“To become the leader of the car market in three years”

According to Febiac data, the fifteen brands of the Stellantis group account for just over 20% of new registrations in Luxembourg, which places the automotive group as a result of the merger of the companies. Fiat Chrysler cars (FCA) and PSA Group (PSA) is in second place Volkswagen AG which is 34% of new registrations. with regards to Auto show in Brussels and after a few days The 59th edition of the AutofestivalStephane Levy, Country Manager of Stellantis Beluxtalks about the group’s vision for the Luxembourg market.

How does the Stellantis group view the Luxembourg car market?

Stephen Levy. – “It’s a market in itself and we try to treat it as such. We also need to improve certain points in our communication style and be less aligned with what we do in Belgium, because the channels, customers or assistance for buying an electric car are different. Therefore, our strategy is to work on a local anchor to appeal specifically to Luxembourg customers. We started doing it especially for this 59th Autofestival.

What are the ambitions of the Stellantis group in Luxembourg?

“In a number of European countries, including Belgium, the group ranks first in terms of market share. This is not the case in Luxembourg, and this situation is not normal. Our ambition is to become one within three years. We have very good local anchor distributors, great dealerships, brands and models with potential, great engines. There is no reason not to be the first step. Together with our local partners, I am sure we can do it. Last year Peugeot 208 and Peugeot 308 as it worked very well Fiat 500. These are cars that are pleasing without being in the premium segment, proof that there is a window of opportunity in Luxembourg.

What will you do to achieve this goal? Does this ambition require the reorganization of certain dealerships, as is the case with Autopolis soon?

“We actually work with dealers, especially Autopolis. There’s no secret, you have to be number 1 in customer service first and foremost. Autopolis has already done a lot of work on this point for many years. We also need to accelerate in certain segments, including the B2B domain, where German competition is strong. Especially in this area, we have brands that need to gain more visibility and fame fiat and Alfa Romeoor Jeep. But more generally, it’s work that should apply to all of our brands. Apart from DS, which scored well in Luxembourg, we are 1-2 points below Belgium in every brand. This is not acceptable.

Will you reorganize your network to stay true to your goals? In France, Stellantis announced the disappearance of 1,200 sales points…

“We are in the logic of concentration and multibrand. We are reducing costs at the distributor level to operate profitably in the face of market electrification, which has made all cars more expensive, and we must reduce distribution costs if we want to retain the widest possible customer base in terms of purchasing power. and go through more concentration and less very large halls.

By the time I get to the showroom, I might have 3-4 emblematic models behind variations of different models with digital media. Customers visit dealerships less often, but they do go there at least once. Our role is to ensure that the entire course is simple. If a customer started configuring their car online and left their contact information, it’s not understandable to see the same customer doing the same thing at the dealership. Digital and physical are not mutually exclusive, but complementary, and having a network is critical.

Then there are changes that need to be made to make it sustainable. The dealer network in Luxembourg is very well balanced and very well scaled in terms of territorial network. On the other hand, there are changes to be made so that dealers in the same areas can work with their own car brands, preferably with the brands of the group. Stellantisto cover their fixed costs and be sustainable.