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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.
沃尔沃汽车(Volvo Cars)的中国亿万富翁老板承诺让这家瑞典公司的经典北欧设计“现代化”。目前，沃尔沃急于在全球最大的汽车市场赶上竞争对手。
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.
中国最成功民营汽车企业之一的董事长李书福2010年从福特(Ford)手中收购了沃尔沃。虽然母公司浙江吉利控股(Zhejiang Geely Holdings)和沃尔沃的高管均否认双方在这家瑞典汽车制造商的战略上有任何矛盾，但李书福称该公司在快速转型的中国市场上是后来者，因而需要有所改变。
“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.
“由于上一个东家在产品开发上多年投资不足，我们确实看到北欧的设计缺乏现代化，”李书福在接受英国《金融时报》采访时表示。
“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.”
“在快速发展的当今世界，尤其是在快速转型的中国市场，我们真的需要借这个机会，提供对北欧设计的现代化诠释，完美切合人们的需求。”
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.
中国的乘用车（包括运动型多用途车(SUV)）市场去年增长16%，销量达到1800万辆，呈继续加速发展趋势，与其他发展中国家和发达国家市场拉开距离。
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.
其结果是，汽车制造商若想实现自己的全球抱负，在中国取得成功已成为至关重要的一环。它们还不得不改动产品设计，以满足中国购车者往往独特的需求，比如加大后排座腿部空间，以迎合在交通拥堵的中国大城市宁愿请人驾车的车主。
“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.”
“我们需要在轿车方面做得更好，倾听中国和美国两个市场客户的意见，”沃尔沃汽车首席执行官霍坎•萨穆埃尔松(Håkan Samuelsson)今年3月对英国《金融时报》表示，“包括以一种不同的方式关注后排座乘客。”
Mr Li, too, said Volvo Cars had fallen short in selling itself to Chinese customers.
李书福也表示，沃尔沃在向中国客户推销自己方面未尽人意。
“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.
“产品投资、质量管理和一家汽车公司的所有关键要素——这些方面都做得很好，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.”
“但我觉得我们在沟通方面有很多事可做，特别是从中国的角度来看。我所知道的沃尔沃……理应在市场上得到好得多的认可。”
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.
分析师表示，跨国汽车制造商涌入中国，已使中国市场成为汽车业史上竞争最激烈的市场，也给本土品牌带来巨大压力——吉利也未能幸免，今年1、2月其销量同比下降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.
李书福重申，他支持放开合资股比（北京方面规定外资在汽车企业中的持股比例上限为50%）。尽管沃尔沃理论上在中国是一个外资实体，但该公司的投资是与中国母公司合作进行的。
