At this price, I believe this will sell to about 500 odd units a month. Considering how small they have made their showrooms (specially in Delhi/NCR), I believe the company is targetting low volumes and high margins. One thing that I want to add is that this car based on the specification will sell more on Word of mouth rather than exclusivity. So I won't be surprised if after an year the sales touch a 1000 units a month.

Jeep compass suddenly feels affordable now.
2021 Compass Top spec S line makes much more sense.

Citroen is asking this much for CKD car, cant imagine if it would have been a CBU

Premium positioning in India = Outlandish list price, real prices are a hush-hush "specially for you" price. (Big 3 Germans are the innovators here)

Sometimes, given the industry practices at these price points, one wonders if you're buying a car (standard depreciating good) or doing a real estate transaction (value is in the eye of the buyer).

Making a killing in the initial days when exclusivity is desirable and then pushing deals till they have volume models is a good way to promote cashflow. Lots of buffers for the dealer partners when the volumes don't justify the investments made.

For all you know, they might be trying to play the same game as the German luxury trio- price the cars high and then discount them.

What they didn't realise was that the Citroen brand has no brand pull nor desirability among the masses to bring people into the showrooms. With such a price, Citroen is automatically stuck off many people's list.

Instead of making a lemonade, the geniuses applied it on their wounds.

Looks like Citroen's social media team is having a day they won't forget so soon! Trying to do damage control, even outside of their own pages -

This pricing will help the sales of Jeep Compass. Buyers who shortlisted Compass and C5 Aircross will no longer delay the decision. Jeep Compass is a value for money product now considering the pricing of Citroen. Or people may wait for Tiguan. Not sure the kind of people they are aiming at. At this price people who want more size for more money or corner carving enthusiasts[This is a comfort oriented one right] won't take it.

This is the time when people will find Compass/Tucson value for money !!! Why on earth anyone would want to invest 30+ lakhs in a FWD vehicle when they could buy AWD/ 4X4 versions of compass/tucson at price lower than the lower variant of C5 ?

Thinking a bit more, we should realise the both the C5 Aircross and the Jeep Compass are products from the same company, Stellantis. The Aircross is bigger than the Compass, and while it lacks a 4x4 Diesel
Auto, it is clearly a higher end product than the Compass. Add the CKD duty structures, SUV GST levels etc, and the price should have been no surprise at all. We were perhaps over optimistic is assuming anything different. Think volumes will be in the 300-500 units a month range after the initial excitement dies down.

Have said this on other threads, and I do get surprised when people feel that quality monocoque crossovers should not be as expensive as cheap pick up based SUVs like the Fortuner and Endeavour. The fact is that people like me who buy monocoques would never think that a terrible to drive truck is an alternative for the product we like - and the cross overs could never serve on the rural roads that are the home base of the truck based SUVs.

Compare the C5 to the Compass, Tucson, Kodiaq, Tiguan and the entry level luxury crossovers. It does seem over priced even in that set, which is the challenge Citroen will face.

I think Citroen should have done a nice campaign on who they are and what they stand for, and the international products - few road shows with their line up etc. Maybe, rope in few stars. And then come out with a premium product like the C5. It does look like they have come out of nowhere and are saying 'HELLO, here we are'

Pricing isn't a surprise but it is very very optimistic.

The Kodiaq Style was 32.99L last year before BS6 axed the diesel and hence the model. So 1L lower with BS6 and a year later is inline with the Kodiaq which the C5 was targeting.

However the Citroen is a new brand and they should have priced it 3-4L lower to get people to warm up to the brand and put a bunch of cars on the road so more people come to the showroom and buy it based on it's virtues. If you increase the price after 6 months to this level it would have been fine. But no ways these prices at launch.

The Citroen looks good, drives well but is smaller than the Kodiaq and loses some nice to have features which will give it a big disadvantage.

I don't expect this to sell more than 100-200 per month. Our market is fickle minded and the buyers will either jump to BMW X1 or settle for Compass, Seltos.

Crossovers can be as expensive provided they offer value. Kodiaq had a decent if not successful run despite costing more than Endeavour/Fortuner. BMW X1/Q3 too had a good run despite costing similar to trucks. Problem with C5 is, it doesnot have a significant upper hand than say a Compass or Tuscon yet they are quoting much higher prices. They don't have the brand value either, 3-4 Lacs more one can get a X1 or GLA. Whether truck based Endeavour/Fortuner is worth the money is different topic for discussion, but w.r.to C5, a newcomer brand with miniscule presence commanding insane prices like these is hard to justify.

Well it seems to me that they took this list seriously

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...clusivity.html (Indian cars for those who desire exclusivity)

I feel, what we are calling "overpriced" will translate as "expensive" for many. So "Citroen makes expensive cars!". I dont think they expect volumes here. But it should up the desirabilility quotient for the next launch, the sub-4m suv.

Jeep did this by launching the Cherokee and the Wrangler to eventually the Compass at 25l~ . Now Citroen launches a 37l~ car to essentially push a 10l~ car.

What I conclude is that they have the same marketing team on contract

All (Compass, Tucson, Kodiaq, Tiguan and the entry level luxury crossovers) have flopped or significantly reduced sale numbers since Harrier twins and Hector twins are in market. Upcoming XUV500 will add further strain to them. Even Seltos/Creata eats into this market.

Compass tasted limited success till Harrier twins and Hector twins not only broke the price barrier but also upsized the vechile. Since then it has never recovered.

Citroen was audacious enough to launch at price range that is too close to Fortuner. Majority, who has enough money, will go for getting Fortuner over C5 at least in India.

Especially w.r.t. Compass, Compass has 4X4 in top end which is missing in C5. What exactly are they charging premium for only a relatively comfortable ride? Most of the parameters C5 does not beat existing vehicles in market.

What they essentially tried is to create a new segment for themselves. People may have accepted it coming from Hyundai or Toyota but a newbie having no reputation in India, they have shot in their own face.

The moment you broach the 25-27 lakh (luxury typically starts from here?) price barrier, there seems to be an overwhelming compulsion to evaluate the “price to luxury” ratio. And rightly so.
And since luxury means so many different things to different folks, with the slightest doubt, the situation can go south!

With Citroen, since there is no established or advertised luxury (enough) quotient, people may have doubt as to what is the overall value proposition all about!

Might be very difficult for someone to shell out 31 lakhs just to comfortably sail over speed breakers (as per their advt).

Great car, pathetic pricing. I knew they'll goof up the pricing because the French simply don't understand India, nor know how to sell cars here. I loved the C5 Aircross, but would pay 29 - 30 lakhs OTR for it tops. No way is it a 35 - 40 lakh car.

And its quite stupid of the company too. Sell the first couple of hundred units at a loss just to gain traction in the market. Write it off as "marketing fees". But at this price, other than a few knowledgeable folk, no one is even going to give the car a second look.

They might get an initial spurt of sales due to the novelty factor, but the sales numbers won't be sustainable.