Stellantis, a global automotive conglomerate, has maintained a presence in India for decades. The older generation would recall the much-loved Premier Padmini and the Fiats. Sadly, Stellantis has been facing declining sales and has had to pull out many brands including Fiat from India. Today, they have only two brands left in the Indian market – Jeep and Citroën.
Citroën entered the Indian market in 2021, with the launch of the premium C5 Aircross. The C5 Aircross was praised for excellent noise insulation, ride quality and interior space and comfort. However, the lack of an established service network, along with premium pricing, didn’t inspire the confidence needed to attract buyers to spend Rs. 40 Lakh on a new brand.
In July 2022, Citroën launched the C3 – a compact family hatchback launched with the aim to grab vital market share in the highly price-sensitive entry-level segment. It came with competitive pricing and a stylish new design, and did gain some traction initially. However, the same drawbacks that held the C5 Aircross back came back to bite Citroën with the C3 too; it simply did not gain the layman’s trust. It lost market share to the Tata Punch, the Maruti Swift & the Hyundai i20.
In 2023, Citroen introduced the C3 Aircross, a compact SUV based on the C3’s platform. It was one of the most affordable three-row SUVs on the market, offered good comfort levels and a competent turbo-petrol engine for the enthusiasts. The car offered the best suspension setup in the segment with great handling as well as ride quality. However, the car couldn’t compete with other companies offering more features at the same price (India is, after all, a feature-centric market) such as the Hyundai Creta & Kia Seltos which remain the kings of the segment.
The Basalt, Citroën’s latest launch in the market, aims to take another shot at the competitive crossover-SUV segment, with a novel coupe-SUV design and very competitive pricing. The Basalt offers a 4.3m long car at a price point where you’re surrounded by sub-4 meter offerings. It offers a 4-star BNCAP safety rating, advanced comfort features, a competent turbo-petrol available with both a manual and an automatic transmission, funky but likeable styling. It’s the perfect example of how important gaining the market’s trust is – the product is fundamentally excellent and much better than others offered at similar pricing, offers a good size and practicality, yet has dwindled in the sales numbers despite Citroën’s best efforts. Buyers simply cannot spend money on a brand they fear will exit the market soon, with a wafer-thin service network and unknown long-term reliability.
Citroën and Jeep, both the only surviving Stellantis brands in the Indian market, have not even been able to reach 1,000 units sold monthly. These sales numbers are frankly unprofitable, and do not paint a good future for the brands. Jeep offers excellent cars at good prices, with great dynamics, a rich off-road pedigree and a robust, mile-munching diesel engine. Citroën, on the other hand, offers great comfort-oriented cars that still manage to be fun-to-drive, are well-priced and well-built, but lack the “bling” factor and many features offered in the segment, ultimately failing to woo customers into spending their hard-earned money. Citroën’s Basalt was a step in the right direction, and we hope they are able to guide the ship back onto the correct path and sustain a presence in the Indian market – the market only benefits from more competition!