Groupe PSA’s factory in Porto Real (RJ) in Brazil is celebrating 20 years of operation. The manufacturing unit has been updated to produce CMP platform based models. This Common Modular Platform currently underpins the new Peugeot 208, which is produced in Argentina. In order to celebrate the 20 years of the plant, Stellantis (FCA and PSA JV) has announced to produce a new family (sub-4 meter SUV, sedan and hatchback) at the Porto Real plant.
The first product will be launched in the second half of this year. It will be introduced under the Citroen nameplate, and will mainly target developing nations such as India and Brazil. The first model to be launched is a sub-4 meter SUV, codenamed CC21. It is reportedly to be called the Citroen C3 Sporty.
The Citroen C3 Sporty has already been spotted testing in Brazil and India. The small SUV is scheduled to be launched in India in the second half of 2021, most probably in October-November. It is expected that the new small SUV will be launched simultaneously in India as well as in Brazil.The Citroen C3 Sporty will be positioned below the C4 Cactus. It will rival the Honda WR-V in Brazil. In India, the small SUV will rival the Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite, Tata Nexon, Kia Sonet and the Hyundai Venue.
The “Smart Car” project will include a hatchback, a sedan and a sub-4 meter SUV, but the hatchback and the sedan are yet to hit the roads for testing purposes. In the Brazilian market, the Citroen C3 Sporty is likely to be powered by the PSA 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine with 5-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed AT.
In India, the C3 Sporty is reportedly to be offered with a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing close to 130bhp of power. 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.
