05/26 2025
536
Dongfeng Citroen Automobile once rose to prominence in the domestic automotive market with its Fukang and Peugeot 308 models. However, due to shifts in the domestic market competition landscape and strategic missteps by Peugeot Citroen, Dongfeng Citroen's sales have consistently declined. To reverse this marginalization, Dongfeng Citroen has introduced Dongfeng's vehicle platform and intelligent connectivity technology, launching the new 'Shijie' brand in hopes of a comeback.
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Currently, Huawei's Hongmeng Zhixing's 'Five Worlds' have garnered significant attention in the domestic market. Dongfeng Citroen Automobile's new sub-brand Shijie has also arrived, albeit sharing the word 'Worlds', it has no affiliation with Hongmeng Zhixing.
As the inaugural model of Shijie, Shijie 06 positions itself as an A+ pure electric SUV, boasting a wheelbase of 2775mm and a CLTC pure electric range of 520km. In terms of pricing, Shijie 06 has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of 125,800 yuan, with a limited-time pre-sale price of 108,800 yuan offered exclusively to existing French car owners.
△Shijie emerges as Dongfeng Citroen Automobile's first strategic model for transformation
Can Shijie usher in a new era for Dongfeng Citroen Automobile?
The establishment of the Shijie brand marks Dongfeng Citroen Automobile's official integration into Dongfeng's new energy business landscape. Dongfeng Citroen Automobile's approach to creating 'Shijie' is not an isolated effort. Both Jaguar Land Rover's newly minted Freelander and SAIC-Audi's AUDI serve as examples of new sub-brands within joint venture company structures, leveraging the technology of their Chinese partners.
△The practice of introducing Chinese shareholder technology in joint venture automakers is becoming increasingly prevalent
As a joint venture between Stellantis and Dongfeng Automobile, Dongfeng Citroen Automobile's choices are closely tied to its current sales situation. In the annals of the Chinese automotive industry, the 'old three' Fukang and the 'new three' Peugeot 307 once garnered numerous fans for French cars in China. Dongfeng Citroen Automobile also capitalized on this, surpassing 700,000 vehicles sold in both 2014 and 2015. However, sales began to decline in 2016. In 2024, Dongfeng Citroen Automobile sold only 68,319 vehicles, marking a year-on-year decrease of 15%. In the first four months of this year, sales further declined by 20.2% to 20,355 vehicles.
△Dongfeng Citroen Automobile's annual sales once peaked at 700,000 vehicles
To turn the tide, Dongfeng Citroen Automobile's shareholders agreed in October 2023 on the company's integration into Dongfeng's new energy business landscape. This decision stemmed from the fact that Dongfeng Citroen Automobile's foreign shareholders lacked substantial offerings in new energy and intelligent connectivity technology, rendering them uncompetitive in the domestic market. Therefore, Dongfeng Citroen Automobile had to introduce Chinese new energy vehicle technology. Taking Shijie 06 as an example, it adopts Dongfeng's vehicle platform and intelligent connectivity technology, while the French side contributes chassis tuning capabilities, which are significantly less crucial than Dongfeng's contributions. Hence, for some time to come, Dongfeng Citroen Automobile will rely on Dongfeng Group's technical support to seek opportunities for survival in the domestic market.
△Shijie 06 is a fusion of Dongfeng's vehicle technology and French tuning
Can 'No Motion Sickness' become the fulcrum supporting Shijie?
From the information released by Shijie, it is evident that 'No Motion Sickness' will be one of the primary selling points of Shijie 06.
Due to electric motors' low-speed high torque and regenerative braking characteristics, passengers in electric vehicles are prone to motion sickness. Many automakers have exhausted various methods to address this issue, but currently, 'No Motion Sickness' can only be alleviated, not completely eradicated. For Dongfeng Citroen Automobile, which is starting anew, combining the core technology of French cars, which emphasizes tuning, with Chinese new energy vehicles to solve the pain point of motion sickness in electric vehicles, will help establish its technical moat in the domestic automotive market.
