[rajshenoy]

In india, cars are always aspirational. Citroen failed to understand this and learn from the experiences of Renault which is still struggling after so long.

One one end they launched C5 aircross at a premium price when the brand had no presence in india and then they directly jump to Brezza/nexon category(good category though !!) with a car that looks so bland and has no aspirational features that we Indians like !!

They are next planning a c3 aircross in another hot segment and the only USP they seem to be offering is those +2 seats.

In order to succeed, what they really needed was launch C3(and aircross) and load it to the brim like kia did and became instant hit.

[shankar.balan]

Citroen makes lovely cars.The C5 AirCross is lovely. But it is very expensive. Citroen simply does not command that level of cachet/ brand value in India.
They tried to go closer to the mass consumer with the C3, but they will find it near impossible to succeed in India. They just haven't read this market right. Indians want ‘all in’ pricing and not ‘optional add ons’ at extra cost. They want 125% for a price of 80%. Until Citroen learns and adapts, the way the Koreans have done, the brand will only see a lackadaisical and lukewarm response from consumers.

[Pyrotek]

Originally Posted by ashutoshb

Saurabh Vatsa, the Brand Head of Citroen India, has tendered his resignation.

This news comes just two years after Vatsa's elevation to the role of Brand Head at Citroen in India.

Source: ET AUTO

Was he responsible for Citroen's out of this world strategy or did he want out because he didnt agree with his bosses on the current strategy?

Honestly, this is a positive sign. It means that the status quo has been shaken and stirred. I hope something fresh and dynamic comes out from this change of leadership. Citroen needs to focus on the basics. Kia and MG have shown the way on how to establish new brands and they just need to follow the playbook.

Combining operations with Jeep is the need of the hour. Let's hope for the best as we can't afford to see more car manufacturers leave India.

[antonylejos]

Originally Posted by Pyrotek

Citroen needs to focus on the basics. Kia and MG have shown the way on how to establish new brands and they just need to follow the playbook.
Combining operations with Jeep is the need of the hour. Let's hope for the best as we can't afford to see more car manufacturers leave India.

I want to see Citroën continue its presence in India, especially because I chose to buy Citroën C3. However, I'm puzzled by the majority team-bhp's desire for Citroën to follow in the footsteps of MG and Kia.

For those who appreciate MG and Kia, we already have these brands in the market.

I am sure, It's not just me; those minority who opted to buy Citroën did so because they appreciate Citroën for what it is.

If Citroën were to become just another MG or Kia, I might have chosen Tata Altroz, Maruti (Brezza or XL6) or Renault (Kiger), which were the alternative options I considered while shopping for a car.

[Pyrotek]

Originally Posted by antonylejos

However, I'm puzzled by the majority team-bhp's desire for Citroën to follow in the footsteps of MG and Kia.

For those who appreciate MG and Kia, we already have these brands in the market.

I am sure, It's not just me; those minority who opted to buy Citroën did so because they appreciate Citroën for what it is.

Yes, it appears you are in the minority. But that's why the sales are what they are and we are all discussing how to help Citroen move forward to get more mass appeal.

Citroen is not selling Porsches that they can survive on such low volumes.

My point is to highlight what the brand needs to do.
1. Improve the specifications and availability of creature comforts in the cars being offered
2. Provide better assortment of powertrains
3. Increase marketing and promotion across channels and at grassroots level
4. Provide strong warranty and service packages to improve peace of mind in owning a new brand

All of the above can help Citroen attract a broader customer base and generate volumes.

[arjab]

Citroen marketing head quits.
About time too. Hope someone sensible steps in and does justice to these well engineered vehicles.
Source:
Saurabh Vatsa, Citroen India Brand Head, resigns
https://auto.economictimes.indiatime...igns/103557313
- shared via ETAuto App:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...?id=com.etauto

[loki]

How difficult is it to know whats selling and what isn't (atleast from past examples).

