Citroen is set to exit the Australian market by November 1, 2024, following poor sales. Despite this, its parent company Stellantis will continue selling other brands, like Peugeot, in the country. Citroen will transition to a service-only operation once pending orders are fulfilled.
Citroen, the renowned French automaker, will soon exit the Australian market, with the final date for new orders set for November 1, 2024. This decision comes amid a backdrop of underwhelming sales figures, as the brand has struggled to gain a foothold in Australia, selling only 87 vehicles this year. This figure is significantly lower than those of luxury car brands like Ferrari, Bentley, and Lamborghini.
The departure of Citroen marks the end of an era, as its local distributor, Inchcape, will continue to handle other Stellantis brands, such as Peugeot. Citroen Will Not Disappear Fully in Australia Citroen’s presence in Australia will not disappear entirely. The brand will maintain a network of 35 service centres across the country to cater to existing customers.
However, this transition to a service-only model signifies Citroen’s broader struggle within the global automotive market, where parent company Stellantis has been grappling with declining sales. Citroen’s Focus in India In contrast, Citroen is focusing on emerging markets, particularly India, where it has set ambitious sales targets. The brand has localised the Stellantis CMP platform, which underpins several compact cars and SUVs, not only for the Indian market but also for export.
Citroen aims to sell 1 lakh cars annually in India over the next five years, positioning the country as its second-largest market after France. Despite these aspirations, Citroen’s performance in India has been tepid. Over the past three financial years, the company has sold approximately 17,000 units, with a significant portion of these sales driven by exports.
The C3 Aircross SUV, in particular, has found more success abroad than domestically, accounting for a substantial share of Citroen’s export volume..
