Since last year, Chinese consumers have reported that Volkswagen vehicles equipped with DSG gearboxes have experienced abnormal noises, and they have upgraded to collective rights protection in March this year. In March of this year, the Law Enforcement Administration of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine had twice discussed the relevant representatives of Volkswagen and asked the company to propose a solution to the failure of the public DSG transmission as soon as possible. Subsequently, Volkswagen (China) provided DSG transmission software upgrades and extended warranty period. The industry's response to Volkswagen's response to DSG transmission failures is different.

Volkswagen has developed rapidly in the Chinese market in recent years, and its market share and number of products have continued to increase. What's even more striking is that Volkswagen uses the "TSI DSG" as a gold technology combination among a large number of its models (including Audi). The "technology card" has been thoroughly implemented in the Chinese market, and it has gradually been praised by the industry and consumers. In the eyes of consumers, the public can bring their latest technology to China and even settle in China. It is enterprise-to-user. Sincerely. But this time, because of technical reasons, Volkswagen encountered a bump in the momentum of the Chinese market. Consumers of Volkswagen, troubled by DSG transmissions, made sounds through various channels. With the increase in the number of media and consumers' voices, the issue has triggered a wider range of concerns. Experts and distributors have also begun to publish analysis of popular DSG technology.

What is the impact of the failure of the public DSG transmission in the market? How does the Volkswagen model perform in Guangzhou? What are the latest actions by manufacturers? How do dealers, consumers and experts think of this incident? The reporter went deep into the market and probed into these issues one by one.

The manufacturer's position insists on not recalling and extending the warranty period. From the previous year, there have been cases in which Volkswagen owners have been forced to replace the transmission due to the failure of the DSG transmission. The most common failures are in 2- Unusual jitter and flicker at 3 stops. With the increasing number of fault cases, consumers have increasingly questioned the quality of the mass DSG dual-clutch transmission. The pressure of public opinion caused two joint ventures, FAW-Volkswagen and Shanghai Volkswagen, to be announced in 2010 to extend DSG's warranty period from 60,000 kilometers to 4 years or 150,000 kilometers in the past two years.

Although the extension of the warranty period to a certain extent eased the dissatisfaction of owners and consumers, it does not mean that the DSG problem can be fundamentally resolved. More and more failure cases are still emerging, and consumers are demanding that Volkswagen's calls for recalling problem products rise one after another. Volkswagen's attitude to DSG issues is too dauntless to face up to the situation. It also laid the fuse for future upgrades. Although in March this year, Volkswagen again issued a statement declaring that the free software upgrade of the 7-speed DSG could solve the problems related to the failure of the DSG transmission. However, on the eve of 3.15 this year, AQSIQ revisited Volkswagen again. Relevant representatives demanded to solve the problem of the transmission failure of the public DSG as soon as possible. On March 29, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine formally sent a letter to the public again requesting Volkswagen to solve the problems related to DSG transmission. And clearly stated: "If the investigation confirms that the DSG transmission has defects, the AQSIQ will supervise and urge enterprises to fulfill their statutory obligations for the recall of defective products in order to protect consumer safety." But at this time, the public still chose to deal with silence in front of the media and consumers.

Just a month later, on April 12, the AQSIQ suddenly issued a news report saying that the defective product management center has conducted statistical analysis on the relevant fault complaint information concerning Volkswagen DSG transmissions, and has conducted nearly one thousand breakdowns of vehicle users. With verification and return visits, users generally report vehicle malfunctions such as jitter, abnormal noise, towering cars, and power interruptions. Therefore, they will openly collect fault information for the entire society. As of now, the AQSIQ is still in a state of confidentiality regarding how much fault information is collected. Xue Qingwen, a member of the Expert Committee of the Automobile Products Defects Center of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said that the next step is to sample and certify the actual problems that the owners have reported. “The owners say there is a problem. The AQSIQ will organize experts to see if this is the problem. This requires on-site evidence collection, using the instrument to measure some relevant data of the vehicle and the DSG.” He said that such investigation has not been done before, but he It is emphasized that domestic technical means have the ability to clearly investigate the DSG and do affect the safety of the vehicle. They must be forced to recall.

