For several years, rumours have circulated that Citroën was moving down-market, suggesting that the brand could become low-cost. Thierry Koskas, speaking on behalf of Citroën, clarified the brand's positioning as a popular brand that wanted to offer accessible products. However, he also indicated that he wanted to compete directly with Dacia. So what is Citroën's real positioning?
Clear and accessible positioning
Emptied of its high-end part since the creation of DS Automobiles, Citroën searched for a few years before recently clarifying its positioning, concretised in new vehicles such as the C3 and C3 Aircross. Thierry Koskas said he wanted to make Citroën a popular and accessible brand, offering simple but not simplistic products. During the launch of the new C3, he indicated that he wanted to clearly target Dacia, despite Citroën's more developed range. To understand this positioning, it is necessary to clarify that of Dacia. The Romanian brand was initially low-cost, but has gradually moved upmarket, especially since 2020, where it has established itself as a general entry-level brand. The marketing of the Bigster, positioned in the C-SUV segment, and the increase in average selling prices confirm this change in status. Dacia is no longer a low-cost brand, but a fair-cost brand, and its ambitions to offer a compact saloon confirm this.
Faced with this development, Citroën's positioning as a popular and accessible brand, the gateway to the Stellantis group, can be seen as identical to that of Dacia. The recent C3 and C3 Aircross, with prices comparable to those of the Sandero Stepway and Duster, are a clear indication of this. However, Citroën has some notable differences from Dacia. Citroën's engine range is more extensive, including thermal, electric and rechargeable or non-rechargeable hybrid versions, while Dacia is limited to thermal and LPG options for certain models. For example, the new C3 is available in a single and plug-in hybrid version, while the Dacia Sandero is only available in a pure thermal version. The new Duster offers a hybrid version, but no electric version, unlike the new C3 Aircross. The competition between Citroën and Dacia therefore focuses mainly on the pure thermal versions.
Subtle but significant differences
Citroën also offers a range of commercial vehicles, a segment in which Dacia is completely absent. Citroën offers a wider range of cars than Dacia (eight models in total), from the Ami to the C5X, while the Romanian brand only offers four models, soon to be five with the launch of the Bigster. Moreover, Citroën is present in a large part of the world, in Europe, Asia, India, Africa and Latin America, while Dacia is mainly present in Europe with a few markets in Africa. Dacia models are marketed in India or Latin America, but under the Renault brand, not Dacia.
Finally, affordable prices do not mean sacrificing comfort at Citroën. The new C3 and C3 Aircross offer double suspension as standard, ensuring the best comfort in their category. From the You Pack Plus version, these models offer Advanced Comfort seats for an incomparably soft welcome, a clear advantage over Dacia models.
In conclusion, Citroën's repositioning in the popular and accessible segment may seem to be in direct competition with Dacia, as Thierry Koskas' comments suggest. However, Citroën retains its own specificities (engines, comfort, range) which clearly distinguish it from the Romanian brand. Rather than competing head-on, Citroën and Dacia represent two different visions of a popular and accessible brand, offering consumers more choice than before.
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