沃尔沃将在美推出中国产轿车

Volvo is bringing Made in China to American drivers. The Swedish carmaker plans to export a roomy, long wheelbase version of its S60 saloon to the US from Chengdu in China, where it operates a factory with its owner and Chinese joint-venture partner Geely.

沃尔沃(Volvo)正在将“中国制造”的汽车送到美国司机的手中。这家瑞典汽车制造商计划从中国成都向美国出口一款内部较宽敞、轴距较长版本的S60轿车。目前，沃尔沃在成都与它的母公司兼中国合资伙伴吉利(Geely)运营着一家汽车制造厂。

The vehicle, called the S60L, marks a possible turning point for the motor industry, as a mainstream carmaker pilots the long-awaited introduction of Chinese vehicles in the US, the world’s second-biggest auto market — albeit with a European badge.

这款名为S60L的汽车可能标志着汽车业的转折点，它标志着一家主流汽车制造商开始试行一个备受期待的计划：向美国引进中国制造的汽车——尽管这款汽车仍顶着欧洲的徽标。目前，美国是全球第二大汽车市场。

“It’s something that’s unique and we’re very proud to be the first,” says Hakan Samuelsson, Volvo’s chief executive, speaking at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

在底特律北美国际汽车展(North American International Auto Show)上发言时，沃尔沃首席执行官哈坎•萨缪尔森(Hakan Samuelsson)表示：“这是十分独特的经历。让我们非常自豪的是：我们是第一个这样做的人。”

China’s car manufacturers have so far failed to make a dent in the global auto market, despite the fact that it is now more than three decades since Volkswagen set up one of the country’s first big joint ventures. For example, BYD, the electric carmaker backed by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, had planned to introduce China-made vehicles in the US in 2010, but the plans fizzled out.

自大众(Volkswagen)在中国创办首个大型合资企业以来，时间已过去了逾30年。然而到目前为止，中国汽车制造商仍未对全球汽车市场产生很大影响。比如，曾获亿万富翁沃伦•巴菲特(Warren Buffett)投资的电动汽车制造商比亚迪(BYD)，曾计划在2010年向美国引进中国制造的汽车，结果却不了了之。

Volvo began production of the S60L at the Chengdu plant in 2013, and has capacity to make 120,000 vehicles each year.

沃尔沃于2013年开始在成都的工厂生产S60L，其产能为每年12万辆。

The question is whether US consumers are ready for vehicles made in China, which lacks a strong reputation in carmaking despite it being the world’s biggest producer of manufactured goods and boasting industrial prowess in areas from consumer technology to textiles.

现在的问题在于，美国消费者是否为接受中国制造汽车做好了准备。毕竟，虽然中国是全球最大的制造品生产国，在包括消费高科技产品和纺织品在内的领域，中国也以强大的工业实力而自豪，但是中国在汽车制造领域的名声并不是十分响亮。

“This is something the industry is going to watch very closely,” says Stephanie Brinley, analyst at IHS Automotive. “We want to understand how consumers feel and are going to react, but right now we just don’t know.”

思迈汽车信息咨询公司(IHS Automotive)分析师斯蒂芬妮•布林利(Stephanie Brinley)表示：“汽车业对此将极为关注。我们很想了解消费者的感受，并了解他们将会如何回应，然而目前我们还对此一无所知。”

Volvo says it is simply making best use of the global manufacturing footprint offered by Geely. It stresses the factory equipment, training and employee qualifications are the same whether in Gothenburg or Chengdu.

沃尔沃表示，该公司所做的只是充分利用了吉利提供的全球生产基地。该公司强调，不论是在哥德堡还是在成都，工厂设备、人员培训以及员工素质都是完全一样的。

“We are not talking about exporting a Chinese car,” says Mr Samuelsson. “It’s a Volvo. Nobody has said the S60 [made in Genk] is a Belgian car. We know the quality is absolutely the same, if not better.”

萨缪尔森表示：“我们在讨论的并不是出口中国轿车。我们出口的是沃尔沃。没人会说在根克(Genk)市生产的S60是比利时轿车。我们知道的是，这些产品的品质就算不能说是更好，也得说是完全一样。”

“In the end you have to be a bit humble and accept that the customers are the ones deciding.”

