D’Ieteren, Belgium’s largest car importer, has announced a major restructuring that could put up to 344 jobs at risk. The Volkswagen Group importer says the traditional model built around selling new cars no longer reflects market reality.

The stock-quoted group wants to shift its focus further toward mobility services and longer-term customer relationships.

D’Ieteren presented its strategic transformation plan to the works council yesterday. The news that up to 344 jobs could disappear if the plan is implemented in its current format came as a hard blow.

Immediately, an information and consultation procedure was launched under Belgium’s Renault Act. The losses will be spread between white- and blue-collar workers, with the first taking the biggest hit, at a projected 260 people.

According to D’Ieteren CEO Denis Gorteman, four structural changes were identified that prompted the profound restructuring program, which could affect one in seven employees.

The changed business model of electrification, which reduces income from maintenance and service but increases costs due to new investment, was the most obvious reason.

The other predictable one was the stiffened competition followed by the arrival of Chinese newcomers. These are putting stronger pressure on pricing and, subsequently, margins than before.

Changing mobility behavior

But Gorteman also mentioned leaner workflows through the arrival of artificial intelligence, and – more surprisingly- the mobility budget, which becomes compulsory for enterprises with more than 250 employees in 2027. He sees this as the epitome of our changing mobility behavior. 

Earlier this week, however, SD Worx released a survey indicating that the shift toward a mobility budget won’t affect employers’ preference for a company car.

That fleet market, which accounts for the majority of electric models sold in Belgium, is poised to remain a source of income for D’Ieteren if the survey results materialize.

More diversification

To regain some of its lost sales momentum (this year, the group’s share dropped to 21.6% from 23.2% in 2025), the group will diversify further.

Mobility projects like Poppy or Lucien will receive more financial backing, with better after-sales service to prolong the customer relationship throughout their car journey after purchase. At the same time, second-hand market initiatives are also reinforced.

The latter addresses the current split in the Belgian market, where new-car sales are steadily losing ground (-7.5%) while the second-hand car market grows.

With budget electric cars still not landing in large numbers, private customers remain wary and doubtful over their purchases. They drive their cars longer and turn to the second-hand market to find something trusted at lower prices. 

But while the sector has been eyeing this trend with good faith that the change will meet a tipping point, the transformation plan from D’Ieteren clearly braces for a structural change in our mobility behavior.

The golden days of increasing car sales and wide margins are over. The contraction of the market since corona seems a new reality rather than a setback.  

Unexpected scale

D’Ieteren has been preparing that transition for several years and has been laying off staff every few years since 2014. But this time, the loss is triple the previous cuts. According to the union, they felt something was going to happen, but nobody expected measures on such a scale. 

Jean-Paul Sellekaerts from ABVV-Metaal commented: “We cannot privatise profits when business is good and then make workers bear the cost of the transformation when the market slows down.” The automotive division from D’Ieteren last year made a profit of 215.3 million euros, which was almost 10% down from 2024.

The group doesn’t exclude closing certain entities (the test center in Kortenberg was already shut down during a previous round) and will stop automotive commercial activities at its headquarters in Brussels. It is rumoured that seven dealerships, spread over the Brussels region and Antwerp, will face closure.

Also, one Porsche service center in Wommelgem is being axed, while the energy branch Go Solar, a division focused on installing solar panels and stationary batteries, is being unwound.

D’Ieteren Automotive imports the Volkswagen Group brands Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, Seat, Cupra, Porsche, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Belgium.

It is the largest car importer in the country, but last year the Van Mossel Group seized its leading position as the largest car seller. In total, the group currently employs 2.644 people.