Following the launch of the C5 Aircross, Citroen will be launching three new products in India under its C-Cubed program for the country
Citroen recently took the wraps off of the India-spec C5 Aircross SUV, its first offering for the Indian market which is all set to be launched in the country next month. However, the C5 Aircross is not the only car that Citroen is planning to launch in India in its first year of setting up shop.
The French carmaker is also expected to launch a new sub-compact SUV in India this year, which is expected to be launched around this festive season. Internally codenamed C21, the sub-compact SUV will be the first car to be launched under Citroen’s C-Cubed program for India. Under this program, a total of three new cars are planned for the country, which will be designed and developed in India itself.
The Citroen C21 will be based on Groupe PSA’s Common Modular Platform (CMP), unlike the PSA EMP2 platform that underpins its sibling, the C5 Aircross SUV. The C21 will join the ever-growing sub-4m SUV segment that currently consists of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Ford EcoSport, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Mahindra XUV300, Nissan Magnite as well as the Renault Kiger.
The C21 will likely be a petrol-only model and is expected to be offered with both naturally-aspirated and turbocharged powertrains. While the NA petrol engine will likely only be offered with a manual transmission, the turbo-petrol powertrain is expected to get both manual as well as automatic gearbox options.
The other two products that the French carmaker is working on for the Indian market include a premium hatchback that will rival the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Hyundai i20, Volkswagen Polo and Tata Altroz in the Indian market; as well as a C-segment sedan that will rival the Hyundai Verna, Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and Toyota Yaris in the market.
On the other hand, the C5 Aircross is a premium offering that will rival the Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson in the market. Citroen hasn’t yet revealed the pricing of the C5 Aircross, but we expect the French carmaker to price the car between Rs 28 – 30 lakh.