“归根结底，大家还是应该谦卑一点，让顾客来做决定。”

Honda sells its Chinese-made Fit car in Canada. But for some US consumers, the Volvo S60L will trigger some uncomfortable associations, according to analysts.

本田(Honda)也在加拿大销售中国制造的飞度(Fit)轿车。不过，按照分析师的说法，沃尔沃S60L会让美国消费者产生不好的联想。

“Many Chinese cars are not ready for American primetime, as we’ve seen some very subpar Chinese vehicles displayed at American auto shows,” says Michelle Krebs, analyst for . But she adds that very few US consumers know — or care — where their cars are made.

网站分析师米歇尔•克雷布斯(Michelle Krebs)表示：“许多中国汽车都没有做好走入美国‘黄金档’的准备，尽管我们曾在美国车展上看到过一些十分低档的中国汽车。”不过，她补充说，美国消费者极少有人了解或关心汽车的产地。

Volvo’s S60L, which has sold to about 25,000 customers in China since launch, forms part of the company’s wider plan to resurrect its fortunes in the US.

自推出以来，沃尔沃S60L轿车已在中国出售了2.5万辆，该款车型是沃尔沃在美国打翻身仗的更大计划的一部分。

Volvo this month reported record sales of 466,000 vehicles for 2014, thanks to strong growth in the Chinese market, the world’s largest by sales.

由于在中国市场的强劲增长，沃尔沃这个月录得2014年销售46.6万辆的创纪录销量。目前，中国是全球汽车销量最大的市场。

But the US, once Volvo’s biggest market, has been a problem and is now just 12 per cent of sales. The company sold 56,000 vehicles in the US last year, down 8 per cent on 2013.

不过，曾一度是其最大市场的美国对沃尔沃来说却是个问题。如今，在沃尔沃销量中美国市场所占的比例只有12%。去年，该公司在美国的销量是5.6万辆，比2013年下降8%。

“Our programme narrowed, so we concentrated on too few cars,” says Mr Samuelsson. “We have to reverse that.”

萨缪尔森表示：“我们收窄了产品计划，专注生产的非常少的几类轿车。我们必须改变这种状况。”

Volvo has put in place a new management team in the US and ramped up its marketing activities in the country.

目前，沃尔沃已经在美国配置了新的管理团队，并加大了在美国的营销力度。

Initial volume expectations by Volvo for the S60L in the US are low — about 1,500 a year. More important will be the XC90, a sport utility vehicle, and a new S60 saloon, being launched in Detroit.

沃尔沃对S60L在美销量的初步预期很低，只有大约每年1500辆。对沃尔沃来说，更重要的车型将会是XC90这款运动型多功能车(SUV)，以及在底特律推出的新款S60轿车。

Mr Samuelsson wants to get the company selling 100,000 vehicles in North America by broadening its product range, part of a plan to reach 800,000 in global sales over the medium term. “We need to grow here faster and this [S60L] is a piece in that puzzle,” he says.

萨缪尔森希望，通过增加产品种类，能让沃尔沃在北美的销量达到10万辆，从而实现在中期内达到全球销售80万辆的计划。他说：“我们需要在北美市场的快速增长，这款（S60L）车型就是这一完整拼图中的一块。”

But the importance of the S60L stretches beyond its volumes.

不过，S60L的重要性不止是在销量方面。

Mr Samuelsson says the car could be followed by other Volvo models made in China for export. Analysts say rival manufacturers may replicate Volvo’s move, including Buick, the General Motors brand that builds its Envision crossover SUV in China’s Shandong province for the Chinese market.

萨缪尔森表示，在S60L之后，沃尔沃还会出口其他在华生产的车型。分析人士表示，包括别克(Buick)在内的沃尔沃对手可能会采取与沃尔沃同样的举措。别克是通用汽车(General Motors)旗下品牌，它在中国的山东省针对中国市场生产昂科威(Envision)跨界车。