The practice of carmakers taking a dig at each other via the medium of commercials is rather old
In the latest Citroen C3X advertisement, there is a slight dig at the old Hyundai i10. The C3X is the new launch from the French car marque in the Indian market. Based on the regular C3, the C3X is the slightly sporty iteration of the compact SUV. It comes with some distinct styling elements to lend it an imposing road presence. We know that Citroen has been focusing on SUVs for the Indian market ever since it began operations here back in 2021. In the following years, it has launched a model in the most prominent segments to expand its footprint. The C3X is the entry-level model from the French auto giant.
New Citroen C3X TVC Disses Old Hyundai i10
The new TVC from Citroen showcases a mother and a son travelling in the old Hyundai i10. After driving for a long distance over broken patches of the road, the mother comes out of the car after reaching the destination. There, they are interviewed by the marketing team from Citroen. The team member asks her about the reason for her backache, suggesting the poor suspension is the reason for this. In fact, this is where they announce and promote the Flying Carpet, best-in-class suspension available on Citroen cars. The mother-son duo is seen enjoying the ride in the latter part of the video.
Now, this is an indirect dig at the Hyundai i10 the duo was travelling in earlier. I would like to point my readers to an old case where Hindustan Motors took Hyundai Motors to court back in 2003 for a similar incident. Reportedly, HM claimed that Hyundai’s ad campaign disparaged the Mitsubishi Lancer in a TVC by showing that it was a ‘stupid’ and ‘noisy’ diesel car which breaks down and causes owners to remain stranded on the highway. In addition to that, there were many other things that were mentioned in this regard.
Clearly, such practices are not uncommon in the automotive world. However, carmakers need to be careful about such activities. There is always a better way to market their products without having to criticize any other car company. This is especially true for a company that has been struggling to post healthy sales for years. Citroen remains among the lowest-selling carmakers in the country, while Hyundai has maintained the second spot on the sales charts for years now. Let us see if Hyundai does anything about this.
Editor’s Note
Yatharth Chauhan, Managing Editor
Comparative advertisements have always been a part of the automotive industry, and Citroen’s latest C3X commercial is a reminder of that. While the French carmaker doesn’t mention the Hyundai i10 by name, the message around ride comfort and suspension quality is quite evident. Citroen has long highlighted its “Flying Carpet” suspension as a key strength, and this TVC attempts to reinforce that positioning in a rather bold manner. However, in a highly competitive market, manufacturers often achieve better results by focusing on their own strengths instead of taking indirect shots at rivals. It will be interesting to see whether this campaign generates the attention Citroen is aiming for, especially at a time when the brand is working hard to strengthen its presence in India.
Also Read: New Citroen e-C3X vs Tata Punch EV – Which EV To Buy?
