A good product is more important than a good name.

In order to compete for the same market "cake", car manufacturers are developing products according to the same "template", and homogenization is inevitable.

Along with products, SKU classification methods and car naming conventions have also become homogenized.

The naming of mainstream new-energy vehicle models mostly follows a discernible pattern, such as using English letters combined with numbers to facilitate the establishment of a serialized identity, or appending suffixes like "Pro" or "Max" to distinguish between high and low configurations, similar to smartphones. Some simply use numbers to establish a product ecosystem. Such practices are easy to understand, as they are more memorable and spreadable in the information-rich digital age. However, letters and numbers are limited, and car "name collisions" have gradually become an industry phenomenon.

Who would have thought that among the new cars unveiled and released this month alone, there are two called "S7": the GAC Trumpchi S7 and the IntelliWorld S7 under Hongmeng Zhixing. Without looking at the brand, it's hard to tell which is which.

When entering a model number (such as S7) into a car platform's search box, you are likely to see many models with the same name but different brands. To conduct an accurate search, you must include the brand name. Aside from the suspicion of "mutual riding on each other's coattails" among car companies regarding "name collisions", the overlap of multiple models is bound to create obstacles for users in their searches and may also result in some products being overshadowed, which is hardly a positive development.

(Image from Dongchedi)

This situation can also easily lead to an awkward predicament: when everyone has the same model name, the one that performs poorly will be embarrassed.

The phenomenon of car homogenization continues to spread, and following market trends is the right choice for car manufacturers. However, the frequent occurrence of "name collisions" in product naming raises the question of whether the letters and numbers available to car companies are no longer sufficient?

Naming cars is a complex art

Cars are a complex engineering system, and car naming is also a complex and interesting process.

The naming convention of letters plus numbers is not a trend started by China's new-energy vehicle manufacturers; it can be traced back to the era of German luxury fuel vehicles represented by BBA. For example, BMW has the 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, etc., as well as SUV representatives like the X3, X5, X7, and so on.

This naming convention is unique and recognizable, allowing people to immediately understand the vehicle's positioning.

Audi is also a typical example of a company that uses letters and numbers in its naming. Its sedans are named with A/S+numbers, SUVs with Q/SQ+numbers, and there is also a high-performance RS series. Among them, the A4L, A6L, and Q5L are highly influential IP car lines for Audi in the Chinese market. To maintain its influence in China, Audi decided to give the A6L a "green light," exempting it from the strategy of "even numbers for electric vehicles and odd numbers for fuel vehicles."

The combination of letters and numbers is simple and facilitates product categorization, making it easier for consumers to form a systematic memory. Early Geely models also referenced a similar approach, using EC, GC, SC, etc., to distinguish between models and positioning.

It was not until later that Geely returned to the "one Geely" brand, and models began to adopt Chinese names, such as Boyue and Xingrui.

Japanese cars place more emphasis on cultural elements, focusing on simplicity and practicality. Their naming convention employs words with specific meanings, such as Honda's Accord, Nissan's Sylphy, Toyota's Highlander, and Subaru's Outback. Each product has its own name and meaning, and there are corresponding translations for the global market, making it easy to distinguish their positioning.

Since Lexus, a subsidiary of Toyota, targets the same market as BBA, its naming convention also aligns with German high-end cars.

(Image from the Lexus official website)

Of course, expensive car models also adopt names with specific meanings, and there are many examples. For instance, the full-size SUV YUKON from Daolanger has the meaning of "Yukon," and many supercar brands prefer to name their cars with specific words to highlight their irreplaceability.

There are many ways to name cars, and they are not necessarily related to the brand's tone. They are more dependent on the manufacturer's vehicle production philosophy and brand cultural heritage. Over the century-long history of the automobile industry, many representative car models have been born, with great influence and unique names, unlike the current situation of "same-name cars everywhere."

Therefore, naming is also an important part of automotive marketing. A good name can help the market form memory points. There are many ways for car companies to choose names. As the automotive industry calls for a focus on original design, it is not a bad idea to try to be creative in naming.

However, it seems there are other reasons behind the "name collisions" among car companies.

Innovation is also needed in car naming

The phenomenon of car "name collisions" is not due to carelessness on the part of car companies; in the view of Diantong Auto, there is indeed an element of "bumping into each other" intentionally. The advantages of the English plus number naming convention mentioned earlier have also been adopted by new-energy vehicle companies to quickly establish memory points.

