李書福 沃爾沃汽車設計需要"現代化"

The Chinese billionaire owner of Volvo Cars has promised to “modernise” the Swedish company’s classic Scandinavian designs as it races to catch up with rivals in the world’s largest car market.

沃爾沃汽車(Volvo Cars)的中國億萬富翁老闆承諾讓這家瑞典公司的經典北歐設計“現代化”。目前，沃爾沃急於在全球最大的汽車市場趕上競爭對手。

Li Shufu, chairman of one of China’s most successful private car companies, acquired Volvo from Ford in 2010. While executives from both its parent company, Zhejiang Geely Holdings, and Volvo Cars have denied there is any tension over strategy at the Swedish carmaker, Mr Li said changes were needed at a company he described as a late-comer for the fast-transforming China market.

中國最成功民營汽車企業之一的董事長李書福2010年從福特(Ford)手中收購了沃爾沃。雖然母公司浙江吉利控股(Zhejiang Geely Holdings)和沃爾沃的高管均否認雙方在這家瑞典汽車製造商的戰略上有任何矛盾，但李書福稱該公司在快速轉型的中國市場上是後來者，因而需要有所改變。

“Because of a lapse of investment in product development over the years under previous ownership, we do see a lack of modernisation of Scandinavian design,” Mr Li said in an interview with the Financial Times.

“由於上一個東家在產品開發上多年投資不足，我們確實看到北歐的設計缺乏現代化，”李書福在接受英國《金融時報》採訪時表示。

“In this fast-developing world, particularly in the fast-transforming China market, we really need to take this opportunity and offer a modern interpretation of Scandinavian design which fits people’s demands perfectly.”

“在快速發展的當今世界，尤其是在快速轉型的中國市場，我們真的需要借這個機會，提供對北歐設計的現代化詮釋，完美切合人們的需求。”

China’s passenger car market, including SUVs, grew 16 per cent last year with 18m units sold as it continued to accelerate away from other developing and developed markets.

中國的乘用車（包括運動型多用途車(SUV)）市場去年增長16%，銷量達到1800萬輛，呈繼續加速發展趨勢，與其他發展中國家和發達國家市場拉開距離。

As a result, success in the country has become critical to manufacturers’ global ambitions. They have also had to adapt their products for the often unique demands of Chinese car buyers, such as greater back-seat legroom for owners who prefer to be chauffeured through the traffic gridlock that affects China’s largest cities.

其結果是，汽車製造商若想實現自己的全球抱負，在中國取得成功已成爲至關重要的一環。它們還不得不改動產品設計，以滿足中國購車者往往獨特的需求，比如加大後排座腿部空間，以迎合在交通擁堵的中國大城市寧願請人駕車的車主。

“We need to be better in sedans and listen to customers both in China and the US,” Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive of Volvo Cars, told the FT in March. “It involves a focus on back-seat passengers in a different way.”

“我們需要在轎車方面做得更好，傾聽中國和美國兩個市場客戶的意見，”沃爾沃汽車首席執行官霍坎•薩穆埃爾鬆(Håkan Samuelsson)今年3月對英國《金融時報》表示，“包括以一種不同的方式關注後排座乘客。”

Mr Li, too, said Volvo Cars had fallen short in selling itself to Chinese customers.

李書福也表示，沃爾沃在向中國客戶推銷自己方面未盡人意。

“Product investment, quality management and all the things that are key for a car company – great, there has been no compromise in those aspects,” he said.

“產品投資、質量管理和一家汽車公司的所有關鍵要素——這些方面都做得很好，不打任何折扣，”他表示。

“But I feel there’s a lot we could do on communication, particularly from a Chinese perspective. The Volvo, I know . . . deserves a much better appreciation in the market.”

“但我覺得我們在溝通方面有很多事可做，特別是從中國的角度來看。我所知道的沃爾沃……理應在市場上得到好得多的認可。”

Analysts say the rush of multinational car manufacturers into China has made its market the most competitive in the history of the automotive industry – and has also put immense pressure on domestic brands such as Geely, whose sales fell 40 per cent year on year in January and February.

分析師表示，跨國汽車製造商涌入中國，已使中國市場成爲汽車業史上競爭最激烈的市場，也給本土品牌帶來巨大壓力——吉利也未能倖免，今年1、2月其銷量同比下降40%。

Mr Li reiterated his support for a lifting of Beijing’s 50 per cent cap on foreign ownership in the car sector. Though technically treated as a foreign entity in China, Volvo Cars’ investments are done in collaboration with its Chinese parent.

李書福重申，他支持放開合資股比（北京方面規定外資在汽車企業中的持股比例上限爲50%）。儘管沃爾沃理論上在中國是一個外資實體，但該公司的投資是與中國母公司合作進行的。