Citroën has just launched the new C3 Aircross on the Brazilian market, a new SUV that comes at the right time to allow the brand to develop its presence after the launch of the new C3, which has proven to be a success with more than 30,000 sales in one year. However, Citroën does not intend to stop there and is showing itself to be ambitious for Brazil with several new products on the menu.
At the end of 2021, Citroën presented its Citroën 4ALL plan, which aims to develop the brand's sales in Latin America, particularly in Brazil, with a view to achieving a 4% market share by 2025. This plan did not include the announcement of the launch of three new cars developed and produced in Brazil as part of the C-Cubed project, namely the new C3, the new C3 Aircross and the future coupé derivative of the brand's latest SUV.
The arrival of the new C3 has already allowed Citroën to increase its market share, reaching 1.6% of the Brazilian market, compared to 1.2% at the end of 2021. An increase in sales driven by the new C3, which compensates for the losses suffered by the C4 Cactus before its restyling. Citroën is thus slightly behind its market plan, as it planned to reach 2% by the end of 2023, but the recent arrival of the C3 Aircross should help it reach this stage fairly quickly.
Several new features on show
This year ends with the launch of the C3 Aircross, which will be gradually installed during the first half of 2024 to reach its full power and allow the brand to increase its overall sales. But the C3 Aircross is not the only new product in the programme for the South American continent, as Citroën has already announced the launch of Ami, a completely new offer in Brazil that will allow the brand to strengthen its image of innovation and be closer to the expectations of the population.
In addition to the Ami, Citroën is mainly preparing the third product in the C-Cubed range, which will be a coupé version of the C3 Aircross, which will be strictly a 5-seater and will allow the brand to offer a double range in the B-SUV segment, with a very spacious C3 Aircross with up to 7 seats and a more dynamic 5-seater version.
The brand should also make some modifications to the C3 range with the probable marketing of a 100% electric version, which would allow it to compete in particular with BYD and its Dolphin, launched last June at a price of 149,800 Reals or approximately 27,950 Euros. A competitive offer that Citroën could very well compete with an electric derivative of the new C3, which, according to rumours, could incorporate elements of the fourth generation recently presented in Europe.
An extended network
It is a fact that the creation of Stellantis has allowed Citroën to benefit from FCA's strength in Latin America in order to increase its visibility and expand its distribution network. This expansion is still on the programme for 2024, as the brand aims to have 190 sales outlets to cover more territory in the vast country of Brazil. This is one of the main obstacles to the brand's development, as it is not present everywhere, so sales are concentrated near the points of sale for obvious after-sales reasons, such as revisions.
The recent launch of the C3 Aircross, a model with better margins than the new C3, should attract investors and allow Citroën to gain visibility and reassure consumers by having a point of sale closer to home.
In conclusion, Citroën is continuing its strategy of developing its international sales with the aim of having them represent 30% of total sales by 2025, or around 300,000 units per year. This growth in sales will be driven by new products such as the new C3, the impact of which was still being felt in November, and the C3 Aircross, which should enable Citroën to reach a new milestone. The arrival of new products and the expansion of the network should also enable Citroën to move closer to its goal of a 4% market share by 2025, which it has two years to achieve.