Citroen is targeting a 50% increase in market share for its new C3 and fully-electric e-C3, with fleets set to play a major role in this.

The outgoing C3 range accounts for a small hatchback market share of between 3% and 4%, and Citroen predicts this will increase to around 6% with the new model.

It expects 50% of C3 and e-C3 sales to go to the fleet sector – 15% to small to medium enterprises (SMEs), 20% to corporate fleets and 15% to Motability.

Last week, Citroen announced full pricing and specifications for the new range, which begins at £17,790 for the entry-level petrol model, rising to £21,990 for the range-topping BEV, while Fleet News has also tested both the petrol and electric models.

The launch of the new C3 follows the decision by Ford to stop producing the Fiesta, as well as Nissan and Kia withdrawing their superminis from the market, helping to create the opportunity for growth.

Rob Clark, head of product for Citroen UK, said: “New C3 gives us a big opportunity because those customers have got to make a choice whether they move into a B-SUV if they want to stay with Ford, for example, buy a used vehicle or switch to another brand.

“With the petrol and hybrid versions of C3, I think we will see some kind of conquest from brands such as Ford, but with e-C3 we will have an opportunity to conquest from brands outside our traditional competitor base.

“There will be people with premium brands looking, for example, for second vehicles or maybe something for shorter journeys and e-C3 may fit that brief for them.”

He also expected e-C3 to prove popular among salary sacrifice customers.

Clark added: “The ZEV mandate has obviously created uncertainty about the size of the market and the opportunity we have, but we think the e-C3 will account for 30% of all C3 sales and if that happens that means we will be able to satisfy the demand there will be for the ICE models.

“If we achieve that, we would expect to increase our B-segment share to around 6%.”

Citroen will also launch a new C3 Aircross SUV later this year.

“What’s really exciting is that we’ll have two vehicles – C3 and C3 Aircross – both launching with electric and internal combustion engines at a similar time in the market, but both with slightly different attributes,” added Clark.

“C3 Aircross is about 40cm longer than C3 so we will have a choice for customers. They can choose the more compact, more agile, easier to park car, or the more spacious, more practical C3 Aircross.”

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