Citroen to double India market share in 3 months with Basalt X SUV

Citroen eyes stronger India play with Basalt X SUV, aiming to double market share in three months while exports from Thiruvallur are projected to cross 10,000 units in FY26

Citroen India, which aims to double its share in the domestic passenger vehicle (PV) market within three months riding on the latest launch of its upgraded SUV Basalt X, is also expecting a boost in its exports from the Thiruvallur facility in Tamil Nadu.

 

The company exported 7,000-8,000 units in 2024-25 (FY25) as it saw demand for both internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and electric vehicles (EVs) from its export markets. In FY26, the company is likely to cross 10,000 units, Shailesh Hazela, managing director and chief executive officer (MD&CEO) of Stellantis India, the parent company of Citroën India, told Business Standard. Component exports from India are also growing simultaneously, and by FY27, these will cross the ₹10,000 crore mark as demand for India-made cars is rising, he added.

   

Priced competitively — starting at ₹7.95 lakh and going up to ₹12.9 lakh (considering revised goods and services tax, or GST rates where this vehicle falls in the 40 per cent slab) — the Basalt X takes on the likes of Tata Harrier, Mahindra Scorpio and XUV700, Hyundai Creta, and the Kia Seltos, which are longer than 4 metres in length.

 

Hazela sounded confident of the new offering from their stable and said that they target to sell 2,000 Citroen cars in India per month from the current level of 600-700. Citroen sells four models in the country now, and also exports to countries like Indonesia, South Africa, and Egypt. Their Thiruvallur plant near Chennai can make 60,000 cars per annum working in three shifts. However, the company now operates in a single shift, mostly making around 25,000 cars a year. Their Hosur plant, also in Tamil Nadu, makes engines and transmissions, which are both for domestic use and exports.

 

At the moment, Citroen has only a 0.15 per cent share of the market, which it aims to take up to 0.2 per cent in the next 3 months, and scale that up to 0.5 per cent by the end of FY26.

 

Citroen is thus focusing on expanding its sales touchpoints to 150 from the current 88 within the next six months. “We are also focusing on ensuring service availability. So, each of these 150 sales points will have an integrated service facility. Besides, we have plans for hub-and-spoke service facilities, and service-on-wheels options for our customers,” said Kumar Priyesh, business head & director-automotive brands, Stellantis India.

 

Hazela claimed that India is a strategically important market for Citroen, which has plans to invest 30 billion euros in 2025. The Citroen India team has sent proposals related to product development for the Indian market as well as Asian countries to its global headquarters, and is awaiting their response. So far, Citroen has invested ₹5,300 crore in India.