Citroen has issued termination notices to its entire network although it has invited around 160 to stay with the brand.
It confirmed 40 of its dealers will not be asked to stay onboard citing either under performance or location.
The brand will also be losing an unspecified number of authorised repairers.
The brand's 200-strong network received letters on Tuesday (26 May) either inviting them to re-sign for two years or serving two years notice of their termination.
Citroen confirmed that 20 dealer partners had been terminated either because they had failed to sell sufficient stock..
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Approx 7 years ago when the C5 estate was launched, I popped in to my local Citroen dealership and left my details regarding a test drive. I'm still waiting for the phone call. Looks like I will be out of luck then.
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Already closed at the end of last year. Mysteriously the Kia dealership which shared the same building is still open. A couple of years ago one of my colleagues admired my C8 and went to the Citroen/Kia dealership for a test drive. She now owns a Kia Sedona.
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If they're anything like the one in Bridgend whose salesman seemed completely uninterested in trying to sell me a C1 this afternoon, they can close as many as they like.
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On the subject of Kia dealers, two years ago Northampton had two - one swopped to Hyundai, the other recently went indy, so now we have no local dealer, nor a Renault one for that matter.
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I would have thought that the last thing a car manufacturer should do now is reduce their network. I'm sure a lot of people look no further than thier nearest couple of dealers, regardless of what they sell.
We bought a SEAT from the dealer in Crewe but we live more towards Chester. We soon realised that there isn't a SEAT dealer in the Chester/Wirral/N.Wales area - and, now we own one, it soon became noticeable that we see very few SEATs around.
OTOH, there are two good Honda dealers locally, and Jazzii seem to be absolutely everywhere - we find ourselves in little convoys of them sometimes!
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It does seem a bit counterintuitive - Citroen seem to be on the up as far as range & quality of cars goes - at least from the perspective I get here from owners/roadtests & the motoring meeja in general.
Perhaps though, it's because their fortunes & profile is on the up they feel confident about ditching the more 'dead wood' type of dealer. My perception of Citroen dealers is that many were only good enough to get Citroen (in the bad old days of dodgy French electrics & general reliability.. or at least the perception of) & Citroen were only too happy to bestow main/franchise dealership upon willing garages.
I would be quite happy to make a Citroen my next car - the C3 Picasso & new C5 especially. Citroen do need a 'Skoda makeover' in my view - the C5 commercial last year was a step, maybe, on that PR trail. Next step - get rid of any uncommitted/uncool franchised dealers.
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Our local Ciroen dealer in Stoke on Trent is Evans Halshaw.
I test drove a C3 Picasso there last week. They appear well organised competent and efficient.
The C3 Picasso was nice: appears much bigger inside than it actually is. Nice soft ride - ideal for speed humps and potholes. The gearchange is rubbery and the handling soft: but all perfectly liveable with.
EH say they have orders for a few: mainly diesel.
But it is imo overpriced.. I'll wait 3 years..or until prices fall or I win the lottery or pigs fly.
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Didn't Fiat shoot themselves in the foot back in the nineties when they withdrew franchises from all dealers within the M25 boundary, or is my memory playing tricks?
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According to Seat's site they have dealers in Liverpool, Oswestry and Anglesey.
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My local Citroen dealer has vacated their showrooms and combined operations with the Peugeot dealership they operated very near. When I visited the new service desk (for the last time, as I'd just sold the Picasso), they appeared to be working in a room that used to double as a cupboard.
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If "local dealers" privately owned outlets are closed you will end up with 2/3 chains running a duopoly etc.
In Scotland a large chain has franchises of most of the main makes - if any make is dominated by one chain then there is less competition - all new / 2nd hand prices are kept at a level.........let's hope some more Car Supermarkets spring up - only Motorpoint is Glasgow and there are no others.
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Citroen in Stony Stratford (5 miles north of MK) folded last year.
Renault (Camden Group) in Wolverton (3.5 miles north of MK) & Leighton Buzzard (7/8 to the south) floundered in March/April of this.
Her Indoors now has to use a local (within MK) Independent for any work (servicing/tyres/MOTs, etc.) required to her company Clio as specified by Fleetcare. They were extremely courteous and efficient last November (collecting it for its 1st service from her place of work) and even came out to our house after 5:30pm specifically to return the stamped Service Book which they had omitted to put back in the glove compartment.
So, not such a bad thing that the 'sleeping dinasours' of the motor trade are fast disappearing off the face of Buckinghamshire?
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Citroen in Stony Stratford (5 miles north of MK) folded last year.
Perrys in Bletchley (other end of the A5 in MK) now run the franchise, alongside Peugeot.
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...other end of the A5...
Which end - Marble Arch or the Menai Bridge? :)
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We have a combined Citroen/Ford dealer, since last year I think it was. Seems they saw where things were going, plus in car sales terms, having both of them is hedging your bets about as well as you possibly can. Its a nice dealership too although staff are a little 'keen'.
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It sounds harsh but I don't care. I'd only use a Citroen dealer if there was absolutely no other way to get the part I wanted. I've never used dealers much but ones I did have an aloof couldn't care less attitude.
As for Citroen needing a makeover, that would definitely be the end of my on going Citroen ownership. If I want a car that looks like everyone elses and shakes the fillings out of my teeth, I'd buy some one. I've not found Citroens to be unreliable and poorly made - I've broken down once in the last 4 years which I think is reasonable given that the car was made in 1995.
Steve.
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