In 2021, Citroën will launch the C5 Aircross on the Indian market, but above all the C3 and the new C3 Aircross, which are designed, developed and manufactured directly on the Indian market. While the cars are generally appreciated for their style or comfort, the automotive media and consumers have long criticised Citroën for a lack of equipment or technology, despite the presence of competitors. This seems to have prompted a response from the brand, which is preparing to revamp its range in the coming months.
Since the beginning of the year, there seems to have been a real change of heart at Citroën in India, which is adapting and reorganising its range on the Indian market to respond to the criticism from consumers and the motoring media, who all too regularly point out the lack of eye-catching equipment on the C3 and C3 Aircross. Thus, Citroën has launched the C3 Aircross in an automatic version to finally respond to a major customer demand, but the brand has also announced that by July, it will add standard safety equipment to all its models, including 6 airbags instead of the 2 currently offered. This will allow the brand to bring its models into line with those of its competitors by offering a level of safety equipment that all customers expect, even those who look first at the price.
Citroën's rethink on the Indian market is therefore continuing and should have new consequences in the coming months with an increase in equipment for the C3 and C3 Aircross, which should therefore benefit from a level of equipment that will allow them to meet both consumer expectations and the very strong competition in this huge market that is India.
Ashwani Muppasani, COO, Stellantis India and Asia Pacific, said: "We know we have overlooked some equipment issues, but we are working on fixing them very quickly. Our team is growing very fast and you will see it soon. ". And indeed, the brand recently announced that in the coming months the C3 and C3 Aircross will be equipped with the following features, starting with automatic air conditioning and the folding key and start button that replace the key start. However, the brand could go even further, especially with the new C3 Aircross, which has been well received by the media, but which lags far behind its rivals in terms of equipment. Rumour has it that Citroën could equip the C3 Aircross with LED headlights, leatherette upholstery, a refrigerated glove compartment, a driver's armrest and a rear armrest with cup holders.
Citroën has therefore completely revised its plans for the Indian market, realising that these models, although well received in terms of comfort and living space, had too many inexcusable shortcomings in terms of equipment, and that the brand had fallen into the trap of thinking that Indian consumers were only looking for price. Citroën is therefore completely changing its approach and is working hard to bring its range up to the same level as its direct competitors. Above all, this significant increase in equipment does not seem to be to the detriment of sales prices, which are rumoured to remain stable or at least to increase very slightly. This is good news for the brand in the huge Indian market and should have an impact on sales, as the range is now on a par with its competitors, but the problem of a network that is still too limited and does not cover all of this huge market remains. However, this could change with a network that could be shared between Citroën and Jeep, giving Citroën greater visibility in the region.