Citroën vehicles assembled illegally in Russia!

Powerless, Citroën and its parent company Stellantis must face a diversion of kits from China to Russia.

The owner of the Citroën brand, Stellantis, was among the first Western automakers to withdraw from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. A brave decision on an important market, but these efforts are thwarted by a surprising switcheroo. When announcing the suspension of production in Russia in April 2022, Stellantis declared that it “condemned violence and supported all actions to restore peace.”

So how is it possible that Citroën vehicles are assembled in Russia without the manufacturer’s consent, and especially without its support?

Russia dares everything

According to a Reuters report, at least 42 pre-assembled kits of Citroën C5 Aircross have been imported by the Russian company Automotive Technologies, then assembled at the Kaluga plant in which Stellantis holds a 70% stake. The kits reportedly come from the Chinese group Dongfeng Motor, where some Citroën models are manufactured in a joint venture with the automaker. The kits were supplied through a mechanism of parallel imports.

Citroëns losing their chevrons

The wildest part of this story is that Citroën C5 Aircross models could arrive at dealerships unbadged, or even rebadged! Since they are not supposed to be there, nothing stops them from being renamed. Considering the pathetic level of Russian production, it’s certainly easier… Don’t laugh, here’s the Russian Tesla killer!

Moscow has encouraged this type of activity, allowing importers to obtain foreign products without the brand owners’ approval, which is the case today for Citroën. Non-automotive brands like the Swedish IKEA and the French luxury perfume and cosmetics house Lancôme have been added to Russia’s parallel import list last year.

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