Citroen C3 SUV, rival to Tata Punch, likely to launch in India in June
Citroen is gearing up to launch its second offering in India - the 2022 C3 SUV. The carmaker is likely to launch the C3 later next month. The French carmaker, which launched the C5 Aircross SUV in India as its first model back in 2020, aims to take on the likes of Tata Punch in the affordable small SUV category. Citroen C3 SUV production is already underway at its facility in Thiruvallur, near Chennai, in Tamil Nadu. The bookings for the SUV is likely to start towards the end of the month or early in June.
Citroen had earlier unveiled the C3 SUV for India last year. The SUV, which the French call a car 'Made In India for Indians', has already been spotted testing on Indian roads a number of times. The C3 SUV has a front face which will have the typical Citroen grille with LED DRLs and LED headlights. The bumper is slightly different from the ones seen on the C5 Aircross SUV and is flanked by chunky foglamp casing.
On the sides, the alloy wheel design is also different from the ones used on the C5 Aircross SUV. The C3 shown in images also does not have the big plastic side claddings seen on the bigger model. It also does not have body-coloured ORVMS either. At the rear, Citroen maintains a minimalist look with a new set of taillights along with a bold and chunky bumper.
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Citroen C3 is based on the Common Modular Platform (CMP) with a wheelbase that measures 2,540 mm. Citroen promises that the passengers sitting in the rear seats too will have ‘one of the best legroom in the segment’. For the rear seats, there is 653 mm of legroom. Up front, there's 1418 mm for the elbows and 991 mm for headroom.
The 2022 C3 SUV will also come with 180 mm of ground clearance, slightly less than what its rival Tata Punch offers. The C3 also has a 10m turning radius, making it an easily manoeuvrable vehicle.
The SUV also promises to offer ample storage space. It has a boot space which can hold 315 litres of luggage. It also has a 1-litre glove box, 4 litres of storage spaces in the cabin, two front cup holders, a storage compartment in the centre console and two rear cup holders that can be converted into smartphone mounts. Among other features are a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, probably sourced from the C5 Aircross units, which will come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility.
As far as the powertrain is concerned, Citroen is likely to pack the C3 with two choices of petrol engines. Besides a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine, Citroen may offer a 1.0-litre turbocharged unit as well. The 2022 C3 manufactured in Brazil comes with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. In Argentina, the C3 will come powered with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine which is used in the new Peugeot 208. In the Peugeot 208, this engine produces 82 horsepower and 118 Nm of maximum torque.
