Upon launch, Citroen C3 will rival a wide range of vehicles including Tata Punch, Maruti Ignis, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger
French carmaker Groupe PSA set foot in India with its subsidiary Citroen launching the first car in the form of C5 Aircross. However, the premium mid-size SUV has been targeted at a niche segment of buyers. The company, henceforth, intends to adopt a more mass market-driven approach which will see the introduction of budget cars.
First on this list will be C3 which has been in development for almost two years now. The mini crossover made its global debut a few months back in September 2021 and later went on sale in South American markets a few weeks ago. The French carmaker is now getting ready to bring the new cross hatchback to Indian shores.
Citroen C3 Launch Date
Citroen has officially revealed the C3 in India, at national media drive event which is currently taking place in Goa. At the event, they have announced that the C3 launch will take place on 20th July, while official bookings of C3 will start from 1st July. The crossover will be built at the CK Birla facility in Thiruvallur near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It will also be the first of the three new models that will be arriving in India as part of the brand’s C-Cubed programme.
The cross-hatch will be based on a Common Modular Platform (CMP) with more than 90 percent localization. Coming to its exterior styling, C3 gets a proper crossover styling with bits of both SUV and hatchback body styles apparent in its design. It features a signature front face with two chrome lines extending from each side of the logo and meeting the split LED headlamps and DRLs.
Exterior Design
Front end of the C3 looks very beefy thanks to the muscular front bumper with a large faux skid plate which gives it an SUV-ish appeal. This SUV-like appearance gets further accentuated when one moves towards the side profile which gets a boxy silhouette, thick plastic claddings on wheel arches and door sills and faux roof rails. The rear end looks more understated with wrap-around LED taillamps giving it a hatchback look.
Interiors of the cabin are very well laid out and minimalist which bodes well with the dual-tone treatment provided. An expected wheelbase of 2,540mm will make it the best in the sub-4 metre segment of passenger vehicles. This should translate to generous space inside the cabin, especially in the second-row seats.
Features & Engine Specs
In terms of features, C3 will boast equipment comprising a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with Mirror Screen function, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 3 fast-charging USB ports, a 12V socket, a flat-bottom multifunction steering wheel, auto climate control and more. Safety will be assured by twin airbags, rear parking sensors and ABS with EBD.
Powering Citroen C3 will be a 1.2-litre petrol engine or a 1.2 liter turbo petrol engine. The former will power entry variants, delivering 82 PS via 5 speed MT. Top variants will get the more powerful turbo unit, delivering 110 PS / 190 Nm via 6 speed MT. Citroen C3 automatic transmission option is not expected to be on offer at launch.
It was expected this engine will be equipped with a Flexi-fuel technology which means it could run on petrol, ethanol or blended fuels. But that does not seem to be the case. It is likely to be only a petrol engine. Dimensions of C3 – 3981 mm length, 1733 mm width, 1586 mm height with a wheelbase of 2540 mm.
