The new Citroen C5 Aircross SUV is pictured during the first press day of the Paris auto show, in Paris, France, October 2, 2018. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
April 3, 2019
(Reuters) – PSA Group on Wednesday launched its Citroen C5 Aircross SUV in India and said it would be available before the end of 2020, as the French carmaker re-enters the Indian market to expand beyond Europe.
The SUV is the first product from the Citroen brand aimed at the Indian market and the company plans one new launch every year from 2021 after the flagship vehicle.
Paris-based PSA, known for its legacy Peugeot, Citroen and DS brands said in February it would launch the Citroen brand in India as it pursues a 50 percent group sales increase outside its home region by 2021.
To expand internationally, PSA is also relying on the Opel re-launch in Russia and the Peugeot comeback in the U.S. market.
PSA already has a presence in India through its “Push to Pass” plan, which began in 2017 with two joint ventures with New Delhi-based conglomerate CK Birla Group, both of which are based out of Tamil Nadu.
The partnerships focus on the assembly and distribution of cars and the manufacture and supply of powertrains in India.
(Reporting by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernard Orr)
