Citroen C3 Automatic variant will get Aisin sourced 6-speed torque converter, the best in its price range
Citroen C3 has turned out to be 1 of the best cars in the compact SUV segment when it comes to mechanicals and the French maker will that aspect to the next level when it launches the automatic variant.
As per sources, the Citroen C3 is going to get Japanese maker Aisin’s 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission! Yes, you heard that right! The C3 will be the first car in its price range with such an intuitive gearbox.
This transmission will be from the same family of gearboxes that do duty on the 1-litre TSI engines of Volkswagen Group cars and the 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine of the MG Astor in India. It’s known for seamless channeling of power with negligible lag.
Citroen C3’s competitors namely the Tata Punch, Tata Nexon, Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, and Mahindra XUV300 either have the lackluster CVT or AMT or the highly complicated DCT gearboxes.
Only Maruti Suzuki’s 1.5-litre K15C engine comes with the option of 6-speed torque converter automatic and for that 1 needs to shell out at least over Rs. 11 lakhs (ex-showroom) with on-road price going even beyond that.
Citroen is likely to offer the automatic transmission on the top-end model of the C3 and curtail the ex-showroom price under Rs. 9 lakhs (ex-showroom), offering loads and loads of value.
For reference, even if a person is willing to shell out over Rs. 11 lakhs (ex-showroom) for the Maruti Suzuki Brezza Automatic, still, he/she will get only the mid-level VXI trim that lacks on features.
Sources further said Citroen will launch this awesome gearbox along with the upgraded third generation versions of the current NA and turbo 1.2-litre petrol engines of the C3 in the second half of next year.
While outputs are likely to remain the same, the company might improve upon the areas of fuel efficiency and emissions. It might also localise the engines further. Currently, the turbo variant of the C3 offers class-leading acceleration hitting the ton in 10 seconds.
With 190 Nm on tap for the turbo variant, the C3 produces more torque than most of the compact SUVs in the segment namely the petrol variants of Tata Punch, Tata Nexon, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Nissan Magnite, and Renault Kiger.
Citroen is also testing the CNG variant of the C3 and the details about the same can be found here. In addition, the company will launch the C3 Electric next year. Details about the same can be found here.