Inovev forecasts to produce 60,000 units of the new Citroën C5 Aircross per year
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Inovev forecasts to produce 60,000 units of the new Citroën C5 Aircross per year
- Citroën has presented the second generation of its C-segment SUV, the C5 Aircross (code CR3). Compared to the previous generation marketed in China from 2017 and in Europe from 2018, the new model is 15 cm longer, going from 4.50 m to 4.65 m, thus getting closer to the D segment. The new C5 Aircross is as long as the Opel Grandland SUV, to the centimeter, and is equidistant from the Peugeot 3008 (4.54 m) and 5008 (4.79 m) with which it shares the STLA Medium platform of the Stellantis group (also by the Opel Grandland). The wheelbase of the C5 Aircross goes from 2.72 m to 2.78 m.
- The new C5 Aircross is available in a 145 hp (107 kW) micro-hybrid version (MHEV) based on a 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine (1200 cc), a 180 hp (132 kW) or 225 hp (165 kW) plug-in hybrid version (PHEV) based on a 1.6 turbo petrol engine, and a battery electric version (BEV), which is a first for a Citroën C-segment SUV.
- For this battery electric version, two NMC batteries are available, one with a capacity of 73 kWh, allowing a range of 520 km according to the WLTP cycle, the other with a capacity of 97 kWh, allowing a range of 680 km according to the WLTP cycle. These batteries are produced by the company ACC (Automotive Cells Company) located in Douvrin.
- The new Citroën C5 Aircross will be a competitor to the Dacia Duster/ Bigster, Renault Austral/Espace, Peugeot 3008/5008, Opel Grandland, Ford Kuga, Skoda Karoq/Kodiaq, Nissan Qashqai, Volkswagen Tiguan, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV4.
- It will be produced at the Rennes (France) site at an average rate of 60,000 units per year. It will probably no longer be produced in China, where the Stellantis group has very low distribution.
Gruenheide (Tesla) and Zwickau (VW) are the only BEV factories to have exceeded 200,000 vehicles in 2024
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Gruenheide (Tesla) and Zwickau (VW) are the only BEV factories to have exceeded 200,000 vehicles in 2024
- While the market for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in Europe (30 countries) declined slightly (-1.3%) in 2024 compared to 2023, with a volume of 1,993,102 sales compared to 2,019,401 the previous year, the production volume of this type of car in Europe (30 countries) declined more sharply (-7.0%) in 2024 compared to 2023, to 1.73 million units, according to Inovev. The decline in BEV sales in 2024 therefore affected models produced in Europe more than models produced outside Europe.
- Inovev has listed the European plants producing BEVs and estimated the production volume of these BEVs in 2024.
- Tesla's Gruenheide plant produced the highest number BEVs in Europe last year, with 216,409 units, according to Inovev. This will likely no longer be the case in 2025, as Tesla sales are currently plummeting in Europe (-37% in the first quarter) and all of the brand's models are affected.
- The second largest BEV plant in Europe in 2024 is VW Zwickau (203,242 units), followed by BMW Dingolfing (176,822 units) and VW Emden (108,423 units). German plants are therefore at the forefront.
- The leading French plant is fifth, Renault Douai (89,921 units), followed by the leading Czech plant, Skoda Mlada Boleslav (82,538 units). These six factories accounted for 50% of BEV production in Europe.
- It should be noted that the battery electric vehicle market grew significantly in Europe (+27.9%) in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024, to 573,500 units compared to 448,228 a year earlier, which will boost BEV production in Europe during this period because European models produced in Europe seem to be the first beneficiaries of this growth.
The CLA will become Mercedes' entry-level model
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The CLA will become Mercedes' entry-level model
- Mercedes has announced its product plan for 2025-2027. Facing a demand that is not achieving their objectives, the brand has decided to postpone the end of internal combustion engines by five years (from 2030 to 2035) and therefore continue to offer a range of internal combustion and electric vehicles.
- In 2025 , Mercedes will launch the CLA sedan based on the new MMA platform. The model moves from the C-segment to the D-segment due to revised dimensions, the model now exceeds 4.72 m long by 1.85 m wide and 1.47 m high. This sedan will be available in a micro-hybrid thermal version (MHEV) and in a battery electric version (BEV). It will replace the previous generation CLA but also the A-Class and B-Class discontinued in 2026. It will therefore become the new entry-level model of the brand.
