Stellantis plans to increase production of Citroën’s C3 city car after demand outstripped expectations, reported Bloomberg.
The automaker is set to add capacity outside its main Slovak plant.
From next year, the group will build an additional 40,000 C3 units annually at its facility in Kragujevac, Serbia, Citroën CEO Xavier Chardon said in an interview in Paris.
Combined output of the C3 and its C3 Aircross SUV derivative is expected to reach about 300,000 vehicles a year.
Up to now, large-scale production of the models has been concentrated at Stellantis’s Trnava plant in Slovakia.
The site also assembles the Opel Frontera and is operating at full capacity, limiting the number of C3s that could be produced, Chardon said.
“We are taking in more orders than what we can produce,” he noted.
In France, the electric version of the C3 is available from €14,990 ($17,240) for buyers eligible for a government-backed social leasing scheme.
The model is profitable, according to Chardon, who took charge of Citroën in June after previous roles at Volkswagen.
Stellantis is also adding staff at other locations. It is recruiting 400 workers at its Rennes plant in western France, where it has recently started assembling the new Citroën C5 Aircross.
The production moves come as Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa undertakes a wider overhaul of the group’s global operations in response to falling profits and market-share erosion.
The company has outlined plans to prioritise higher-margin business in the US, committing substantial investment to that market.
Stellantis has also collaborated with Chinese partner Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology, distributing its vehicles through Stellantis’s own networks in Europe.
Established in 1919 and associated with models such as the 2CV, Citroën has faced declining market share in recent years, linked to quality problems and delays in bringing new products to market.
In response, the brand introduced an eight-year warranty programme this year.
It has also taken over from Maserati in the Formula E championship and recently presented its new electric-racing livery on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
On Citroën’s current situation, Chardon said: “We are a bit of an outlier right now. It’s encouraging.”
