News from March 25th highlights that as domestic new energy vehicles rise impressively, even star models of Japanese gasoline cars are taking a hit, plummeting from monthly sales of over 20,000 units to less than a hundred.
Sales data from Che Di reveals that GAC Honda Lingpai's sales in February amounted to just 61 units, marking a record low. This model, at its peak, had monthly sales surpassing 20,000 units.
In February, due to the impact of the Spring Festival holiday, most domestic car manufacturers experienced significant declines in sales. However, few models saw such a massive drop in sales.
Take the Toyota Corolla, which competes with the Honda Lingpai in the same segment. In February, the Corolla maintained sales of over 2,000 units, unlike the Lingpai, which sold fewer than a hundred units per month.
In fact, a large portion of the target audience for the Honda Lingpai has been drawn away by domestic new energy models such as the BYD Qin PLUS DM-i, GAC Aion S, and Geely Emgrand GL. These domestic new energy models hold significant advantages in power, configuration, and fuel efficiency, areas where Japanese models traditionally excel.
Currently, the Honda Lingpai is priced between 109,800 and 169,800 CNY. Although Honda has offered terminal discounts of over 25,000 CNY, its entry-level three-cylinder model is notably weak in terms of product competitiveness in the current market.
For instance, the entry-level Lingpai model is equipped with a 1.0T three-cylinder engine with a maximum power of 90 kW and peak torque of 173 N·m. It lacks features like reverse image, radar, and a large central screen. Additionally, none of the models in the lineup have electric seats or rear air vents.
Such configuration shortcomings, compared to models like the BYD Qin PLUS DM-i, Changan Qiyuan A05, and Geely Emgrand GL, are significant, and it's understandable why consumers are not convinced.
For Honda, if it fails to timely introduce popular models in the new energy vehicle market, the sharp decline in Lingpai sales may repeat itself in other models as well.