Perhaps it is the dual pressures of the AQSIQ and consumers that let Volkswagen really realize the seriousness and urgency of the problem. On May 23, Volkswagen finally made a statement to extend the warranty period of DSG transmission again, extending from 4 years or 150,000 kilometers to 10 years or 160,000 kilometers.

DSG extended warranty is not tied to vehicle maintenance As Volkswagen announced the extension of the warranty period for DSG transmissions, many consumers have turned their attention to more realistic details. Is it possible for Volkswagen's owners to enjoy the DSG's extended warranty service without any conditions?

The relevant responsible person of Volkswagen China made a more detailed explanation for this extended insurance policy: In the case of exceeding the entire vehicle warranty period (taking 2 years of 60,000 kilometers as an example) but not exceeding 10 years, 160,000 kilometers of DSG extended warranty period. In a certain period of time, where to carry out vehicle maintenance is the freedom of the owner. As long as the DSG transmission is still being maintained and maintained at the public designated 4S store, the extended warranty policy can be enjoyed normally. The person in charge also said to the media: “Because 4S stores are professionally trained in terms of technology, quality, and safety, and are considering the owners, we also recommend regular maintenance of the entire vehicle at designated mass dealers.”

This means that to enjoy the 10-year or 160,000-km DSG extended warranty launched by the public, it is not necessary to carry out the routine maintenance of the entire vehicle in the 4S shop within a period of 10 years or 160,000 kilometers. That is, there is no "bundling" phenomenon that consumers question. However, since the DSG gearbox is insured, the maintenance of the gearbox (such as the replacement of gearbox gear oil) must be performed in the 4S shop during the warranty period.

In addition, after the DSG warranty was extended, the vehicle's warranty policy for the vehicle remained unchanged, and the original terms were maintained. The DSG double-clutch gearbox on the vehicle must be maintained in accordance with the relevant requirements during the warranty period. These requirements can be found in the owner's manual. The DQ200 (7-speed dry) requires no maintenance, and the DQ250 (6-speed wet) requires the replacement of transmission oil and its filter every 60,000 kilometers. Terms and agreements can be queried through the warranty system.

Dealer Says South China Market Steadily Moving Forward Since Volkswagen put forward the South China strategy two years ago, the pace in the Guangdong region has been significantly accelerated, and the distribution network has been increasingly developed. Many new heavy vehicles have also been announced in Guangdong. In December last year, FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. Foshan Branch was formally established. The production base will be completed and put into operation in August 2013, and the first phase of production capacity will reach 300,000.

According to the reporter’s visit to the market, it has been learned that the popularity of the Volkswagen brand among consumers in Guangzhou has increased over the past two years, and the market share has also increased significantly. The person in charge of FAW-Volkswagen Southern District introduced to reporters that during the two years, FAW-Volkswagen's total sales volume in the Southern District achieved a 75% increase, and in 2011 it exceeded 130,000 units, and its market share increased from 4% to 5%. Nine is stable in seventh place; and reporters also learned from relevant channels that Shanghai Volkswagen’s market share in South China has increased by nearly 25% for two years since the launch of the strategy for the South. Up to now, the Volkswagen Group's market share in the South China market has increased from the original 12% to 15.8%, and the Volkswagen brand has also become the single largest auto brand in South China. The DSG incident broke out from the beginning of this year and reached a peak in March. At present, the impact on the sales of local Volkswagen brand products in Guangzhou is geometric.

Shanghai Volkswagen: Users are calm and familiar with Li Guang, general manager of Shanghai Guangshang Group, briefed the reporter: “The number of people who visited the store in May decreased compared with the same period of last year, but this is not due to the DSG transmission storm, but the auto market. The impact of the environment.” At the same time, Li Jun said that although the flow of passengers to the store decreased, but the volume has increased compared to the same period last year, the consumer purchase intention into the store more clearly.

