What exactly is a luxury car?

– To be considered a “luxury product” there must be exquisite quality and good craftsmanship at the bottom. There are no shortcuts, states Gunn-Helen Øye.

The social anthropologist, who has been researching trends and lifestyles for several years, has a more conscious relationship with luxury than most.

In 2009, she completed a Master’s degree in “Luxury Management” at the fashion school Polimoda in Florence. The training entailed study trips to the innermost circles of some of the world’s most recognized luxury brands.

– At Gucci, I got to see how the shoemakers sewed different snake skins. The experienced, older gentlemen emphasized that “here only the very best is good enough”. Tampering with quality affects the brand, she says.

It was after spending a few days in the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and Hongqi E-HS 9, that we at BilAutofil contacted Øye to get some perspectives on what defines a luxury product. And where in the luxury landscape she wants to place the two cars.

Old rich and new rich

Eye talks on inhalation and exhalation about “low end” and “high end”. Anecdotes about lipstick as bait for fashion brands, men’s suits in wool interspersed with polyester – cool! – and names such as Riva, Armani and Prada roll off the tongue at a furious pace.

But before she sets off on “our” cars, Øye divides the buying groups of luxury products into three:

– Group 1 are the “old rich” who have had money for more than one generation, for example some of the Norwegian shipping families. They buy high quality things that will last. Discretion is inherited in the family values ​​and then you usually steer clear of “bling-bling” and ostentatious consumption.

– Group 2 are those who are described in the media as super-rich, those who have created their wealth in the first generation. These like to try to reach out to the “old rich”. Some – like Røkke – learn the codes and the culture and act accordingly, while others appear more like scatterbrains.

– Group 3 are the nouveau riche who stand for more flashy consumption. Either they haven’t learned the codes, or they don’t want to follow them. All they want is to show off their prosperity, says Øye.

Where she places the two duelists is unlikely to cause anyone to put the vintage champagne down their throats:

– The subtle Mercedes appeals to the top two groups, while the more sensational Hongqi appeals most to the third group, Øye believes.

“Pure luxury”

As is well known, a car symbolizes much more than being a vehicle. What do these two symbolize?

– As electric cars, they go straight into the “Pure Luxury” category, which many people are currently interested in. Everything – even luxury – must be sustainable. Flashy consumption is really a bit “out” now.

– What about Hongqi, who may appear a bit ostentatious?

– Someone will probably say that. Then I will draw in Bourdieu (social anthropologist Pierre Bourdieu, editor’s note): It is the look that says something about the car. The car itself is not flashy, it is those who see it who think it is, says Øye.

No fooling around with Rolls

While Mercedes-Benz has built its brand and reputation over generations, Hongqi is still learning in Europe. Eye believes the Chinese have made a stroke of genius.

– Precisely by being noticed, they achieve the very essence of a brand. If they had launched a toned-down and “gray” car, you at BilAutofil probably wouldn’t have tested it against the Mercedes. Just as many women wear red lipstick, and not lip gloss, when they want to conquer men, says Øye.

She also believes that it was “in good luxury brand spirit” to bring in the head of design from Rolls-Royce, Gilles Taylor.

– The story that he comes from Rolls-Royce can almost sell the car in itself. He knows all the codes associated with Rolls-Royce, and he understands that a new car from a Chinese brand that wants to enter the luxury segment in Europe must have something sensational and “glorifying” about it to be considered, says Øye.

Picky butts

The fact that the product is Chinese, and the major political aspects of this, she does not think many in the target group will be able to ignore.

– For them, the attraction is probably more about the technology in the car being decent, and the price – the fact that you get a lot, both car and attention, for the money.

– When it comes to the Mercedes, which costs twice as much, on the other hand, it is “far away” that the price determines the choice. In this customer segment, it is more important to know whether the leather you are sitting on comes from Norwegian “antibiotic-free” cows. Distinctions are essential. At Riva I learned that they had three more coats of paint than another boat in a similar price range. Again: Quality, says Øye.

– Which of the two cars would you choose?

– The Chinese one! I dare to make slightly different choices, and think that traditions can be a little trustworthy. It’s more fun to be innovative and a little daring. And then I would like to address the discussions that could arise, when I told them that I drove a Chinese car.