SURE, EVERYONE wants to be top of the pops: there’s Fiat pushing harder to become Europe’s biggest manufacturer and Volkswagen also working hard to loosen Toyota’s  position on the podium in global markets.

Now, Citroen is coming to the party, with the manufacturer’s Vice President Jean-Marc Gales telling the Corriere della Serra newspaper that the French manufacturer would focus on alliances with other carmakers in a bid to move into Europe’s top three.

“It’s not important for us to produce 6 or 7 million cars to survive,” Gales told Corriere della Serra.

“We have another strategy, we believe in alliances, we cooperate with Ford and BMW on engines and gears, the most expensive parts to develop in a car,” he said.

Gales’ goals for the smaller half of PSA Peugeot Citroen are lofty to say the least, with the carmaker currently ranked seventh in Europe for sales, behind Fiat and its partner Peugeot in fifth place.

The top three in Europe at the moment is made up of Volkswagen, Ford, and Opel/Vauxhall rounding out the trio. With GM Europe’s ongoing troubles, third position may be up for grabs soon enough, but with Renault, Peugeot and Fiat between Citroen and the top three, the French carmaker has a fight on its hands.

In Australia, Citroen’s sales for April dropped 53.3 percent over the same time last year, but it is faring better in other markets and has a strong - if typically Gallic - model line-up.