Citroen to revive fortunes with China-made flagship

France's Citroen made the global premiere of the C5X crossover on Monday, in the hope that the new China-made flagship will help boost the brand's sales in the world's largest vehicle market.

The model, based on a concept car unveiled at the Paris auto show in 2016, is a mix of a sedan, a station wagon and an SUV and features Citroen's latest technology in such aspects as connectivity and driving-assist functions.

"For me, it is a beacon of branding for Citroen in China," said Citroen CEO Vincent Cobee.

French carmakers are not having a great time in the country, as German and Japanese companies consolidate their advantage while Chinese brands gain momentum from improved quality and the better understanding of local customers.

Last year, Citroen sales totaled merely 52,700 in China, continuing a downward spiral starting from 2016.

In the first quarter this year, however, its deliveries more than doubled the figure for the same period last year.

That is not just because of the post-pandemic recovery in China's auto market, but also because of Citroen's rejuvenation strategy for the country announced late last year.

Cobee said the C5X will will further help improve the company's competitive edge and raise local customers' expectations for a brand which has been in China for almost three decades.

"An interesting point about young Chinese customers is that there is a lot of appetite for brands and beyond brands for personality," Cobee said.

"When you look at the C5X, personality is the brand that comes to mind."

The model, which is available in gasoline and plug-in hybrid versions, will be built in a joint venture plant in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Cobee said one reason of the decision is that China will be the model's most important market, and the other is the outstanding quality of vehicle production in the country.

"China is the highest quality producing place in the worldwide automotive market.

"We want this vehicle not only to be exceptional. We want it to be perfect in quality, so China is the logical choice for this," said Cobee.

He said the vehicle will roll off the Chengdu plant's assembly line soon and hit the market in the second half of the year.