Eg: The Koreans - Launch with a bang:

• Give all features which the typical buyer in the segment might not need but still WANTS. Even Tata cars' feature set are almost 95% of the Koreans these days which is why their volumes have been on the rise. Don't compromise on the features while focussing on your other USPs (Eg: Safety etc).

• Multiple Engine Options at launch. Auto transmission at Launch. Market is clearly moving towards AT. So you have pretend that you are blind if you don't offer an AT at launch.

• Dealerships / Touchpoints - thats a different conversation but linked to the same puzzle. But first get your product right.

You don't need to hire some expensive MBAs or veterans in the auto industry to figure out the baseline of the market... OK I'm oversimplifying but somebody needs to knock sense into brands like Citroen. I think the C3 Aircross looks great. But why in the blue hell did they give flap type door handles from 20 years ago? Why no AT ? The Market is rife with products which were eventually made good, but flopped because the first impression wasn't great. First impression counts a lot. If you are a new brand launching in the volume+ segment (<= 20L INR), you need a Superhit at Launch (Eg: Seltos). Else, Adios. Only market leaders can shrug off a flop or two.

[JithinR]

Hopefully, this means Citroen India is finally taking notice of all the negative publicity the brand has garnered with bare bones variants.

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...delayed-430189

[reppy]

I only have one line to say - Citroën was unwilling to commit fully, and so was their customer base.

[vijayper]

Sharing my citroen experience in Chennai. Recently, I enquired about year-end offers with others along with Citroen dealers in an interest to replace my old SX4.

Most other dealers' approaches were very aggressive as expected and convinced me to test drive and even gave competitive dealer-side discount pricing along with an exchange bonus for my 2007 SX4, and also did consistent follow-ups.

However, Citroen dealers, though responsive to my initial call and informed me of the same offers as shown on the website, also informed me on the first go they would be unable to offer anything more from the dealership side and or even had did any follow up's with me, indicating a lack of sales enthusiasm.

I am not sure if this experience is specific to Chennai dealerships due to numerous inquiries of C3 that did not result in purchases or if Citroen has some process not allowing their dealers to offer any of their-level discounts.

[ashutoshb]

This is the base variant of their new C3. Shows what they are capable of and what they should have offered here, in the first place.

https://youtu.be/sA88dqcHKl4?si=q1gKEiYLxs2Fttff

[TejasKinger]

Citroen Partners With BluSmart, Adds 4000 eC3 Units To Electric Fleet



Could this be the shot in the arm that Citroen needs? 125 cars to start with then an addition of 4000 over a period of time could pave the way for more fleet operations for the eC3, which today only has the Xpress-T (No Maruti, Hyundai, Mahindra, Tata, Toyota or even BYD) as a dominant player. I've already seen a handful of eC3s being used as tarmac vehicles in some airports (Bengaluru, I think) and in some small fleet operations by players such as Lithium in Bengaluru.

Image credit: Zee Biz

[kadanaJ]

Has anybody noticed Citroen advertisements?

It's been a while since they've been here, yet I think I've seen near zero marketing from the brand. Combined with the fact that there are so few Citroens on the road, they have extremely low visibility.

I think Citroen's poor performance is not just due to the lack of features in their products, but a flawed marketing strategy.

If launching a new brand in India, one must spend a lot to ensure the brand is visible and that there is buzz surrounding it.

Kia also recently entered the market barely a few years ago, and that too with just one product, the Seltos at launch. Yet almost everyone knows the name "Kia". If you ask an average non-enthusiast, I'm sure many of them would have not even heard of the brand Citroen.

[DivyanshuDiv]

Originally Posted by kadanaJ

Has anybody noticed Citroen advertisements?
.....
If launching a new brand in India, one must spend a lot to ensure the brand is visible and that there is buzz surrounding it.

They should have seen how Hyundai entered India and did the marketing of Santro with SRK. While the production, sales and service was getting ramped-up, at the front they started targeting the market, and people were eagerly waiting for Hyundai Santro.

[jomyboy]

Last Sunday I thought I'd go and test drive what the Aircross is all about and to my surprise the Andheri West outlet has closed down.