Groupe PSA is all set to kick start its Indian journey with the launch of Citroen brand next year. The company will start by opening its sales in ten cities through its highly digitized format of showrooms. The showrooms will be smaller than conventional dealerships which according to the company will help its partners to make a judicious investment in physical premises. Rather than building large, spacious dealerships, the company is focusing on to create a seamless digital experience for prospective buyers. The first offering from the brand will be C5 Aircross, a premium SUV which the company feels is the right product for the burgeoning Indian market.
The prospective customers will be able to experience and research the SUV, make the transactions, apply for the finance and insurance through the holistic digital experience provided by the company. The company will focus on setting up dealerships in ten major cities of India before bringing C5 Aircross SUV to Indian shores. These ten cities include all major metropolitan cities in addition to selected tier-I cities where the company finds a great market potential. That said there is no concrete information regarding the exact number of dealers that the company is aiming before its first launch.
Through its any time, any where, any device, any content (ATAWADAC), the company aims to offer a complete digital experience to its customers. In fact, the company is going to use this market strategy in other global markets too. After the launch of Citroen in 2020, Group PSA will roll out four new models in the Indian market starting from 2021. In the past, the brand entered the Indian market in a joint venture with Premier but pulled out in the year 2001. The company announced its return in 2017 while striking a partnership with CK Birla Group.
