While the C6 only had one generation in Europe, a second generation is currently only available in China. While this large saloon had a fairly good year in 2022, the first two months of 2023 were difficult for it, prompting Citroën to drastically cut its price, with sales soaring as a result.
This is a trend initiated by Tesla, which has drastically reduced its sales prices both in Europe and in China since the beginning of the year, and it is having a far greater impact than expected. In fact, the other brands have lined up to offer significant reductions on their ranges so as not to give Tesla an extra inch. Faced with this situation, Citroën has adapted and also drastically reduced the price of its C6 with a reduction of up to 90,000 yuan or... 12,000 euros!
The response was immediate: the Citroën dealer in the Chinese province of Hubei saw a queue of people waiting to buy a car. This situation, which is quite unique, is due to the fact that the province of Hubei makes it compulsory to have a licence plate in order to be able to buy a new vehicle. Moreover, in the period from 6 to 12 March, sales in this province of Hubei increased by almost 21%, or 2,389 additional cars sold, compared to the same period last year. It is not only the fact of Citroën since all the brands to lower prices in China, but the brand with the chevrons has benefited greatly since the brand's sales have skyrocketed to reach 351 units against .... 49 in 2022 in this province of 58 million inhabitants. The reductions on the C6 have had an impact on the rest of the range as the best-selling model is the C3-XR with 288 units, followed by the C5 X with 158 units, then the C6 with 100 units and finally the C5 Aircross with 98 units.
These reductions, which were also applied to Peugeot, with discounts of up to 40,000 yuan or 5,400 euros, had a major impact on Citroën in this province, but also beyond, as residents from other Chinese regions travelled to Hubei to take advantage of these reductions, bringing the total number of Citroën "discounted" sales to 644.
The Chinese market is extremely competitive, with dozens of brands vying for consumer attention. When a player as powerful as Tesla shows drastic discounts, brands have no choice but to adapt, with repercussions for the entire market. However, this type of discount is not sustainable, although it has the advantage of clearing accumulated stocks in a market where production problems are less important than in Europe, while there are no delivery problems, it would affect the profitability of manufacturers who agree to make large investments in electric vehicles.v