Here’s Why Vincent Cobee As Dy CEO Of Citroen Signals A Renewed Focus On India

• Cobee’s presence in Groupe PSA becomes even more pertinent with the recent PSA-FCA merger.
• Cobee will serve as Deputy CEO, overseeing Citroen’s international operations including India.
• Prior to this, Cobee was the head of production for Mitsubishi.
• In the past, Cobee was also the head of the Datsun brand when it was revived and launched in India, under the Nissan Motor Company.

Dismissing recent rumours, Citroen has confirmed that Linda Jackson will continue as CEO of the Groupe PSA subsidiary. The company has also clarified that her rumoured replacement, Vincent Cobee, has been brought on board as Deputy CEO, as of October 1, 2019. This comes even as Citroen readies its first car for India, the C5 Aircross SUV, for an end-2020 launch. There is also the likelihood of future models such as the C3 Aircross, C3 hatchback, possibly an electric vehicle (EV), and those from the sister DS brand being announced for India in the coming months. Sadly, we won’t be seeing them at the Auto Expo 2020. However, we believe the timing of Cobee’s appointment bears good tidings for the future of Citroen India and its plans here. You see, the Frenchman brings with him the experience of launching another brand in India, Datsun. How does that indicate Citroen’s renewed focus on India? Read on.

Cobee’s presence in the fold becomes even more pertinent with Groupe PSA and the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Group merging to become the fourth largest carmaker by way of combined sales. For India, PSA has lined up the Citroen and DS brands, while FCA sells vehicles under the Jeep and Maserati brands. This encompasses a wide range of cars, with the distinct possibility of some co-developed models in the future.

Co-developed models are essentially a carmaker’s uncomplicated way of bolstering their presence in emerging markets such as India — an idea that Peugeot-Citroen and Fiat-Chrysler have clearly considered going into the merger. So, with their powers combined, we can expect to see both the groups introducing some exciting India-specific cars to their respective model lines in the future.

Cobee will oversee Citroen’s international operations, which means he will have a big say in the carmaker's future strategy in India. In the past, he had served as the head of the Datsun brand when the Nissan Motor Company revived and launched it in several countries including India. The Frenchman’s experience with Datsun in India means he is already familiar with our market. This should come in handy as Citroen prepares its India offensive.

However, having an understanding of the market and applying that to the company’s product strategy are two separate things. The latter, combined with an underestimation of the challenge that is India, proved to be Datsun's stumbling block here. As we now know, Datsun has not been able to make a significant dent in the Indian market, despite being labelled Nissan’s budget brand.

We, Indians, appreciate good value, but in the same breath, we also tend to dissociate with anything labelled ‘cheap’. Case in point, the Tata Nano, of which only one car was sold this whole year. Just one. Anyway, the most recent news is that Datsun may fall by the wayside, in the post-Ghosn era. We presume this challenge would have been a strong learning experience for Cobee.

The same issue may not hamper Citroen, of course, as it is looking to place itself in a more premium space in the Indian market. It is also too early to hear from the carmaker about how its strategy for India will change or shape with Cobee calling the shots or because of the merger. Sources within the company have confirmed that his India experience “will definitely be a plus”.

It might also mean a bigger focus on developing the French brand in India, given that Citroen had previously stated that India is on the priority list amongst its international operations (for PSA that means any country outside Europe). And Cobee’s appointment could be the French carmaker’s play at speeding up its interest in the Indian car buyer. These plans could be further sped up with FCA brands now available to lend them some help.

Citroen has only recently announced the launch of its car leasing service, Citroen Lease, in the country with ALD Automotive as partner. Their first car for India, the C5 Aircross SUV, was revealed earlier this year, with a planned end-2020 launch. Citroen plans to build cars in India and to this end has set up a plant in Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu.

They have announced that the first India-made Citroen will roll out of this plant in 2021, and this is when we see them really getting into the thick of the competitive India auto market. Compact SUVs, hatchbacks, as well as some quirky EVs are expected to roll out in the future from this plant at a launch rate of one model per year until 2023.

The brand, which was founded in 1919, celebrated its centenary this year.

Image Source - Forbes