Citroen commenced its Indian innings with the C5 Aircross, a premium crossover with a base price of INR 29.9 lakh (ex-showroom). Next in line, however, are a couple of B-segment offerings that will take on some hot-selling products like the Maruti Baleno and the Kia Sonet. The former will be the Citroen C3, while the latter will be the Citroen C3 Aircross. The two new models will likely debut in the coming weeks, but the compact offerings have just been leaked through pictures of their scale models.
Also Read- Upcoming Citroen SUV (Hyundai Venue Rival) Rendered Digitally
From the looks of it, the Citroen C3 Aircross will play the perfect baby-brother to the C5 Aircross, with a similarly curvaceous form-factor and distinct French flair. Meanwhile, the C3 will have a less rugged look with smaller wheels, lower ground clearance and a less SUVish styling package. The C3 and C3 Aircross will be based upon the company's C-Cubed philosophy that comprises three pillars of Cool, Comfort and Clever. While 'Cool' is all about the contemporary looks, 'Comfort' stresses the need of offering segment-best comfort levels and ease of operation. 'Clever' is about being relevant to the market through adapting to local preferences.
It is likely that the Citroen B-segment offerings for India would be produced with up to 95% localization right from the get-go. Also, it is worth mentioning here that the India-bound offerings will measure less than 4-metre in order to benefit from lower taxation, which, in turns, helps carmakers price their offerings more competitively. Hence, the Indian versions would be slightly smaller than their European counterparts.
The Citroen C3 range will be sold with a locally produced 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine that will deliver 110PS and 160Nm. Transmission options will include both manual and automatic units. The Stellantis' Common Modular Platform (CMP) that will underpin the new models will be compatible with strong hybrid and electric powertrains, which should make the upcoming sub-compacts future-ready.
