Citroen C3 Launch Confirmed For First Half Of 2022

The Citroen C3 will be the second vehicle from the French marque to enter the Indian market after the C5 Aircross which is currently only offered in CKD (completely Knocked Down kit) guise. The upcoming Citroen C3 like its larger sibling is expected to be engineered towards providing a more comfortable ride for its passengers.

The Citroen C3 for international markets is based on the Stellantis Group's PF1 architecture. However, the C3 for India will be based on the Common Modular Platform (CMP) developed by Stellantis and the Chinese state-owned carmaker Dongfeng. The CMP architecture allows for a more cost effective car which should help Citroen in a budget conscious market like India.

The Citroen C3 for India will draw power from a 1.2-litre turbocharged engine that produces 108.5bhp at 5,500rpm and 151Nm of peak torque at just 1,750rpm. The engine is paired with either a 5 or 6-speed manual and a 7-speed DCT automatic gearbox.

The Citroen C3 is expected to be the first flex-fuel compatible car to hit the Indian market. The French SUV's engine will be able to deal with upcoming fuel laws that will see blended fuels (mixes of ethanol and petrol) become standard fare in the Indian market.

The Citroen C3 just about slips under the 4-metre marque. The Citroen C3 is 3,996mm long, 1,740mm wide and 1,470mm tall. The wheelbase of the C3 crossover is 2,540mm long which should mean more space for the occupants. The Citroen C3 has a ground clearance of 180mm and the SUV has a curb weight of around one tonne which is quite light.

The Citroen C3's design is quite similar to its larger C5 Aircross sibling. The Citroen C3 features a split headlamp design with sleek LED DRLs up top and the actual headlamps sitting just below in their own separate housing. The Citroen C3's split headlamps units are connected to the marque's badge in the centre by twin chrome strips. The housings for the fog lamps are done up in chrome and these lights sit quite low on the front bumper. The crossover SUV features quite a bit of plastic cladding and its taillights look like they've been embedded into the rear end of the C3.

The Citroen C3's interiors are quite fun. The central dashboard panel is offered with quite a few bold colour options. The C3 crossover from Citroen sports a three-spoke steering wheel with controls for the 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system which will come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard.

Thoughts On the Citroen C3

The Citroen C3 is confirmed to arrive in India in the first half of 2022 and will compete in an extremely competitive segment in the Indian car market. The C3 is also expected to be the first flex-fuel compatible to hit the Indian market. We expect the Citroen C3 to provide a bit of quirky french charm and focus on passenger comfort and safety when it arrives next year.