The sub-four-metre SUV from Citroen will be based on the C3 and it will be heavily localised to carry starting price of around Rs. 7 lakh (ex-showroom)
Groupe PSA will be re-entering the Indian market with the Citroen brand as the second largest European carmaker aims at making its presence felt in markets other than Europe. With India being at the forefront of its plans, the first product waiting to be launched by the end of next year is the C5 Aircross.
It will compete against Jeep Compass, Tata Harrier, upcoming MG Hector and Kia SP2i (Seltos) in the vastly growing premium SUV space. Just as the new brands MG Motor and Kia, Citroen is banking big on SUVs and the C5 Aircross will carry high local content to be aggressively priced against competitors.
Following the C5 Aircross, the French company will launch one new product every year between 2021 and 2023. In a recent report emerged on the internet, Citroen is said to be working on a smaller SUV than the C5 Aircross and it will sit below catering high volumes. Going on sale in 2021, the sub-four-metre SUV is a more compact version of the C3 supermini and it will be specifically made for domestic customers.
Don’t be surprised if it turns out to be the case as the subcompact SUV segment has been garnering plenty of attention in recent years. However, the competition has equally increased as Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and Honda WR-V are joined by the latest entrants Mahindra XUV300 and Hyundai Venue.
Citroen C3 based SUV will be heavily localised of up to 95 per cent and it will result in a price range starting at around Rs. 7 lakh (ex-showroom) reportedly. The five-seater will cater to foreign markets as well as the underlying volume potential in the Latin American countries could be tapped.
As for the exterior, expect the small SUV to boast funky design elements, as Citroen is known for being eccentric in this department. Just as the Hyundai Venue, it will be retailed in three powertrain choices. The 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine is said to produce 83 horsepower.
The uprated turbocharged version will be good enough to generate 110 horsepower – on par with competitors like Tata Nexon and Mahindra XUV300. The 1.5-litre DV5 diesel unit, on the other hand, is co-developed with Ford and it will be connected to a six-speed manual transmission.