For traditional automakers, why is it so difficult to "pile on features"?

At the beginning of this article, we'd like to ask you a question. In your impression, how do car - makers represented by domestic "new forces" differ from traditional car - makers like the so - called "Detroit giants" in terms of product concepts?

Many friends may immediately think of exterior design. For example, new brands tend to have more sci - fi styling, while traditional car - makers are more conservative. Or in terms of technological configurations, "new forces" are more willing to "pursue the latest", while traditional car - makers often "focus on stability".

However, these ideas are actually illusions formed due to a lack of a long - term perspective and insufficient analysis of information. After all, even some aircraft manufacturers or certain well - known car brands have had periods of bold exterior design and have produced models that were technologically ahead of their time. In terms of design level or technological concepts, those long - established factories with decades or even centuries of history may not be as conservative as people think.

Since traditional car - makers actually have sufficient technological background and technical accumulation, why do many consumers still think that traditional car - makers are "old - fashioned" and often lack appeal in the face of new forces?

"Stacking features" is not entirely about sincerity but the natural result of technological development

Looking at the car market in recent years, it's not difficult to conclude that the real problem is not about the level of background or design, but more practical and "mundane" factors. New brands are often more "generous" in providing consumers with rich configurations and better - looking parameters. They may even make some seemingly high - end features "standard across the entire range", which naturally makes most consumers have a good impression.

Looking at traditional car - makers, is it really that they don't have the ability to produce cars that are gorgeous, high - tech, and well - crafted? That's impossible. However, when we focus on the mainstream - priced models that most consumers pay attention to, we have to admit that compared with "new forces", classic models of traditional brands often seem rather stingy in terms of "materials used".

The most typical examples here are the assisted driving function and various comfort configurations. Before new forces generally "maxed out" the assisted driving and comfort configurations, and even made them "standard across the entire range", mainly distinguishing different price ranges by battery capacity and power system, in the market dominated by traditional brands for a long time, comfort configurations were almost only available for the "mid - to high - end" versions of mainstream models. And early assisted driving functions were often exclusive to "top - end models".

From today's perspective, this is not a mystery and can't even be called a "conceptual dispute". The reason why current electric vehicles can be mainly distinguished by battery capacity and power system is that, on the one hand, there is battery - swapping technology and the concept of "software - defined vehicles". So car - makers can create performance differences through "software unlocking" with a single set of hardware, which reduces the complexity of production and caters to many consumers who don't need such "high - performance" vehicles.

In the past, cars were mainly distinguished by peripheral configurations because, on the one hand, the relevant technologies at that time were not advanced enough to sell functions through "OTA subscriptions" after selling the car. Secondly, the power level of mainstream household internal combustion engines was limited, and there was not as much adjustment space as electric motors. For past cars, it was not feasible to distinguish high - and low - priced versions by fuel tank size. So, to lower the price threshold and have "high - end" versions for market promotion, using peripheral configurations to create differentiation was the only viable option.

However, as the relevant technologies of electric vehicles become more mature, as suppliers of autonomous driving make algorithms and sensors more mature and affordable, and as "software - defined vehicles" become a very simple solution, even long - established car - makers that have been stingy with peripheral configurations for decades should understand what "maxing out the configurations" means and be able to create a so - called "beyond - class luxury experience" in the mainstream price range.

The model Tesla just launched in China has suddenly become "luxurious"

A typical example here is the Model Y L that Tesla just launched in the Chinese market today.

What is the Model Y L? Judging from its name and styling, it can be said to be an extended and enlarged "six - seat" version of the Model Y. Compared with the previous Model Y, its body is 179mm longer and the wheelbase is 150mm longer. While maintaining the iconic exterior lines and avoiding a "boxy" shape, the interior storage space has been increased to a maximum of 2539 liters. Even when the car is fully occupied by six people, the trunk can still hold two 24 - inch and one 20 - inch suitcases.

Even in the space design of this car, the Model Y L gives us a feeling similar to that of "Japanese cars". For example, without increasing the width, the internal space of the third row has actually been widened by 20mm. At the same time, the height and size of the third - row seats are designed for adult figures from the start, rather than just for children or pets. Even in the trunk area of the Model Y L, there is a specially designed "magic space". By simply flipping the trunk cover, erecting the left and right brackets of the trunk, and flattening the third - row seats, the three can be connected to form a flat storage space.

However, the most surprising thing about the Model Y L is not even its large space, but the huge changes in its comfort configurations and interior refinement. This model, known as the "mass - market version of the Model X", has made remarkable improvements.

When you get inside the car, the first thing you'll see is the newly upgraded 16 - inch central control screen, and its resolution has been increased by 30%. Below this large screen, the Model Y L is also equipped with air - cooled wireless fast charging, which can reach up to 50W and is commonly found in mid - to high - end models of new forces. The front seats with newly added adjustable headrests and legrests offer enhanced comfort despite their familiar appearance.

In the second row of the Model Y L, there are independent aviation seats, which are rarely seen in Tesla models but are highly sought - after in today's "high - end six - seat cars". These two seats support multi - directional electric adjustment, can recline up to 125 degrees, and even have an industry - unique electric lift armrest.

It's worth mentioning that the front two rows of seats in the Model Y L support both heating and ventilation functions, and even the third - row seats have heating and electric backrest adjustment. At the same time, new side air vents have been added to the second and third rows, and intelligent air volume distribution has been achieved among all three rows of seats. Coupled with the new silver - coated tailgate glass, the overall cabin has undergone a huge upgrade in terms of space, seat comfort, and overall riding experience.

With Tesla's self - developed 18 - speaker + 1 - subwoofer audio system, continuously variable damping shock absorbers, and a safety airbag design that is extremely rare in the industry and available for all three rows, it has to be said that the Model Y L has truly gone all out in meeting consumers' needs for "comfort configurations".

Changing mindsets is sometimes more difficult than technological progress

As we mentioned earlier, is it really difficult for any modern and mature car - maker to provide these comfort - oriented configurations? To be honest, it may be relatively more difficult for a car - maker like Tesla, which prefers to "，self - develop" everything and has its own style. But for most car - makers with stable supply chains, achieving this "transformation" in feature - stacking is more of a conceptual rather than a technical issue.

Interestingly, when we look at the entire market, Tesla seems to be half a step ahead of traditional car - makers that have just announced relevant models but have not yet launched them in the market in terms of "feature - stacking" and "comfort configurations".

Of course, this is not hard to understand. Although everyone understands the principle of changing mindsets and catering to the market, in practice, there are indeed differences in the management systems and operational efficiencies of different enterprises.

Moreover, looking at the popularity of the Model Y L after its announcement, compared with the reactions of netizens when some traditional car - makers announced their "transformation" and launched new energy sub - brands, it's not difficult to find that the "positive feedback" from the market also has a very important impact on enterprises' enthusiasm for product innovation.

To put it simply, the cost of a car is fixed. Whether to cater to the market and adopt a "feature - stacking" design depends on both technological and supply - chain support, as well as sales volume as a guarantee. New forces have caught up with a good era and have no "historical burdens", so they can be unexpected. However, when traditional car - makers face the change in market demand, whether they can keep up in time is not a problem that can be solved by "technology" alone.

This article is from the WeChat official account "3eLife" (ID: IT - 3eLife), author: 3eLife Staff. Republished by 36Kr with permission.