Heavily Camouflaged Citroen C3 Spotted Testing - CNG Variant?

If the model testing is the CNG version of the Citroen C3 hatchback, then the French carmaker is on the right path to increasing its market share in the country. Given the rising fuel prices, the CNG version of the Citroen C3 hatchback can boost the sales, especially in tier 1 and tier 2 cities in India.

However, with the CNG kit installed, the Citroen C3 hatchback will be having very less boot space, and the peak power output could also take a small hit.

Also, we expect the upcoming CNG version of the Citroen C3 hatchback will be powered by the 1.2-litre, naturally-aspirated petrol engine. This engine in standard form produces 80.8bhp of peak power and 115Nm of peak torque, and comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. However, the peak power and peak torque figures could come down while using CNG as fuel.

That being said, the French automaker is getting serious with its business expansion in India and the automaker is now looking forward to launching the automatic version of the C3 hatchback in India.

Though a missed opportunity to introduce the automatic variant at launch, Citroen is planning to launch the C3 automatic variants with a 6-speed torque converter gearbox. While this technology is common in automatic cars all over the world, it is generally found in more expensive models in India.

Moreover, all cars in this particular segment use Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) as they are cheaper to manufacture. However, these AMT units do not offer the same levels of refinement and are known to be 'Jerky' at times, especially at low speeds.

Also, a recently leaked information reveals that the upcoming Citroen C3 will be sporting a 6-speed torque converter gearbox from Aisin. This is the same gearbox that does duty on more expensive models such as MG Astor, Skoda Kushaq, Skoda Slavia, Volkswagen Taigun, and Volkswagen Virtus.

With such a gearbox, the upcoming Citroen C3 automatic variant will be having the best automatic gearbox in its segment and will have a significant edge over its competitors such as Tata Punch, Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS, Maruti Suzuki Swift, Nissan Magnite, and Renault Kiger in terms of shift quality and refinement.

We expect the automatic variant of the Citroen C3 hatchback to be powered by the 'PURETECH 110' engine. This engine uses a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 108.4bhp of peak power and 190Nm of peak torque. At present, this engine comes with a 6-speed manual transmission.

In terms of features, the Citroen C3 comes with features such as a large 10-inch Citroen Connect touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, wireless smartphone connectivity, one-touch down windows, digital instrument cluster, climate control, and much more.

Moreover, Citroen has not removed any necessary safety features to cut costs and the model still packs life-saving features such as Driver & Passenger airbags, reverse parking sensors, rear doors child lock, engine immobiliser, speed-sensitive door lock, ABS with EBD and much more.

Thoughts About Citroen C3 CNG

The launch of the Citroen C3 CNG will further improve the automaker's business in tier 1 and tier 2 cities, which will be crucial to improving market share in the country.

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