Chip shortage hits Citroen range

CITROEN is set to remove blind-spot monitoring and front and rear parking sensors from its Australian-delivered C3 and C5 Aircross variants as the global microprocessor shortage continues to wreak havoc on vehicle production.

According to an article that was recently published by CarExpert, Citroen C3 and C5 Aircross variants arriving after April 1 will be affected by the specification change; vehicles that landed during the first three months of the year are unaffected, as is the recently introduced C4.

Citroen has not adjusted the price of either its C3 or C5 Aircross variants to compensate for the removal of the equipment. Instead, both models remain the subject of recent price increases with the entry-grade C3 Shine now priced from $28,990 (plus on-road costs) and the C5 Aircross Feel from $42,990 (plus on-road costs).

“The automotive industry faces an exceptional situation with the accumulation of the health crisis and a worldwide shortage of semiconductors,” a Citroen Australia spokesperson told CarExpert.

“Our global teams are mobilised to drive our manufacturing activity in this unstable context, and we need to adapt accordingly.

“Despite our continuous effort to deliver our customers the best possible experience, and in order to help minimise the impact on vehicle availability, there has been an adjustment in the specification of the MY22 Citroen C3 and MY22 Citroen C5 Aircross.”

The Citroen Australia spokesperson did not confirm when C3 and C5 Aircross models would again be available with those deleted features, but said it would not offer either feature retrospectively.

The variants continue to offer safety equipment including autonomous emergency braking, lane- departure warning, driver-attention alert, traffic-sign recognition, a reversing camera, and front-, side- and curtain airbags. The Citroen C3 received a four-star ANCAP safety rating when last tested in 2017, the C5 Aircross likewise managed a four-star safety score when tested by ANCAP in 2019.

The newer Citroen C4 also received a four-star safety rating when it was tested by ANCAP in 2021.

Citroen joins a list of manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Peugeot, Skoda and Volkswagen who have removed features from selected variants in order to maintain production schedules. The main difference in the case of other manufacturers, however, is that allowances have been made in the pricing of affected models to help negate the impact of missing equipment on prospective buyers.

“The pricing for the MY22 Citroen range remains as published in January. We cannot comment or speculate on future pricing, however we remain committed to customer satisfaction and ensuring we provide the best possible Citroen offering available to Australia,” the spokesperson added.

Citroen has sold just 62 vehicles nationally this year, including sixteen C3 variants, twenty-six C4 variants, and twenty C5 Aircross variants. It is the slowest selling brand in each of the market segments in which it competes locally. The three model ranges listed account for a 5.0-, 0.1-, and 0.1 per cent share of the respective segments in which they compete.

2022 Citroen range pricing*:

*Pricing excludes on-road costs.