Citroen C3 has been officially revealed, launch will take place on 20th July, 0-100 km/hr in 10 seconds
Citroen India has officially revealed its much-awaited C3 compact SUV with the launch slated for 20th July. Official bookings for the car will commence from 1st July at its 20 dealerships spread across 19 cities.
Citroen has some bold claims for the compact SUV. The C3, which is due for launch in India, is the third generation model that debuted in 2016. It’s also Citroen’s globally best selling model with over 50 lakh cars sold till date.
The C3 boasts of an impressive ground clearance of 180 mm which is above almost all the hatchbacks in its segment. The seating position is also 100 mm more than a traditional hatchback. Such a setup ensures a panoramic view for the rear passengers, Citroen claims.
Power comes from a lone 1.2-litre Puretech petrol engine in natural aspirated (NA) and turbocharged avatars.
The NA model called Live exerts 81 HP and comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox while the turbo model called Feel produces 108 HP and 190 Nm mated to a 6-speed manual.
Unfortunately, there are no automatic variants on offer. But, Citroen claims best in the segment 0-100 km/hr time of 10 seconds for the turbo variants. While the claimed fuel efficiency for the NA model is 19.8 km/l, it’s a tad lower for the turbo variants at 19.4 km/l.
With 190 Nm on tap for the turbo variants, 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 Vitara Brezza, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Hyundai, Venue, Kia Sonet, Nissan Magnite, and Renault Kiger.
On the inside, the compact SUV gets a large 10-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The boot capacity is 315 litres.
The C3 will be available in a choice of 6 colours – Zesty Orange, Platinum Grey, Polar White, Steel Grey, Dual-tone Platinum Grey, and Dual-tone Zesty Orange.
There will also be 2 interiors trims to choose – Anodized Grey and Zesty Orange. Further Citroen will offer 56 customisation options with more than 70 accessories.
The French maker claimed that the car has achieved 90 percent localisation with most of the suppliers in under 50 km from its Chennai plant. It further said that the C3 has been tested across the country for more than 25 lakh km.
The C3 undergoes 250 quality checks during production according to the company. During the reveal, Citroen also launched what it calls ‘Citroen Service Promise’ with 7 features.
They include anytime anywhere access, virtual remote diagnosis, period service/maintenance with pickup and drop, 180-minute RSA guarantee, remote service job card opening, service cost estimator on website, and genuine spare part availability 24 hours.
The car’s dimensions are as follows. The compact SUV measures 3981mm in length, 1733 mm in width, and 1586mm in height. The wheelbase is 2540 mm.
On the outside, the C3 has its design inspired from its bigger brother, C5 Aircross. The exterior detailing is mostly taken care by the huge body cladding.
The fused roof rails further accentuate the SUV stance while the split headlamps and Citroen’s signature grille complete the looks at the front.
The interesting aspect to note here is the C3’s expected price. Sources say, it would command a starting ex-showroom price of just over Rs. 5.5 lakhs undercutting even the affordable Nissan Magnite.