Since 7 December 2022, Citroën has been back in Indonesia, after a first failed attempt that led to it leaving the market by the back door in 1994. Today, Citroën wants to develop internationally and is looking for growth levers all over the world; Indonesia is one of them and the brand intends to play its part there in the coming years.
For its return to Indonesian soil, Citroën has chosen to offer a range of three vehicles, including the new C3, which comes directly from India, while the C4 and C5 Aircross come from Europe. In this difficult market, which should eventually reach one million units sold per year, Citroën is determined to establish a long-term presence and gain sufficient market share to support the growth of its international sales. .
Thierry Koskas recently announced that Citroën's objective is to return to the one million vehicle mark, with 70% of sales in Europe and the rest in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, each region accounting for around 100,000 units per year. If the Citroën boss is aware that the brand's return to the Indonesian market will be difficult after the mistakes made in 1994, he is confident about the product range. The Citroën C3 with competitive prices and also the 7-seater C3 Aircross can open the way for us to enter the market", he declares, but the brand boss goes even further, indicating that "we have a number of models tailored to the Indonesian consumer, including the 7-seater C3 Aircross compact SUV that we will soon launch in India and then in Indonesia. There is also a strong possibility that we will bring new competitively priced electric cars to Indonesia.
Citroën is ambitious in Indonesia, so much so that for a few days in July it welcomed the entire Indonesian automotive press, who were able to meet the brand's managers, test the vehicles in the range and discover the latest Oli concept, a sign that Citroën really wants to conquer the Indonesian market in order to contribute to the growth of these international sales.
In the past, 85% of Citroën's sales were in Europe, but by 2022 the brand's international sales will account for 27% of the total, including 12% in South America, 8% in China and 3% in the Indo-Pacific region. If India is a strategic market for Citroën and Stellantis, it is mainly because the market is destined to become very large, but also because India can serve as an export base, particularly to Indonesia. There is therefore a good chance that the brand's range will develop strongly in Indonesia, starting with the C3 Aircross, the 7-seater version of which seems to have been designed for this market, since 70% of car sales there are 7-seaters.
Citroën is on the offensive, particularly in its regions, where it intends to take its full place in these markets. It is also on the offensive in Europe, particularly with the future C3, which will allow the brand to go on the offensive again. The development of international sales will also enable Citroën to secure its future by reducing its dependence on a stagnating or even declining European market.