AgenciesFrench carmaker Citroen, the latest entrant into the Indian market, claimed to have received over 1000 pre-bookings for its first product in India, the C5 Aircross, which it launched on Wednesday at a price of Rs 29.9 lakh.
The French automaker will start its operations in India with only 10 showrooms and an online sales channel before opening more outlets next year when it launches its second car. Cars will be delivered directly to the customers’ doorstep from the factory when bought online, the company said.
“These 10 cities cover 90% of the C-segment SUV market,” said Roland Bouchara, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Citroën India.
The company will launch one model a year for the next 4-5 years. While the C5 Aircross will be assembled in India from imported kits, the subsequent models will have over 90% local content and the platforms will also be exported from India. This is part of the company’s C-Cube strategy.
The company said that its first product is meant to be a flagship to introduce the brand to the country. It has been priced between premium and luxury segments. Subsequent models will be more affordably priced.
Citroen has set up a plant with an annual manufacturing capacity of 100,000 units near Chennai. The company also has a plant at Hosur that manufactures 300,000 powertrains a year. These are already being exported to Europe. The company’s total investment in India so far has been to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore which includes plant, machinery, land and product development costs.
The French automaker will start its operations in India with only 10 showrooms and an online sales channel before opening more outlets next year when it launches its second car. Cars will be delivered directly to the customers’ doorstep from the factory when bought online, the company said.
“These 10 cities cover 90% of the C-segment SUV market,” said Roland Bouchara, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Citroën India.
The company will launch one model a year for the next 4-5 years. While the C5 Aircross will be assembled in India from imported kits, the subsequent models will have over 90% local content and the platforms will also be exported from India. This is part of the company’s C-Cube strategy.
The company said that its first product is meant to be a flagship to introduce the brand to the country. It has been priced between premium and luxury segments. Subsequent models will be more affordably priced.
Citroen has set up a plant with an annual manufacturing capacity of 100,000 units near Chennai. The company also has a plant at Hosur that manufactures 300,000 powertrains a year. These are already being exported to Europe. The company’s total investment in India so far has been to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore which includes plant, machinery, land and product development costs.
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