It is no secret that Citroen is readying a new compact SUV for the growing markets including India and Brazil. Codenamed C21, the new compact SUV will be christened as Citroen C3. It was scheduled to make global debut in the end of 2021; however, the launch has been delayed to 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic. A new media report claims that the new C3 compact SUV will be launched in Brazil in April 2022.
The new Citroen C3 will also be launched in our market in the first half of 2022. The new model is scheduled to make global debut in India on September 16, 2021. It will be the first car to be produced on the brand’s new CMP (Common Modular Platform) platform. The report claims that the Brazilian-spec model will receive some modifications over the earlier planned model.
Fiat engineers will also play a major role in the development of the new SUV. It will be more refined compared to the India-spec model. The SUV will be positioned below the Fiat Pule, and will be priced similar to the Fiat Argo Trekking. The Brazilian-spec model is reportedly to get a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder naturally-aspirated engine that also powers the Citroen C4 Cactus and the Peugeot 208. This engine produces 118bhp and 158Nm of torque. Transmission choices will include a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic.
The SUV will also receive a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which also powers the Pulse. This engine will also power the future Stellantis cars including the Jeep sub-compact SUV and the next-gen Jeep Renegade. The production of the new model will commence in India in late December 2021. It will be manufactured at the Thiruvallue plant. The production capacity of the plant will be increased to 1 lakh units a year.
Citroen currently has 10 dealerships, which will be increased in near future. Similar to the C5 Aircross, the C3 compact SUV is also expected to be sold online. The India-spec model will be powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which can produce up to 130bhp of power. A 5-speed manual gearbox will come as standard, while a DCT automatic gearbox could join the line-up at a later stage. The Citroen CC21 could be the first model in India to feature flex-fuel system, which is compatible to feature a 1.2L petrol engine with ethanol blends starting from 27% to entirely on the biofuel.
