Stellantis: Xavier Chardon has been appointed head of Citroën

Xavier Chardon, former head of Volkswagen France, was appointed head of Citroën on Monday, May 19, in a difficult context for the French brand, the Stellantis automotive group announced in a press release.

He replaces Thierry Koskas and will take up his duties on June 2 in order to "continue the momentum initiated by the brand in recent months," the manufacturer specifies.

Citroën is showing signs of economic recovery after a difficult 2024 marked by declining sales and industrial challenges. The brand, part of the Stellantis group (also the parent company of Peugeot, Fiat, Jeep, etc.), is focusing on a strategy focused on electrification and accessibility.

Citroën grounded 236,000 cars in February as part of a new wave of groundings linked to the Takata airbag scandal . Following several fatal accidents, Citroën had already launched a first grounding campaign – called "stop drive" – in early 2024 in southern Europe and the Maghreb, stranding thousands of motorists for weeks.

"With solid international experience and in-depth knowledge of the Citroën brand, to which he has dedicated nearly 20 years of his career, Xavier Chardon will be tasked with capitalizing on Citroën's recent successes and accelerating the brand's transformation in a rapidly changing automotive context," Stellantis emphasizes.

Struggling since 2024, Stellantis saw its revenue decline by 14% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, to €35.8 billion. This decline is mainly due to a 9% drop in sales.

The group's market share in wider Europe rebounded slightly in the first quarter, with good order intake for its Citroën C3/ëC3, Peugeot 5008 and Opel/Vauxhall Grandland, launched at the end of 2024. Stellantis is counting on the small SUVs Citroën C3 Aircross, Opel/Vauxhall Frontera and Fiat Grande Panda to accelerate this rebound.

• Stellantis
• Automobile
• Volkswagen