Citroen's Creta, Seltos rival to make global debut on April 27. What to expect

French carmaker Citroen is all set to introduce a new compact SUV globally, which will hit the Indian shores soon. The French auto giant has announced the upcoming SUV will make global debut on April 27. The new SUV will rival the likes of Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos among other compact SUVs in India when launched. The SUV was recently spotted testing on the roads, hinting at its India debut soon. This will be the fourth offering from the French carmaker in in the country, and the second SUV after its debut model C5 Aircross, which hit the Indian roads back in 2021.

The Citroen compact SUV is likely to be based on its global model C3 Aircross. The SUV is expected to be offered as a five-seater as well as seven-seater versions. However, it is not known if the bigger model will be launched in India. The length of the SUV will be more than four metres, making it as long as some of the compact SUVs available in India. The design of the Citroen SUV is likely to be different from the C3 Aircross SUV sold globally. It will also be a far more premium model compared to the C3 hatchback sold in India.

The spy shots of the upcoming Citroen SUV shows a hint of the interior too. The dashboard appears to be fresh and previously unseen inside Citroen models in the country. It will have a freestanding infotainment touchscreen at the centre. The display is different from the ones used inside the C3 hatchback or its electric version e:C3. The SUV is also likely to come with features like automatic climate control, rear parking camera, alloy wheels, auto-dimming ORVMs, large panoramic sunroof among others.

Under the hood, Citroen is likely to use a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine. It is capable of churning out 110 bhp of maxium power and 190 Nm of peak torque. The transmission job is likely to be handled by a six-speed manual and an automatic gearbox.

Besides the Creta and Seltos, the upcoming Citroen SUV will aimed to takes on Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Urban Cruiser HyRyder, Tata Harrier and other compact SUVs in the segment. Citroen may introduce the SUV some time later this year or early 2024.