Even though top-spec variants of Citroen Aircross undercut rivals by up to Rs 5 lakh (Ex-sh), it is less appealing to target buyers
When the C3 Aircross was launched, the automotive fraternity criticised Citroen India for not launching it with the 1.2L NA Petrol engine. While it is not all that powerful on paper, it promises good driveability and affordability. Now, Citroen has fixed that shortcoming and has launched C3 Aircross with the NA Petrol engine and has removed C3 from the name.
With this move, Citroen Aircross SUV (previously called C3 Aircross SUV) starts from Rs 8.49 lakh (Ex-sh) and undercuts all of its rivals, except for its coupe sibling, Basalt. Citroen C3 Aircross SUV was the company’s least-selling C-Cubed vehicle in India clocking just 38 units in August 2024. Will the renamed and updated Citroen Aircross fix that? Only time will tell.
Citroen Aircross SUV Prices vs Rivals
If we take a look at Citroen’s course of action in the recent past, the company seems to be throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. With the launch of Basalt, Citroen witnessed a massive surge in sales. The low price tags quoted with Basalt seem to be working as it sold 579 units in August 2024.
Citroen might be expecting a similar sales spike with the newly launched Aircross SUV. The only vehicle that undercuts Aircross’ prices is Basalt, starting at an attractive Rs 7.99 lakh (Ex-sh). There is a Rs 50,000 price difference between the two and Aircross seems to be justifying it with larger 17-inch wheels, higher ground clearance and the option of 5+2 seater for an additional price.
Outside of Citroen’s portfolio, Tata Curvv turns out to be the most VFM offering starting at Rs 10 lakh (Ex-sh) and offering a Turbo Petrol engine as standard. In fact, most affordable Citroen C3 Aircross Turbo used to start from Rs 9.99 lakh and with the variant rejig, base price for Turbo is now Rs 11.95 lakh (Ex-sh).
While talking base models, a special mention has to go to MG Astor. It might not pack a Turbo engine at Rs 10 lakh, but the base model offers a whole lot more kit than its rivals and even offers soft-touch plastics for a premium feel. The most affordable Turbo Petrol variant is also from Tata Curvv at Rs 12.5 lakh (Ex-sh) with Basalt trailing closely at Rs 12.79 lakh (Ex-sh).
Top variants
Citroen India doesn’t sell Diesel, CNG and Hybrid vehicles. That said, Tata Curvv has the most affordable Diesel MT and Diesel AT variants in this comparison. Depending on the market reception, Curvv might also get CNG variants in the future. As of now, only Grand Vitara and Hyryder get CNG variants. They’re also the only ones to offer self-charging (strong) hybrid variants as well.
Also, kudos to Maruti Suzuki and Toyota for being the only ones to offer AWD in this segment, bringing them closer to their marketed “SUV” tag. With top-spec variants, Citroen Aircross SUV undercuts rivals by Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh (Ex-sh). Even with these price differences, Citroen Aircross is less likely to appeal to target demographic.
There is a massive deficit of features, creature comforts and safety attributes with Citreon Aircross and Basalt. When it comes to crash safety, Honda Elevate, Hyryder, Astor and Grand Vitara are yet to be tested too. But the 0 star crash safety scored by Citroen eC3, based on the same CMP platform as Aircross SUV and Basalt, doesn’t inspire any confidence at all.
Also, Citroen cars have received massive discounts of around 2 lakh a couple of times. Along with these discounts, dealerships have also offered attractive offers like free fuel, free extended warranty and more. Thus making it less attractive for buyers to fully pay the quoted Ex-sh prices.
