
- Citroen will stop taking orders in Australia on November 1 due to slow sales.
- The brand sold just 87 cars in the first half of 2024, fewer than supercar maker Ferrari.
- Since 1923, Citroën has been the country’s longest continuously operating car manufacturer.
Citroën has confirmed it will stop taking orders for all new models in Australia on November 1, 2024, marking the end of the country’s oldest car brand. The shock exit comes as demand for Citroën models in Australia slows, with annual sales of around 200 units over the past five years.
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Citroën has been active in the Australian market since 1923, making it the region’s longest continuously selling brand. Today, the local model line-up includes the old C3, C4 crossover, C5 Aircross SUV and C5 X fastback crossover. Australian buyers have never had the new-generation C3 and C3 Aircross, which were recently introduced in Europe with new styling language and updated double-V badges.
MORE: Citroen C5 X flagship model to be discontinued after current generation
Citroen’s annual sales in Australia have fallen from a high of 3803 in 2007 to just 175 in 2021, with no real signs of recovery since then.
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The company registered just 87 vehicles in Australia in the first half of 2024. As our colleagues at CarExpert report, Citroën’s sales were inferior to those of Maserati (200), Ferrari (113), Lotus (102), Bentley (102) and Aston Martin (86). In fact, only McLaren (41) and Rolls-Royce (26) registered fewer units than the mainstream French brand in Australia’s rankings in the first half of 2024.
Local dealer Inchcape Australia has announced it will extend a five-year unlimited mileage warranty and capped-price servicing to all Citroën orders across its existing 35 service centres.
“While we recognise and celebrate Citroën’s rich history in the Australian market, we must look to the future and consider the rapidly evolving, dynamic and competitive nature of the industry and local market, as well as changing consumer demands,” Citroën Australia managing director David Owen said in a statement.
The local executive added that the decision to halt new car sales “was not taken lightly, but was made after careful consideration of our country’s existing and future products, the local market and the preferences and requirements of Australian new car buyers”.
Reading between the lines, Citroën’s affordable nature within the Stellantis group and its renewed focus on smaller-scale segments rather than larger and more premium vehicles was deemed unsuitable for the local market.
In closing, the managing director concluded: “We know there will continue to be Citroën owners in Australia, with many Citroën vehicles still on the road, and our passionate Citroën Australia team and retailer network are committed to supporting our customers’ ongoing vehicle maintenance needs.”
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