Citroën had a very good month in January on the French market, with growth of more than 20%, above the market average. This good performance is being repeated in various markets, and particularly in Italy, where the brand has recorded excellent results at the start of the year, some of which have been better known for three years.
In January, Citroën recorded a 5.1% share of the Italian private market with more than 7,500 registrations (including commercial vehicles) and a 4.7% share of the overall market.
To explain this performance, Citroën was able to count on its incentives called "Easy Citroën aid", which proved to be the key to this success: they are truly aimed at everyone and allowed the brand to grow by 32% in a market that recorded an increase of 13 points compared to January 2023. These good performances by Citroën on the Italian market make it the brand's second largest market after Spain, reinforcing the importance of Italy in the brand's sales.
An astonishing C3
The brand's performance can also be explained by the astonishing Citroën C3, confirming the excellent end to its career. With 4,697 units sold, the small Citroën increased its sales by 113.5%, placing it third in overall sales and second in its segment with a 15% share, twice as much as in January. 2023. It should be noted that in the private sales channel, the C3 recorded its best performance over the last three years, which is all the more remarkable given that its replacement is already underway.
The new C3 should also provide Citroën with new growth in Italy, but also in the electric car segment, where Citroën's market share is already 3.5%, excluding truly accessible vehicles. The imminent arrival of the C3, for which orders have just been opened, should therefore allow Citroën to increase this market share, as the fourth generation C3 will be the only truly accessible offer in the B-segment in the coming months.
In the electric car segment, which is still weak in Italy, Citroën also achieved excellent results with the C4 and C4X, which are the leaders in the C segment with a market share of 23.7%. The same C4 saw its sales increase by 69.76% to 421 units, becoming the first French compact sedan and the best-selling Stellantis compact sedan.
2024 is therefore off to a good start for Citroën, which is experiencing strong sales growth on the Italian market, driven by the C3, which continues to perform surprisingly well despite its age. Citroën can also count on electric cars, where the C4 and C4X shone in January, to continue to grow sales in the coming months, particularly with the arrival of the new C3, but also with the recent incentives from the Italian government, which should make the brand's electric cars even more accessible.