Citroen C3 SUV spotted testing on India roads ahead of launch

French carmaker Citroen is preparing to launch its second product in India. Unveiled in September last year, the C3 SUV has now been spotted testing on Indian roads a number of times. Citroen is likely to launch the C3 SUV soon. It is expected to rival the likes of Tata Punch, Maruti Suzuki Ignis among others.

The images, shared by an Instagram user shows a white C3, sans any camouflage, being tested. Citroen terms the C3 as a 'hatchback with SUV cues', which clearly comes out in its exterior design with heavy black claddings on all sides. It somewhat resembles the basic exterior features of Tata Punch micro SUV.

At the front, the C3 gets a big, chunky bonnet with traditional Citroen logo and the thin double-slat grille flanked by split LED headlight units. There are silver underskirts with foglamp casing in black plastic on either side. At the rear, the C3 has wraparound taillights and a chunky bumper finished in black plastic.

The 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’. The C3 will also come with 180 mm of ground clearance which is slightly less than what Tata Punch offers. The C3 also has a 10m turning radius, making it an easily manoeuvrable vehicle.

The cabin of the C3 gets a freestanding 10-inch touchscreen infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and is packed with a number of speakers, among other creature comforts. It gets a one litre glovebox and 315 litres of boot space. One also gets a phone clamp on the Citroen C3 for the front passengers.

Though Citroen has not revealed any details about the engine, the C3 is likely to get a 1.2-litre turbo-charged motor which belts out 130 bhp and is likely to be mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox as well as a five-speed manual unit.