It is understood that currently the best model for the sales of the Shanghai Guanglun is Lam Yip, which is maintained at about 80 units per month. The latest model, Passat, had reached more than 40 sets of monthly sales when it was first listed, and it is now stable at more than 30 units. . Li Jun said: "At present, it seems that sales have not been affected by the DSG transmission incident. The number of newly purchased customers remains stable. We do not have much concern about this incident, including our owners, but it is too sensitive to the outside world. "Li Jun said that Shanghai Guangshang has already sent customers the convening information on DSG gearbox software upgrades. This is the most recent period of time providing orderly upgrade services for vehicle owners." “I think that the DSG incident has little impact on the public sales in Guangzhou. On the contrary, the popularity of local brands among the public brands is increasing, and the future sales volume will be steadily improved. In May, we had a single store. Sales volume has increased compared to the same period of last year. In fact, we have sold more than 1,000 units in the first five months, and the semi-annual mission will certainly be achieved. Although the sales target for more than 3,000 units throughout the year is somewhat pressureful, the completion should not be a problem.”

Shanghai Volkswagen Fangcun Store's sales in March achieved a 30% growth compared to the same period of last year. Meihua Garden Store Sales Manager Xu also introduced that, with the supply of goods to keep up with, the current sales situation is more optimistic. "Shanghai Volkswagen has not reached the target sales volume for three years, and dealers' impulse pressure is not large. Everyone considers stable sales and reasonable profits. Because demand exceeds supply, many models are still waiting for cars, including the Passat 1.8T. DSG models." Xu said that the "DSG storm" has a very limited impact on sales.

FAW-Volkswagen: Many DSG models still need to queue up. "The impact will definitely be there, but it is not as large as it seems. Sales have basically not been affected." FAW-Volkswagen Guangzhou Jinzhong Store Liu surname sales manager told reporters, "DSG After the "disaster" appeared, it did make consumers worry about buying DSG models. There are also a small number of consumers who have converted models. For example, Bora car owners have shifted from 1.4T models to 1.6L models, 1.8T MAGOTAN customers have upgraded to 2.0T models, but the impact on overall sales has not been obvious.

Guangzhou Jinzhongdian sales consultants also told reporters that the masses' commitment to DSG's 10-year 160,000-kilometer guarantee in a timely manner was quite effective, fully discouraging consumers' various concerns. “I usually tell the customer that, 'Since the manufacturers dare to promise such a long warranty period, this shows that the problem is not serious. Looking back, even if the car is broken, it can give you a new one. What is there to be? Do not worry?'' According to reports, the store last month, the volume of new cars up to 240, not only more than 10% increase in April, also has a slight increase compared to the same period. At FAW Jianwen, sales director Liu Chisheng also expressed the view that the consumer groups of the VW models are quite rational and that most consumers will not change their car purchase decisions because of DSG problems. Consumers who have already bought cars will even lessen this problem. Software upgrades are more commonly accepted. “We have not received complaints from various types of owners during the use of the DSG. The recognition of the DSG in the consumer market is still very high. Many DSG models still need to queue up.”

Competitor Chang An Ford: "Technology Stream" sought after The consumer market's enthusiasm for "TSI DSG" has also begun to be verified in other brands. Chang’an Ford Xinfu Store Li Zhengda introduced that Volkswagen’s “DSG storm” accident brought many business opportunities to Changan Ford dealers. Since March, Mondeo - winning 2.0T models have increased significantly, attracting a lot of loyal fans of the Volkswagen brand. “Because we use a wet dual-clutch transmission, we have avoided the occurrence of overheat protection caused by frequent start-up of dry dual clutches.” Li Zhengda introduced that many consumers who pursue “TSI DSG” sense of speed increase and fuel economy have begun to Measure alternative models.

The number of digital DSG complaints remains high Recently, in the ranking of complaints released by the China Automotive Quality Network in the second half of April 2012 (April 16-30), the top 10 most complaints related to DSG were among the top 10 models. 60%, involving Passat, Magotan, Sagitar, Golf, LaVida and Octavia models, the total number of complaints 99 times, focused on the problem is "DSG gearbox failure, not resolved after the upgrade."

