Iconic Ambassador to make a Comeback in India as PSA’s EV Brand
Ambassador electric cars are likely to arrive post 2022
Groupe PSA has recently announced that it will introduce the Citroen brand in the Indian market. The company plans to launch new models in India by 2021. For people not in the know, Groupe PSA had acquired the Ambassador brand from Hindustan Motors for 80 crore. The French automaker and Hindustan Motors has entered into two partnerships with an initial investment of rs 7000 crore for vehicle and engine manufacturing in Tamil Nadu. It was speculated that Groupe PSA could introduce the Ambassador nameplate to start their innings in India; that didn’t happen.
CarandBike.com report claims that Groupe PSA will re-introduce the iconic Ambassador brand in India. This brand will be used exclusively for electric vehicles to be sold in India only. The report further claims that the Ambassador cars are likely to arrive post 2022. It is yet to be decided whether the new EVs will be sold through standalone retail network or will use the Citroen showrooms.
Citroen will have a full-fledged dealer network in India. It is reported that PSA Groupe could use the online strategy to sell the Ambassador electric vehicles in India. Though, workshops for both Citroen and Ambassador will be common. The report claims that Ambassador brand could initially introduce a compact SUV or crossover style car, followed by a premium hatchback. These models are likely to share their platform and some components with similar sized ICE (internal combustion engine) models from the Citroen brand.
PSA Groupe will unveil the first product for India on April 3, 2019 at a press conference in Chennai. The exact details about the new model are yet to be revealed, but it is likely to be the Citroen C5 Aircross. Based on the EMP2 platform, the new SUV will be launched in India by the end of 2021. It will be produced at CK Birla Group’s Tiruvallur-based facility in Tamil Nadu. The Group has already setup an engine and transmission manufacturing plant at Hosur, Tamil Nadu.