- In 2026, Mercedes will launch the new generations of the GLA and GLB SUVs based on the MMA platform. The Mercedes C-Class will be facelifted and will be available in a new all-electric version. The S-Class, GLC, GLE, and GLS will also be facelifted. The GLC SUV will take advantage of this facelift to be available in a all-electric version in addition to its combustion engine version. Also in 2026, Mercedes will renew its V-Class (MPV) and Vito (van) ranges, inspired by the concept car presented at the 2025 Shanghai Motor Show.
- In 2027, the E-Class, CLE and SL will be facelifted. A new SUV will be launched, inspired by the G-Class but with more compact dimensions, somewhat reminiscent of the old Mercedes GLK marketed from 2007 to 2015.
Production of Fiat Ducato and rebranded versions takes place at two sites in Europe
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Production of Fiat Ducato and rebranded versions takes place at two sites in Europe
- The first Fiat Ducato (light utility vehicle in the N1-3 segment) was born in 1981. Following an agreement with the French group PSA Peugeot-Citroën for the creation of the joint company Sevel (Société Européenne de Véhicules Légers), the Ducato was released in under Peugeot (Boxer) and Citroën (Jumper) versions from that time. All three models were produced at the Sevel Sud plant located in Atessa, in the Sangro Valley (Val di Sangro in Italian) at the foot of Abruzzo. The Opel version (Movano) arrived in 2021, after the acquisition of Opel by PSA. Finally, the Toyota version (ProAce Max) arrived in 2024.
- Sevel Sud - Val di Sangro plant has a production capacity of 260,000 vehicles per year. However, since the five models mentioned above sold nearly 300,000 units in 2024 (289,000 units to be exact), another production site had to be found capable of producing some of these vans. A former Opel site in Poland (Gliwice) had been nearly closed since the Opel Astra was discontinued in 2021. This is where the assembly lines for the N1-3 segment vans, which could not be assembled at the Val di Sangro site. The Gliwice site has a production capacity of 100,000 vehicles per year.
- In 2024, this plant produced 96,000 vehicles, including 24,000 Citroën Jumper, 24,000 Peugeot Boxer, 24,000 Fiat Ducato and 24,000 Opel Movano, while the Sevel Sud - Val di Sangro plant produced 193,000 vehicles, including 116,000 Fiat Ducato, 39,000 Peugeot Boxer, 38,000 Citroën Jumper. In total, this model family remains one of the most popular among light utility vehicles sold in Europe , along with the Ford Transit and Transit Custom produced in Turkey. The Fiat Ducato remains the best-selling (140,000 units in 2024), ahead of the Peugeot Boxer (63,000 units) and Citroën Jumper (62,000 units).
Renault to stop production of the Mercedes Citan / T Class
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Renault to stop production of the Mercedes Citan / T Class
- Following an agreement between Renault and Mercedes, the German carmaker was able to offer in its catalogue and at a lower cost a light utility vehicle in the N1-1 segment (category of Renault Kangoo, Citroën Berlingo, Peugeot Partner, Opel Combo, Fiat Doblo, Volkswagen Caddy, Ford Transit Connect) based on the Renault Kangoo and produced in the same Renault plant.
- The first Mercedes Citan was launched in 2012 based on the Kangoo II, the second in 2021 based on the Kangoo III. The first generation (W415) never managed to exceed 25,000 sales per year, with sales fluctuating between 20,000 and 24,000 units per year from 2013 to 2019. The second generation (W420) launched in 2021 was unable to significantly improve on these sales figures, as it peaked at 26,000 units in 2023 and 2024, and the figures for the first months of 2025 show no progress compared to 2024.
- Compared to the Renault Kangoo, produced in the same French plant in Maubeuge, the Mercedes Citan (and its passenger car version, the T-Class) sells for five times less, due to a higher price (even though it is the same model equipped with the same engines).
- A third twin model was added to the Renault Kangoo and Mercedes Citan in 2021, the Nissan Townstar , which uses the same body and engines of the Kangoo and Citan, whose sales volume is close to that of the Citan.
- For Mercedes, which has the Vito in the N1-2 segment (101,000 sales in 2024) and the Sprinter (219,000 sales in 2024) in the N1-3 segment, the sales volume of the Citan is too low to sustain the career of this model. The German carmaker has therefore decided to definitively stop its sales in May 2026 and its production will therefore cease at the Renault site in Maubeuge in spring 2026.
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