In addition to creating memory points, this naming convention also helps car companies sort out their product lines and make them more sequential. The earliest product lineup of Deep Blue Automobile consisted of the S7 SUV and the SL03 sedan. However, the problem was that the names of these two models did not easily evoke the Deep Blue brand. Subsequently, the official sorted out the product line, resulting in the current L series for sedans and S series for SUVs, with SL03 and G318 existing as special models.

New-energy vehicle brands may not have thought too much at the outset. They had to create new models while also maintaining existing products, and the naming convention would change as the brand developed. However, due to the limited range of English letters and similar meanings behind model definitions and naming, different brands ended up with models sharing the same name.

There may also be instances of car companies intentionally "bumping into each other."

There are industry examples of conflicts arising from naming. Earlier, NIO and Audi had a dispute over model naming. Audi believed that the naming of NIO's ES6 and ES8 models infringed on the trademark rights of Audi's S6 and S8 because they might be mistaken for electric versions of Audi's S6 and S8 models. The additional "E" letter was not sufficient to distinguish them, leading consumers to believe there was a connection between the two.

In the end, NIO was prohibited from using the model names ES6 and ES8 for sales in Germany and had to rename and relaunch the models. The trademark dispute between NIO and Audi is considered a model case in the industry, sparking widespread discussion and being one of the rare lawsuits involving car names in the Chinese automotive industry.

So, is Chinese naming not a good option?

In fact, special words and their meanings are also a good choice for car naming. Japanese cars have many products with English-to-Chinese names, and Chinese cars, such as Geely's "Xing" series and BYD's Dynasty/Ocean series, are all named in Chinese, receiving positive market feedback. Overseas models also have corresponding special names.

Chinese naming is more diverse and more in line with the dissemination of Chinese culture. For local consumers, it carries implied meanings and is catchy and well-known. BYD's "Tang, Song, Qin, Han, Tang" and Lenovo's Dream Home and Chase the Light have left a deep impression on the market, helping to establish cultural confidence.

Honda, which is making inroads into the new-energy vehicle market, has also launched a new brand named "Ye." Even joint venture brands attach great importance to Chinese naming, and Chinese independent brands can do the same.

In the view of Diantong Auto, there are many ways for car companies to create memory points. However, due to the market's clear "version answer," there is a tendency towards simple and clear naming conventions like Li Auto's L series and Wenjie's M series, inevitably leading to "path dependence."

As competition in the automotive market intensifies, car companies are becoming more focused on efficiency and sales. However, sales are only temporary. Traditional brands have survived to this day because they have left a deep impression, accumulating influence for their brands, which is far more important than pursuing sales.

A good product is more important than a good name

The early new-energy vehicle market underwent intense shuffling, with hundreds of new forces disappearing in just five years. Many brands did not even have time to be recognized by the world before they failed. In fact, many of the new products aggressively deployed by car manufacturers will ultimately become a type of "consumable" in the market. Products with severe homogeneity are unlikely to be remembered by the market.

Diantong Auto does not believe that English plus numbers is an outdated product naming convention. Xiaomi's SU7 and Li Auto's L series have been very successful, leaving a deep impression on consumers and seeing continuous sales growth. However, the issue of car name collisions is not worth emulating by car companies under any circumstances.

(Image from IntelliWorld Automobile)

Car "name collisions" represent an internal consumption among car companies. Today, everyone may know the S7, but tomorrow, it may be overshadowed by the popularity of another S7. With the same name, only a small number of products are destined to "stand out." In other words, even if a product has sincere product strength, issues with naming and marketing can result in a failed attempt for the car company.

Just as some car companies are keen on establishing cultural confidence and creating unique models, Diantong Auto hopes that car manufacturers in the industry can develop their own styles, not only to encourage the industry to produce more innovative models with differentiated attributes but also to help brands establish their own "spiritual core" and write their own stories. When a brand has a story to tell, consumers are naturally more likely to remember it.

However, if car companies even compete with each other over car names, it's not just a matter of whether the letters and numbers available to them are sufficient; it also narrows their future prospects. It would be better to take a moment to consider what kind of products and styles are truly needed.

Source: Leikeji