Groupe PSA is all set to launch its first product – the Citroen C5 Aircross in the Indian market. This will be an import model and will be positioned as a premium SUV to rival Honda CR-V and the Hyundai Tucson. However, Citroen has already started working on locally developed products. We informed you earlier that Citroen will start rolling out locally developed cars in the country from the second half of 2021.
The company plans to launch 3 new locally developed cars including a sub-4 meter SUV, a sedan and a B-segment hatchback by 2023. Codenamed C21, the upcoming Citroen compact SUV will be launched in the second half of 2021. In fact, the SUV has been spotted testing for the first time in India.
If media reports are to be believed, the sub-4 meter SUV could be called the Citroen C3 Sporty. The new compact SUV will be based on the simplified version of the new CMP (Common Modular Platform), which currently underpins the Peugeot 208. The hatchback and the sedan will also be based on the same CMP platform.
The Citroen C3 Sporty will directly rival the likes of the Hyundai Venue, Maruti Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport and the upcoming Kia Sonet. It is reported that the new compact SUV will be offered with 3 engine options – a 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol, a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol and a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel. The SUV will come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, while an automatic gearbox will be added to the line-up at a later stage.
It is expected that the Citroen C3 Sporty could also receive a pure electric version with 50kWh battery offering a range around 330km on a full charge. The low-range model could be packed with a 37kWh battery pack offering 230km range.
