Citroen C3 will go on sale in the early parts of next year in India and will be powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine
Citroen unveiled the C3 compact SUV a few days ago and it will become the second product for India the Indian market upon arrival early next year. The name might sound familiar but the India-spec C3 is different from the European mid-segment model. It won’t act as a replacement to the C3 in the Old Continent as both will have separate strategies.
The French manufacturer has high hopes for the C3 sub-four-metre SUV as it will be the first model to target volume sales in the mass-market space. It will rival micro SUVs such as the upcoming Tata Punch and Mahindra KUV NXT along with compact SUVs like Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Mahindra XUV300, Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger, Honda WR-V and Toyota Urban Cruiser. Here are the five things you should know about it:
1. Cost-Effective Platform:
While the Euro-spec C3 is based on Groupe PSA’s PFI architecture, the made-in-India C3 sits on the heavily localised Common Modular Platform (CMP) of over 90 per cent and is, in turn, derived from the PF1. It is specifically designed for emerging markets and might help in pricing the C3 competitively with value for money propositions. We can expect the Citroen C3 to cost between Rs. 8 lakh and Rs. 12 lakh (ex-showroom).
2. No Diesel Engine:
For India, the chances of Citroen using only the 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine with manual and automatic transmission options are high. In Europe, the third generation C3 uses a 1.5-litre diesel motor but it may not be introduced in India due to cost and tax reasons.
3. Quirky Exterior:
Carrying the brand’s unique exterior elements, the new C3 gets a double chevron logo, split headlamp cluster, short overhangs, contrast accents, sporty dual-tone exterior themes, stylish alloy wheels, raked front windshield, turn signals mounted on ORVMs, raised bonnet line, a compact rear, 315 litres of bootspace, wraparound LED tail lamps, grey roof rails, and so on.
4. Decent Features List:
The interior of the 2022 Citroen C3 gains a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, automatic climate control, adjustable headrests, power-adjustable wing mirrors, etc. It will target the affordable end of the sub-four-metre SUV segment as the equipment list points towards it carrying an aggressive price range.
5. Export Opportunities
Citroen has already begun exporting powertrain components and assemblies from its JV facility in Tamil Nadu and the C3 will likely be shipped to right-hand-drive markets such as Nepal, Bhutan, the East coast of Africa and so on.
