Upon its launch, Citroen CC21 will rival the likes of Mahindra KUV100, Maruti Suzuki Ignis and the upcoming Tata HBX
Groupe PSA finally entered the Indian market earlier this month with the launch of Citroen C5 Aircross. The company has already dispatched more than 1000 units of the mid-size luxury SUV despite being a Rs 30 lakh machine. However, the French carmaker wants to target the mass section of the market and hence its next launch will be a small car.
The company will be launching a new subcompact UV, codenamed CC21, that is currently being locally developed under the Citroen brand. The crossover will be underpinned by the highly localised Common Modular Platform (CMP) that has been specifically developed for emerging markets such as India and Brazil.
Test mules of the upcoming compact crossover have been spotted on multiple occasions in recent months. The latest bunch of spy shots are credited to Shyamanth Shetty and have been clicked at Mangalore. Like previous spy images, the test prototype of CC21 was heavily wrapped in camouflage.
Although judging by its silhouette, the UV seems to take design inspirations from the larger European version C3 which, interestingly, was also spotted in India some time ago.
Exterior & Interior Styling
Upfront, the mini UV gets a bold front fascia with a high bonnet line and a muscular front bumper lending it an SUV-ish stance. Although each section of the prototype is thoroughly covered, it is clearly visible that it gets a split lighting setup with dual-beam LED projector headlamps and slim LED DRLs on top. A mesh pattern is adopted for the radiator grille and central air intake in the lower bumper. Side profile looks slender while the rear section looks more like a hatchback.
Inside the cabin, it will adopt a completely blacked-out theme as suggested by previous spy shots. The dashboard will flaunt a touchscreen infotainment display which by the looks of might outclass the rest in this segment. A three-spoke steering wheel with a Citroen branding in the centre and multiple controls will also be present.
Powertrain Specs
Speaking of its powertrain, CC21 is likely to be powered by a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine which will be equipped with a Flexi-fuel system. This means it could run on both petrol as well as ethanol blends while returning an output of 118 bhp and 150 Nm of peak torque. A 5-speed manual gearbox is expected to be offered as standard with the option of an automatic transmission.
Expect it to be pegged at a starting price slightly below Rs 5 lakh which should position it against the likes of Mahindra KUV100, Maruti Ignis and the upcoming Tata HBX and Hyundai AX1. The micro UV is expected to be launched sometime late 2021 or early next year.