In the second half of May (May 16-31), the Volkswagen model occupied five seats, involving Tiguan, LaVille, the new Passat, Golf, and Sagitar. The focus is still on DSG gearbox upgrades. After the problem was not resolved. It is reported that since January 2012, FAW-Volkswagen and Shanghai Volkswagen have repeatedly appeared on the list because of DSG problems, and DSG's problems have been receiving constant attention from consumers and have not been resolved. Although Volkswagen proposed the DSG gearbox software upgrade plan in March this year, the software upgrade does not seem to completely solve the DSG gearbox problem in terms of complaints and complaints.

Significant increase in market performance vehicle models Although the sales of mass dealers in the Guangzhou market have not been affected, the price of the models has been significantly reduced. This reporter learned that FAW-Volkswagen's Mai Teng supply began to be sufficient, and the preferential rate also rose to 18,000-2 million yuan, an increase of more than 10,000 yuan from April. The 1.4T model, which has maintained a strong price, has now begun to increase its profit margin. The profit margin of the models such as the Polaris has increased to more than 10,000 yuan, and there are also 6,000 yuan discounts for 2012 golf.

The Shanghai Volkswagen Passat model has a maximum discount of 8,000 yuan, and it can be presented with 4 major gifts and iPad 2 and so on. In addition, the Touran concession with "1.4T DSG" has also risen to more than 10,000 yuan, and the supply is more abundant. Hao Rui 1.4T DSG models currently offer up to 12,000 yuan and 3,000 yuan subsidy, Octavia DSG models also have 10,000 -1.2 million in the concessions.

As one of the public's most proud technologies, the power combination of DSG and TSI has helped Volkswagen achieve sales success in the past few years. With the increase in the discount rate, the promotion of the exhibition hall is rich, but many consumers' demand for cars has been mobilized. The dealers' traffic and trading volume have increased significantly.

The latest move of Volkswagen's top management in the Chinese market On June 2nd, the Volkswagen Group announced a large-scale management adjustment in Wolfsburg, the most notable of which is that Volkswagen has set up a special responsibility at the level of the Group’s management board of directors. The functional department of the Chinese business, Professor Hezmann, a former member of the Group Management Board responsible for commercial vehicle business, became the head of the new department, leading the Group’s business in China. In the adjustment plan announced by Volkswagen Group, there was no mention of the whereabouts of Nikai, former president and CEO of Volkswagen (China), which was widely analyzed in the industry. Ni Kaiming was responsible for the DSG quality crisis that erupted in the Chinese market and left Volkswagen. group.

A number of German media reported that the Chinese business segment has become a focal point for Volkswagen's personnel storm. Wendn intends to add a directorship in China to the company's board of directors. It belongs to the Volkswagen Global Board of Directors and is sufficient to show the height of Volkswagen's presence in the Chinese market. Pay attention. Last year, Volkswagen’s sales volume in China reached 2.25 million units, and the target for 2020 is 5 million. The steady growth in the Chinese market is crucial for the top-notch Volkswagen.

Nie Kaiming, who has succeeded in the past two years and has made brilliant achievements, has served as the head of electronic products research and electronic product strategy for the Volkswagen Group. When he took the post of president of Volkswagen (China) in 2010, he was considered to be a signal that Volkswagen seized the bridgehead of China's new energy vehicle market. However, as of now, compared with Toyota, GM and even Honda, Volkswagen has a technical advantage in the traditional internal combustion engine does not show a prominent advantage in China's new energy vehicle market. With the DSG incident still continuing to ferment, Ni Kaiming's departure does not seem to be surprising.

Hezmann, 60, joined the Volkswagen Group in 1982 and has extensive experience. In 1993, he was the head of the global production plan for the Volkswagen passenger car brand. In 2000, he was appointed as the general manager of Volkswagen Saxony, and in 2001 he was appointed as a board member of Audi for production. In February 2007, he became the director responsible for the Group's production. Wendun highly praised him. He believes that Heitzman is an extremely experienced manager. “Because of his outstanding contribution, the Group was able to establish the most efficient production system in the global automotive industry.” There is also Wendeng, who has ended his tenure at the end of his four-year term, choosing such a director with extensive management experience to take over the unpredictable The Chinese market shows that China's business has not tolerated a slight loss. In the first four months of this year, Volkswagen sold a total of 858,900 vehicles in China, a year-on-year increase of 15.9%.