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Sam Charlwood3 Sept 2018
NEWS

Citroen plans SUV-laden re-launch In Australia

French marque to jump-start its operations in Australia

Citroen has outlined plans for a full re-launch in Australia, coinciding with 100 year celebrations as a global car-maker.

The French manufacturer’s local division has told motoring.com.au it will relaunch in 2019 with a product portfolio that will include the C3 and C3 Aircross. It is understood Australian stakeholders are also looking closely at the C5 Aircross in a bid to strike a chord with more prospective buyers.

Along with a broader focus on SUVs, Citroen Australia is assessing what part LCVs play in its product portfolio, opening the door to new products including the Citroen Berlingo.

Citroen Australia managing director Anouk Poelmann said the 100-year milestone marked a significant opportunity for stakeholders.

“The milestone of 100 years for Citroen will form the catalyst for a full-scale relaunch of the marque in Australia, with a new go-to-market strategy including brand, retail and product components,” she said.

“We are now in the process of placing the final touches on the plan and will provide more details in October. Needless to say we will be using Citroen’s rich history to underpin a new, modern and agile brand proposition that offers a clear point of difference to Australian consumers – both via the product we offer and the means we communicate it to them.”

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Read the new Citroen C3 Aircross 2019 Review

Citroen has stagnated in Australia in recent years despite its long history in showrooms and feats including Australia’s first circumnavigation in a car. Poelmann said Citroen needed to look at how it competes in the modern Australian market.

Most recently, Citroen extended a new five-year warranty and five-year roadside assist program to all new passenger car models.

“It’s not often you are given the opportunity to completely revisit such a storied brand and in this instance, Citroen could be seen as the oldest start-up in Australia – for all the right reasons,” she said.

Central to Citroen’s Australian revamp will be a focus on the comfort factor of its vehicles.

In Europe, the car-maker runs with the slogan, ‘Comfort is the new cool’, and Australian stakeholders reckon the tagline could help differentiate their vehicles from the rest locally, including sister company Peugeot, which is enjoying some success on the back of a new product onslaught.

Citroen will maintain its dealership focus in Australia, but isn’t saying whether online sales can and will be a part of its broader sales strategy.

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