New Citroen CEO: 'we have to show we are back'

When Xavier Chardon left Citroën for the Volkswagen Group in 2011 after 17 years, he didn’t expect to return.

A Frenchman from the Alpine region, Chardon felt it was job done at Citroën, having helped reshape the logo and modernise the brand, so he lived out a “mid-life crisis at 40” by heading to Wolfsburg.

Having gone on to hold major global roles such as leading VW’s joint venture with MG owner SAIC in China, he’s back to reshape Citroën all over again.

Chardon believes Citroën has “lost a bit of direction” in recent years and there has been “a bit of confusion” over the brand’s positioning and a lack of consistency in its product line-up.

An ageing model range has also contributed to a loss of market share and the brand has had a “couple of issues on the quality side” in relation to the Takata airbag recall and problems with older Puretech engines.

Speaking 100 days after taking up the CEO role at Citroën, Chardon said some things have already been fixed “but we have to show that Citroën is back and that we have a brighter future”.

Chardon said it is important for Citroën to “not define the brand against competitors” but instead to “define the brand to satisfy and anticipate what customers want” from it.

Chardon’s four years in China with VW taught him to “respect the quality and technology” coming from Chinese brands with low-priced models that are often spoken about as posing a ‘threat’ to legacy makers such as Citroën.

“What is really important is to fight back with your DNA and with strong products. This is the best way to be offensive,” said Chardon.

Citroën will continue to focus on comfort and offering “more roominess at a more affordable price” than rivals. Its response to quality issues has been to introduce an eight-year warranty across its range.

On the Takata airbag recall campaign, which has affected more than 1.1 million cars, Chardon said the brand is more than three-quarters of the way through it and has provided 40,000 courtesy cars across Europe to ensure customers are not without vehicles.

The C5 Aircross launch was also delayed to ensure it was 100% ready for production and to avoid any teething issues for early cars in customer hands.