Citroen C3 will go on sale by the middle of next month in India and it will be powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine
Citroen India will launch the C3 compact vehicle by the middle of next month in the domestic market and its official bookings are expected to commence soon across authorised dealerships. Select dealers appear to be accepting an initial token of Rs. 21,000 already for the upcoming volume-based vehicle, which is only the brand’s second passenger car for India.
The French auto major made its market debut last year with the C5 Aircross premium SUV but the C3 will target higher volumes with its affordable nature and it will carry a high local content as well. The C3 will have a high-riding stance but it is not a fully-blown compact SUV. It will target a wide spectrum of models from compact hatchbacks and micro SUVs to entry-level compact SUVs.
The Citroen C3 will have more than 90 per cent localisation and it will have a myriad of customisation options for the discerning consumers. It will take on Tata Punch, Mahindra KUV NXT, Maruti Suzuki Ignis, Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger and so on. To expand its footprint along the way, Group PSA’s Citroen is also working on increasing its dealer network and touchpoints across India.
The sub-four-metre model will more likely be priced around Rs. 5.5 lakh for the entry-level trim and it may go all the way up to Rs. 9 lakh (ex-showroom). As for the styling, the C3 sports the unique design bits renowned for the French automaker and it will come in single- and dual-tone colour schemes with contrasting exterior and interior finishes to attract the youth.
The global C3 was unveiled late last year and the India-spec version will have several similarities with it. It will feature a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a steering wheel with mounted control, an all-digital instrument console, etc but features such as auto climate control and rear power windows could be skipped.
As for the performance, the Citroen C3 will be powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine and it will be linked with a five-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission in the top-spec versions. The CMP platform underpinning the C3 will give rise to a host of new models in the near future. Citroen has a 2023-bound EV, an MPV and a CUV under development for India.