Citroen has taken the wraps off its next offering for India – the Citroen C3, at its global premiere. The C3, which will be positioned in the sub 4-metre compact SUV segment, can be expected to be priced between Rs 6 to Rs 9 lakh and is set to arrive on our shores by the first half of 2022. Before it does, let’s take a closer look at Citroen’s rival to the Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Tata Nexon and other compact SUVs.
The Citroen C3 appears very striking at first glance. With its sculpted lines and contrasting elements, the C3 looks like a shrunken-down version of the C5 Aircross that is already on sale in India. With its sub 4-metre footprint, it has an aura of funkiness to it, and touches like the chrome grille slats merging into the LED DRLs make the C3 appear chic. There is an abundance of body cladding, making the C3 look beefier. Adding to this is the jacked-up ride height of 180mm, which will be a boon in driving conditions like ours. The Citroen C3 will be offered with a choice of upto 11 colour options (including single and dual-tone schemes) with the four main colours – Ice White, Platinum Grey, Artense Grey and Zesty Orange.
While we didn’t get a proper peek at the interior just yet, the design of the C3 continues to be funky and youthful inside. You get a massive contrasting plastic element stretching the entirety of the dashboard, a 10-inch touchscreen for infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a segment-first phone clamp, which allows the driver and the passenger to easily access their smartphone for music or navigation. Thoughtful touches include an integrated channel for guiding phone cables to the 12V charging socket. Certain bits like the air-con vents are identical to the larger C5 Aircross and you can expect lots of storage spaces in the C3 as well, in addition to the 1-litre glovebox and the 315-litre trunk.
The Citroen C3 will be based on the CMP modular architecture platform and will be the first of three SUVs launched by Citroen in India to be based on this platform. The modular architecture will also help Citroen benefit from the economies of platform sharing, which in turn will translate to more competitive prices for the consumers.
Citroen has remained tight-lipped about the C3’s India prices, but given the car’s positioning and high levels of localisation, you can expect the Citroen C3 to be priced between Rs 6 to 9 lakh (ex-showroom). Final prices will only be revealed at the launch of the C3 in the first half of 2022. At this price point, the C3 will likely compete against the likes of the Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon and the Kia Sonet.