Citroen India, part of Europe’s Stellantis Group, seeks to carve a niche position in the Indian car market by offering a stronger value proposition in its vehicles that it believes will fetch a good number of customers amid the intensifying competition. . 

“Citroen is not going to chase volumes in the Indian market,” reiterated Vincent Cobee, CEO of Citroen during an interaction here. 

The Citroen brand will focus on providing better design styling, comfort, space and other features. The brand is not here for the price-sensitive segment. “Our objective is to create value, gain customer interest and make a profit,” he said. 

Volumes in the Indian market continue to rise despite changes in customer preferences. The post-Covid era has also seen a shift to individual mobility. Also, the B-Segment of vehicles is witnessing strong growth not just in India, but globally. 

Since the Indian B-segment market is aligned with the global trend, Citroen is confident of creating its space in the segment despite growing competition, said Cobee. 

Citroën India is gearing up to launch what it calls ‘a hatchback with SUV styling’ C3, a sub-4-metre product designed, and developed in India for Indian buyers. The new C3 is expected to be launched soon with more than 90 per cent localisation. Since there are a good number of first-time buyers for B-segment vehicles now, Citroen is hopeful of creating an impact in the market with the upcoming C3. 

Cobee said the company’s first product its premium SUV C5 Aircross, which went on sale in April 2021, surpassed its expectations. The company had indicated that C3 would be produced out of its Chennai plant, which will have an annual production capacity of 1,00,000 units. It has a powertrain factory at Hosur in Tamil Nadu.