Citroen C3 Bookings Open At Dealerships Ahead Of Mid-July Launch

The same report by the publication also claims that bookings for the Citroen C3 premium hatchback have opened at the dealership level, with some accepting a Rs 21,000 booking amount.

The Citroen C3 will be the first made-in-India product from the French carmaker. The carmaker currently sells the comfort-oriented C5 AirCross SUV in the country.

Not much is known about the C3 for India as Citroen has kept its cards quite close to its chest. However, one thing that we do know is the fact that the new C3 premium hatchback/crossover will be the first car to come with a flex fuel engine when it arrives sometime next month.

The engine under the bonnet of the Citroen C3 is expected to be the carmaker's 1.2-litre turbocharged Puretech turbo powerplant it uses for quite a few models in its worldwide lineup. This 1,999cc turbocharged engine produces 108bhp at 5,500rpm and 151Nm of peak torque at 1,750rpm. The engine is expected to be offered with a 5-speed manual or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic at launch.

The Citroen C3 sold in international markets is also offered with a 1.5-litre diesel engine with 101bhp and 184Nm of peak torque. However, this engine is not expected to make its way onto the Indian subcontinent's roads. Citroen is also said to be working on an all-electric version of the C3 supermini, which is said to be coming to India sometime next year.

The Citroen C3 features a x-shaped design up front thanks to the convergence of the Chevron logo, and the split lighting setup of the daytime running lights and the headlights. There are quite a few other quirky touches like the dual-tone roof, the air pockets on the doors and the exterior colour matching accents on the inside.

The C3 offers a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay along with a fully digital instrument cluster for the driver. The new C3 is expected to arrive in India with a host of connected car features which are quickly becoming a 'necessary' feature with new cars in India. Citroen claims that passengers at the back will enjoy 653mm of legroom, which is the best in its class in international markets.

The new Citroen C3 for India is built on the Stellantis Group's Common Modular Platform (CMP). The new car will feature 90 per cent localisation to help keep down production costs, which should allow the French carmaker to price the new premium hatchback quite aggressively.

Citroen is also said to be working on two other cars based on the same CMP architecture one of which is expected to be a sub-compact SUV while the other could be an MPV.

Thoughts On The Citroen C3

The Citroen C3 will bring the French carmaker's quirky design and comfort oriented setup to the premium hatchback segment in India. How the new Citroen C3 fares in India could very well be dependant on the price, which is expected to be quite aggressive thanks to the high localization.