Citroen is planning to introduce a mid-size SUV in the Indian market, which will follow after the launch of the CC21 sub-4-metre SUV
Citroen will launch its first product in India, C5 Aircross, on 7th April 2021. The brand is planning to launch a few more new vehicles for our market later, including a new mid-size SUV, internally codenamed CC24. This upcoming SUV will rival the likes of Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, and Renault Duster upon launch.
Unlike the C5 Aircross, which is a CKD import, the upcoming CC24 will be a made-in-India vehicle. The latter is scheduled to enter production in June 2022, and Citroen is planning to manufacture around 2,200 units per month. The French carmaker will also begin exports shortly after production begins, in order to better sustain itself in the Indian market.
The CC24 will be underpinned by PSA’s Common Modular Platform, or CMP, on which the CC21 sub-4-metre SUV will also be built. The CC21 will be based on the Citroen C3 Aircross, and it is expected to launch in India in the second half of this year. It will compete against Kia Sonet, Maruti Vitara Brezza, Renault Kiger, etc., upon launch.
As per speculations, the CC24 will be powered by the same 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine as the CC21, but tuned to generate more power and torque. Citroen will probably not offer a diesel engine option on the CC24. However, we could get a flex-fuel or hybrid version in the future, with the latter being the more likely option.
With the popularity of SUVs on a steady rise in India, Citroen has decided to adopt an SUV-centric strategy for our market. Brands like Kia and MG have managed to establish themselves in the Indian market by focussing strongly on SUVs. Renault and Nissan have also improved their sales figures in recent times with the Kiger and Magnite, respectively, both of which were specially developed for India.
However, after launching C5 Aircross, CC21, and CC24, the manufacturer is planning to introduce a mid-size sedan in India. Codenamed CC26, this upcoming sedan will compete with Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Maruti Ciaz in our market.
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