Citroen first entered India with the launch of the C5 Aircross, an SUV targeted at a fairly niche audience. While the Aircross came with a hefty price tag, the French carmaker is now set to enter India’s mass market.
The Citroen C3 debuted globally in September 2021, going on sale in South America soon after. The company is now bringing the crossover to India with a launch date set for July 20. What’s great about the new C3, however, is that the car is being manufactured entirely in India, which will allow for a very low price tag.
Design
Starting with design, the C3 will not change much from its international counterpart. We will see the same funky, yet, somewhat charming design with the bulky front end, chunky fenders and orange contrast-coloured roof if you opt for it. The front is where the aggressive stance of the C3 is most visible. The hood of the car sits nice and high and the front fascia features the front split headlamp setup. All of this is connected with chrome strips that meet at the centre to form Citroen’s logo. Look lower and you see a beefy bumper propped up by a faux skidplate and flanked by the foglamp housing with its orange surrounds.
Move to the side and you see its boxy silhouette. The roof rails add style to the SUV while the black body cladding adds brawn. The little bit of accenting near the front wheel arches allows for a very funky look. Finally, the rear has a fairly clean look. The tail lamps are wraparound units and flank a large Citroen logo that sits at the centre. The rear bumper is bulky too and a silver faux skidplate sits at the bottom. In terms of dimensions, the C3 measures 3,981 mm in length, 1,733 mm in width and 1,586 mm in height while the wheelbase measures 2,540 mm.
Powertrain
The C3 will be launched in India with two engine options. The 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine is one that we already know about. This engine produces 110 hp of maximum power and 190 Nm of peak torque. New details, however, reveal that the C3 will also be available with a lower spec 1.2-litre naturally aspirated option. This engine will be capable of producing 82 hp of maximum power and 115 Nm of peak torque.
With these specs it will be able to take on most of its competition, including the Maruti Suzuki Ignis as well as the recently launched Tata Punch. These crossovers, however, only feature naturally aspirated engines. The turbo-powered variant, on the other hand, will square up evenly with some entry-level compact SUVs such as the Renault Kiger and the Nissan Magnite, both of which, in their own turbo forms, have lower output figures than the C3. As for transmission, we could see both a manual as well as an automatic option, the latter of which could be a 7-speed DCT gearbox on the turbo unit. Of course, we can’t expect air suspension like that on the C5.
Interiors and Features
The funk from the exterior trickles into the interiors as well. There is some semblance of minimalism, when opting for an anodised grey interior trim, but that can be taken away when opting for the zesty orange trim. The dash is painted in the opted colour scheme, making for a very jazzy interior.
Taking centrestage here will be a freestanding 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system below which sit the AC vents. Climate control is accessed via knobs, thankfully and the gear-shift lever is as simple as they come. The C3 also gets a nice flat-bottomed steering wheel with all the controls mounted and behind that is a nice digital instrument cluster.
Other features include Mirror Screen function, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, keyless entry, fast-charging USB ports and a 12-V socket. Surprisingly, it doesn’t seem like we could get powered rear windows. This could be a cost-saving tactic, but the top-spec variant should have them. Safety, too, should be adequate with two front airbags, ABS and EBD, rear parking sensors and more.
Rivals and Price
The official price announcement is set to be made on July 20. That said, the crossover is being manufactured at the CK Birla Group’s Tamil Nadu facility with up to 90 percent localisation of the parts, according to the company. This could see fairly aggressive pricing similar to the range of the Maruti Suzuki Ignis and the Tata Punch. A figure around the Rs 6 lakh mark is what we are currently expecting. As for rivals, aside from the two mentioned above, the C3 will also take heat from a number of entry-level compact SUVs, such as the Kia Sonet, Renault Kiger, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon and the Nissan Magnite, among others.
In a press release at the time of the C3’s unveiling, Roland Bouchara, CEO and MD for Stallantis in India, said: “The C3 is a very crucial part of our India growth journey and will be the backbone of our local development strategy. This car fits right into the heart of the Indian market, where 70 percent of the demand is for sub-4 metre cars and 50 percent of customers are first-time buyers. This segment has been growing rapidly and the C3 will fit right in with its affordability and attractiveness.”
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