Citroen eC3 will be unveiled at 2023 Auto Expo – Launch is expected soon after, which is when prices and range details will be revealed
If we look at the Indian electric car market, there is one brand that has firmly established itself. We are talking about Tata Motors. They have a diversified portfolio including an electric hatchback, an electric sedan and an electric SUV. Tata’s modern day EV journey started with the Nexon EV in Jan 2020. And today, they also offer Tigor EV, Nexon EV Max and now Tiago EV.
There is no imminent challenger to Tata Motors in the entry level electric car market. Closest rivals could be MG ZS EV, Hyundai Kona EV, BYD Atto 3, etc. But these are a segment or two above Tata’s EV offerings.
Citroen eC3 Electric Interiors
Come 2023, we will have more rivals to Tata’s electric cars. Mahindra will have the XUV400 electric to rival Nexon EV, MG Air EV will take on Tiago EV. Another rival to Tiago EV will come in the form of Citroen eC3, which has been spied again. But this time, we get a closer look at the interiors, dashboard of the Citroen electric car. Hat tip to automotive enthusiast Chandrakanth Reddy M for sharing the exclusive spy shots.
Speaking about external design, Citroen C3 electric test mule looks identical to its ICE counterpart. However, production-spec eC3 is likely to get new highlights, EV badge – helping it easily differentiate from its ICE counterpart. Tata Motors follows a similar path and offers blue highlights and EV-specific colour shades to help identify it apart from its ICE counterparts.
Interiors of eC3 are similar to petrol version. It gets the same touchscreen infotainment system, steering wheel with controls, AC vents, etc. What is different is the missing gear lever. Citroen eC3 gets a drive mode selector with RND option along with an ECO mode button.
C3 Electric Specs, Range
Citroen eC3 specs are not yet made official. That said, sources reveal that it is likely to come with a 30.2 kWh battery. This is a bigger battery pack as compared to Tiago EV long range variant’s 24 kWh. The motor on Citroen eC3 is said to make 86 bhp of power and 143 Nm of torque as opposed to 74 bhp and 114 Nm on Long Range models.
Tata Tiago EV offers a range of up to 315 km on a single charge with Long Range version. One can expect that Citroen eC3 will offer a real-world range close to 300 km from its larger battery. Mechanically, suspension will be tuned differently or stronger struts will be used to accommodate heavier batteries.
By keeping the exteriors and interiors of ICE and EV versions similar, Citroen will be able to save significantly on development costs. This will help bring overall costs down and launch eC3 at an aggressive price tag. Launch price of Citroen eC3 could be in the region of Rs 10 lakh.