compared to the generous practice of Chevrolet Sail which standardizes four airbags across the entire series.

In terms of overall vehicle quality, although Beijing Hyundai Rina has made certain improvements in aspects such as rear legroom and maximum engine power compared to the previous Yazzent, this change is not enough to change its market positioning as a cheap family subcompact car. Compared with the quality-renowned Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Fabia, and the handling-focused Mazda2, Ford Fiesta, Rina still has a considerable gap in performance and quality. As for its proud rear legroom, it is highly likely to be completely erased under the low-price squeeze of Korean compact cars.

Price information shows that the market prices of Hyundai Elantra and Kia Cerato, two compact cars, are only around 75,000 yuan, and their prices basically determine the price range of Rina. From the perspective of consumers, although Cerato and Elantra lack freshness in appearance, their birth as compact cars and wider space than Rina are their capital to win in competition. Analyzing the characteristics of demand for domestic family cars, if the 1.4L model of Rina does not have an advantage of more than 10,000 yuan in price, it will be difficult to persuade consumers to accept giving up Elantra or Cerato. In addition to the squeeze from the two same-door compact cars, the low-price offensive of its platform brother Kia Rio (market price 60,000 yuan) also makes it difficult for Rina. For most meticulous consumers, spending an extra 5,000 yuan or even 10,000 yuan for just 70mm of wheelbase is clearly an unacceptable choice.

Under the squeeze of Cerato and Elantra priced at 75,000 yuan and the pursuit of Rio priced at 60,000 yuan below, it is not easy for Rina to break through the encirclement of its brothers. Analyzing the current market situation, setting the price of the 1.4L model of Rina (not that entry-level model whose configuration is comparable to a taxi) at 62,000-63,000 yuan is a rational choice, but the question is whether Beijing Hyundai can willingly give up high profits?