Chassis tuning has always been a hallmark of French cars. Due to the extensive number of component parameters involved, chassis tuning often presents challenges, making it one of the core technologies of foreign automakers. In the era of internal combustion engine vehicles, French cars' leaf springs even rivaled the ride experience of independent suspensions in the same class. However, consumers at the time were unconvinced, believing that independent suspensions were superior to leaf spring suspensions, which had a certain impact on the sales of French cars in China. This also reflects the strong confidence of Peugeot Citroen engineers in their tuning technology. Next, Shijie 06 will leverage the French chassis tuning experience, through precise dynamic motor torque distribution, adjustment of chassis parameters, and its 'Zero Motion Sickness Intelligent Control' technology system, to achieve a smooth ride on bumpy roads, stable cornering, smooth acceleration and deceleration, no motion sickness, and comfortable long-distance driving.
△Chassis tuning involves a vast number of component parameters
Chassis tuning is not an easy feat. Without the accumulation of hundreds or thousands of vehicle projects, it is difficult to tune a superior vehicle chassis. However, currently, a new generation of suspension systems, including air springs and CDC shock absorbers, are being utilized in new domestic models. The use of more expensive suspension components is not due to new forces stacking configurations but because new energy vehicles are heavier, and related automakers lack extensive chassis tuning experience. Therefore, by introducing suspension components with adjustable parameters through software control, the experience may not be much inferior to French tuning. Moreover, for many drivers or passengers, it is generally challenging to discern the advantages of French chassis. Nowadays, most users not only focus on refrigerators, TVs, and large sofas when purchasing cars but also care about smart cabins and intelligent driving. Shijie, which relies on Dongfeng's technology, is not renowned for these two aspects in the domestic market and faces tough competition from companies like Huawei and Momenta, which have higher brand appeal.
△New vehicles are beginning to utilize a new generation of suspension systems, including air springs and CDC shock absorbers
Who is Shijie's biggest competitor?
Perhaps Leapmotor is Shijie's biggest competitor. Why do I say that?
Although Dongfeng Citroen Automobile has integrated into Dongfeng's new energy business landscape, it cannot confine itself to the domestic market. To thrive in the current environment, it is imperative to expand its market to overseas markets. Ford China, which has also faced misfortunes similar to Dongfeng Citroen Automobile, was able to turn a profit last year primarily by selling cars to overseas markets. Apart from new energy and intelligent connectivity technology, China has certain advantages in vehicle manufacturing costs, quality, and parts supply chains. Therefore, instead of engaging in fierce competition with other domestic rivals, Shijie should leverage Stellantis's global network and channels to explore broader markets.
△Ford China achieved profitability through exports last year
However, from the current situation, Leapmotor has taken the lead in Stellantis's global new energy vehicle market layout. In October 2023, following Volkswagen's investment in XPeng Motors, Stellantis, unwilling to lag behind, also set its sights on domestic new forces. By investing approximately 1.5 billion euros, it acquired approximately 21% equity in Leapmotor and formulated a strategy to jointly develop the global new energy vehicle market with Leapmotor. The first batch of Leapmotor vehicles will be sold in Europe and South America, two overseas target markets where Stellantis has a strong presence. In this scenario, both Dongfeng Citroen Automobile and Shijie need to consult with Stellantis as soon as possible to leverage its global channel network to sell related models. Stellantis's global market is vast enough for both Leapmotor and Dongfeng Citroen Automobile to explore together.
△Stellantis has regarded Leapmotor as a member of its global brand family
Although Shijie shares the word 'Worlds' in its name, there is still a significant gap between it and Huawei's Hongmeng Zhixing 'Five Worlds' in the intelligent racetrack. From a pricing perspective, Shijie 06 also aims to target the largest A-class SUV market and stabilize Dongfeng Citroen Automobile's position in the domestic market by swiftly boosting sales. However, this segment is the largest and also implies fierce competition, with almost all automakers, such as BYD, Geely, XPeng, Leapmotor, Volkswagen, and Toyota, clustered here. For Shijie to make a splash and Dongfeng Citroen Automobile to achieve a turnaround, relying solely on 'No Motion Sickness' to gain a foothold in the domestic market remains a slim prospect. Nevertheless, if Shijie can receive assistance from Stellantis to swiftly enter overseas markets, it may still carve out a new world for itself.
(This article is originally produced by 'Heyan Yueche' and cannot be reproduced without authorization)