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Stellantis reveals Citroen e-C3, first of EVs on affordable platform to compete with influx from China

MEUDON, France — Citroen on Tuesday unveiled its new electric e-C3 SUV, a low-cost model starting at 23,300 euros ($24,540) aimed at taking on Chinese carmakers in the affordable electric vehicle market. The EV from Citroen, part of the Stellantis auto group, will be assembled in Slovakia and launch in the second quarter of 2024. It is the same size as the current C3 city car, but less rounded and slightly taller. Its price tag does not include state subsidies of up to 5,000 euros. "This is the most important launch for the Citroen brand in at least 10 years," Citroen General Manager Thierry Koskas told reporters. "This is a new way of breaking market conventions. A European electric car at 23,000 euros? There isn't one.” The average European electric city car costs around 30,000 euros. To go lower, Stellantis is reusing its simplified "Smart Car" platform used in India, which differs from the four EV platforms the group has under development. Stellantis said it plans to base seven models across its brands on this platform, likely including the next Fiat Panda. The EV also has a limited range of 320 km (199 miles) using cheaper LFP battery technology imported from China.  With 90% of its suppliers from low-cost countries, a reduced diversity and a cheaper battery technology from China, the Smart Car platform will allow Stellantis to cut the e-C3 price further to as low as 20.000 euros, for its shorter-range version, Citroen's head Thierry Koskas said on Tuesday.  The basic trim, which could qualify for the French government's 100-euro-per-month "social leasing" affordable EV program, lacks an infotainmeant screen but still allows a mobile phone to be connected. Citroen's Koskas said the carmaker had no desire to make the new C3 a "technological Christmas tree" but had not skimped on what mattered. "It has comfort attributes and electrical attributes that are at the best level,” he said. The EV, for instance, includes the soft suspension that Citroen has usually reserved for larger models. Europe is bracing for an influx of lower-cost Chinese EVs, so Citroen has plans to go further. The brand plans a cheaper electric C3 at the beginning of 2025 – starting at 20,000 euros – with a reduced range of 200 km, Koskas said. Citroen's C3 last year accounted for 11% of the city car market in Europe. Since the first generation of the model in 2002, more than 5.6 million have sold.

Peugeot family cedes control in rescue deal with China's Dongfeng

PSA Peugeot-Citroën may have been saved from the brink of collapse. It has finally completed a deal where Chinese automaker Dongfeng and the French government are each investing about 800-million euros ($1.1 billion USD) to take 14 percent stakes in the automaker, according to the BBC. The deal dilutes the Peugeot family's stake from 25.4 percent to 14 percent. In addition to that, it is raising another 1.4 billion euros ($1.9 billion) from existing PSA investors. The deal still must be approved by shareholders, but is expected to pass.
The deal's announcement comes at the same time that PSA has announced its 2013 financial results. It posted a 2.32-billion euro ($3.2 billion) loss last year, which can be considered a substantial improvement compared to the 5-billion euro ($6.9 billion) loss in 2012. Sales were down 2.4 percent last year.
The Dongfeng deal has been rumored since last year, and the two companies are already linked, as Dongfeng runs a PSA joint-venture factory in China. The French government is promising to use its stake to protect Peugeot workers in France when it becomes a shareholder.

Citro?n C1 gets eyebrows... no, seriously [w/video]

Citroën has revealed its new C1 city car, marking the first full redesign of the popular hatch since it debuted way back in 2005. Set to make its global debut at next week's Geneva Motor Show, here are all the particulars on what should prove a popular offering in European markets. The C1 is essentially Citroën's version of the Toyota Aygo and Peugeot 108, both of which are set to make their own debuts in Geneva.
Available in both three and five-door versions like its predecessor, the new C1 adds a convertible-like Airscape model, which delivers an open-roof experience for budget drivers.
The exterior, meanwhile, is reminiscent of the old C1, but fresher and funkier. There's no other way to describe the secondary set of lights but as eyebrows, although that's no bad thing. This is a cute car, and among budget city cars looks count just a bit more (because there isn't much else worth bragging about, usually).