What does a customized car mean?
2 Answers
A customized car is manufactured according to the user's requirements. Examples of customized cars in the market: For instance, the Maxus SUVD90 is a customizable car. However, SAIC Maxus's car customization differs from ordinary car customization. SAIC Maxus not only designs and manufactures cars entirely based on user needs but also allows users to participate in key stages such as car definition, development, certification, and configuration selection. They maintain digital connectivity with users throughout the entire process, which is a feature that ordinary car customization lacks. Challenges of customized cars: In the traditional model, manufacturers produce vehicles with different configurations in advance based on market forecasts and store them in inventory, shipping them wherever needed. Once the vehicle STD (wholesale sales) is completed, it means the sale is finalized for the manufacturer. The money has already been transferred from the dealer's account to the manufacturer's account. However, manufacturers also pay attention to AAK (actual registration sales). This model shows more marginal benefits when sales are higher. The drawback of the traditional model is that it is not suitable for 'customization.' Customization implies complex configuration types. If each configuration is produced as a complete vehicle inventory, it would incur significant costs. Even if manufacturers opt for storing only component inventory, it would still lead to idle costs. Therefore, many OEMs transfer these costs to suppliers, which is actually a practice that can strain relationships.
A custom-made car is a vehicle designed and manufactured by the automaker or a professional organization according to your preferences, not the standard models that come off the assembly line. I once customized one myself, choosing a unique blue body color and upgrading the seat materials to better suit my lifestyle. The whole process was quite interesting but time-consuming—I remember waiting three months to take delivery. The advantage of such customization is that the car better fits personal needs, offering both comfort and prestige when driving. The downside is that the price is usually higher, and finding replacement parts for maintenance can be a bit troublesome later on. I think it suits those who pursue individuality and don’t mind spending extra money. Nowadays, young people especially love this sense of exclusivity.
