The evidence After having accounted for 66

When a market grows on average that of 1 per year for a decade, as the European car market, its actors are all wood arrow. So does the GPS manufacturers, whose sales volumes are threatened with the thrust of "low cost", including Korean, but above all of the labels high range. The evidence After having accounted for 66.4 of registrations in 1997, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Citroën, Renault, Ford, Opel, Fiat and Toyota fell today to 61.

As in the luxury industry, the strength of the "premium" brands is both the intrinsic quality of their products to the irrational and the imagination that surround them. If it is difficult to dream with Renault and Opel, Jaguar, Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Lexus... evoke a more refined universe. Moreover, the owner of a generalist car will tend to say "I have a Laguna" or "I am a Vectra", while that of a high end model will indicate simply "I have a Mercedes" or "I have a Lexus," a little as if it belonged to a club!

The product in the heart of the strategy

Faced with this reality, generalist manufacturers try to retaliate with attractive cars, attractive style. Marketing specialists count, combining size and type of body, nearly 150 categories of vehicles. The answers are multiple: cut, roadster, sports monospace, luxury sedan. With a strong constraint: each model must have his personality, so be equipped with a specific body, using a maximum of large series components, measured costs synonymous. Coupe designed on the basis of sedans naturally come to mind, but other declensions are appearing.

In any case, the product must remain at the heart of the strategy. Is this not through, in particular, to a total renewal of its range that Nissan came out of the rut Now at the head of Renault, Carlos Ghosn knows. February 9, announcing the Renault contract 2009 plan, it did not fail to note the attention is the offer because, should be "if it fails the product offensive, not avoided not restructuring". Indeed, not only success vehicles increases sales, but they are easier to make, because they do not fall into the spiral of discounts and promotions. So, they improve on time margin task all by strengthening the image.

In the 1990s, manufacturers have preferred equipment and features such as elements of seduction. In recent years, the design is back in force. Even Opel, a mark with a reputation for austerity, has treated the lines of its latest generation of its all-new Corsa and Astra. "Builders put money in equipment, but the buyer not always see them." "This is why need them products that the message to the consumer is much simpler than today ' hui", argues Rémi Cornubert, responsible for the automotive practice of the Paris Office of Mercer Management.

A precursor sport minivan

The Peugeot 406 coupé will remain as the first example of a generalist group car quite attractive for the attention of the faithful of BMW or Mercedes. Launched in the first quarter of 1997, this superb model designed and manufactured by the Italian Pininfarina has found in France 10,000 buyers per year on average between 1998 and 2001, thus eclipsing its German competitor Mercedes CLK and BMW 3 series. More significant, the German sales approached 4,000 units in 1998, from the indigent scores record traditionally French cars of the segment H. And Peugeot has renewed the feat with the 407 Coupe, launched mid-2005. It has started smoothly in France, tying just the performance of its predecessor, but much faster in Germany. In the only first half of this year, it has already satisfied in this country nearly 1,700 purchasers against 2.700 for his great rival, Mercedes CLK, while competition is extended.

In another register, the Ford S-Max deserves that is attention. It is a vehicle to sport stylistic treatment to halfway between a break and a minivan: rims to the specific look, front bumper expressive and ouïes for extracting hot air behind the front wheels. "Design is a key factor, because it is he who guides the emotion," said Eric Benevante, Director of marketing for Ford France. The mark displayed strong ambitions for his new concept. The goal of 6,000 units in 2006 is mentioned, even though this model is marketed since mid-May.

Just as a coupé from a sedan, the S-Max shares many elements with another vehicle, in this case the Ford Galaxy MPV. It is same because 75 of its value comes from the latter, to which it borrows its platform, its suspension elements, any prior block and its mechanics, that this model could be developed. Additional source of savings, the S - Max is produced in the same factory as the Galaxy, in Genk, Belgium.

Quality requirement

Competitors from Ford informed the reception to this innovation. Let's start with Citroën. The presentation of the new C4 Picasso minivan, last month, Magda Salarich, Director of sales of the brand to the rafters, asked incidentally some specialized journalists what they thought of the Ford S - Max. A query that can be closer to the Declaration of Vincent Besson, Director of products and markets of Citroën, at this same event: "between 4.26 m to 4.86 m, in the family of minivans, there will be room for four silhouettes with different typing." And add: "In the 1980s, a minivan meant differentiation, this is no longer the case today." There are other expectations that are dynamic, the status, recovery, innovation and driving pleasure. It is necessary to meet to create a seduction. "What the designers of the Ford S-Max are fail to do.

For its part, Opel will launch in the spring of 2007, a very "sexy" roadster: the Opel GT, the Pontiac Solstice that available across the Atlantic European version since end of 2005. With its powerful 260 HP engine, it will drive the lands of the BMW Z4 roadster. This model of niche shows product policy implemented by the German subsidiary of General Motors, that its President, Carl-Peter Forster, summarized as follows: "our range will include 40 of traditional products, 40 of innovative vehicles and 20 of niche products."

With the C6, discusses another form of response of the generalist brands. Through this model, after six years of absence of the segment of large sedans, Citroën proposes more an alternative as an alternate to the XM. This newcomer is sufficiently different, by his style, his rear-seat space, etc., to attract some top brands of high-end clients. They will nevertheless deal with a few details of finishing and presentation. The objective is to register 6,000 units of the C6 this year and 20,000 next year.

Beware, however, a good idea to model is not sufficient. The quality must follow, and the services that the client waits at this price level. For failing these aspects, Renault and Matra failed with the Avantime. Innovative concept Coupe-minivan, she pâti execrable manufacturing quality.