The upcoming Basalt Coupe SUV will launch soon and might unlock new horizons for Citroen India sales against established rivals
In June 2024, Citroen sold just 339 units combined, with a portfolio of 4 cars. It is one of the company’s all-time-low sales records, which is second to only the 328 units sold in February 2023 (after C3 launch). The company is on the verge of launching its 5th vehicle, Basalt coupe SUV, in India. A lot is riding on Basalt, quite literally.
Citroen India Sales Decline To 334 Units
Ever since it first debuted in 2021, Citroen India has had a rather uninspiring journey in India. It has not been able to mark a territory for itself amidst rival brands competing at the highest level. The company has had a change of course in strategies which has yielded a major shift in equipment list.
We can see this strategy with the upcoming Citroen Basalt along with 2024 Citroen C3 hatchback and 2024 C3 Aircross SUV. These vehicles come equipped with a lot more features than they used to before. Betting on more features is a step in the right direction for Citroen.
We wish these feature upgrades don’t command a price hike. That’s because Citroen should have launched them this way from day one. Analysing Citroen’s sales performance since it has launched, we can see how well the French carmaker has fared in the highly competitive Indian market.
Citroen Sales In India Since Launch
Citroen debuted in India with C5 Aircross in April 2021. Launched for Rs 29.9 lakh (Ex-sh), it is Citroen’s flagship offering for India, brought in via CBU route. Debuting month, C5 Aircross sold 230 units and soon sales settled between 24 units and 77 units, depending on the month. In 2021, Citroen sold a total of 613 C5 Aircross averaging 68 units per month.
It was in July 2022, when Citroen launched its mass market offering C3 hatchback for a starting price of 5.71 lakh (Ex-sh). With the C3 hatchback, Citroen unlocked a massive sales prospect in India. In 2022, sales peaked at 1,386 units in September. Citroen sold a total of 6,066 units in 2022 with an average of 506 units per month.
Since the C3 hatchback launched, the lowest sales was clocked in February 2023 at just 328 units. This was the month when Citroen launched eC3, an electric version of C3 hatchback. Soon after the launch, sales peaked in March 2023 at 2,015 units, which is Citroen’s all-time-best sales recorded since its debut.
eC3 unlocked new chapter
In 2023, April and June months also proved quite productive for Citroen, clocking 1,003 units in both. The company launched its 4th product, C3 Aircross SUV, in October 2023 at a starting price of 9.99 lakh. There were no spikes in sales with the C3 Aircross launch as there were with C3 and eC3 launches.
Citroen’s sales prospect increased massively in 2023, with 9,488 units sold in that year, averaging 791 units per month. In 2024, Citroen’s best month was March, selling 1,006 units. Then sales kept on declining with 339 units sold in June 2024.
There is a pattern to observe here. Which suggests that there is more acceptance for Citroen cars among the fleet owners and commercial buyers as sales improve in March. For context, March is the end of a financial year in India. Basalt Coupe SUV is set to launch soon and might unlock a new prospect for Citroen, where sales are concerned. Or will it be yet another flop from Citroen India?
