Tata Punch has been doing good for the home-grown automaker in term of sales. It takes directly on the Maruti Suzuki Ignis and Mahindra KUV100 along with the aggressively priced Renault Kiger and Nissan Magnite. Tata Punch mini SUV will soon get a new rival in the form of the Citroen C3 that’s slated to arrive in June 2022. The French automaker says that the C3 is a “hatchback with a twist” featuring SUV-ish stance like high ground clearance, elevated seating position and raised bonnet.
The new Citroen small car will face challenge from multiple models right from the Tata Punch and Maruti Suzuki Ignis to sub-4 metre Kiger and Magnite. The C3 underpins the CMP modular platform, which is heavily localized for the Indian market. The architecture uses over 90 percent locally sourced components. It will also underpin Jeep’s upcoming subcompact SUV in India. Interestingly, the Citroen C3 will be among the brand’s first model to be launched under its C-cubed programme.
Engine setup of the new Citroen small car is likely to include a 1.2L, 3-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol and a 12L, 3-cylinder turbo petrol unit. The naturally aspirated motor will come with manual gearbox and deliver power close to 80bhp. The turbo-petrol unit might come with two states of tune – 108bhp and 128bhp and both manual and automatic gearbox options.
The C3 gets sporty treatment inside and out. It has textured panel running across width of the dashboard, a flat-bottom steering, a phone holder and complex aircon vents. For connectivity purpose, the model has a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity along with a digital instrument cluster.
The C3 measures 3.98m in length and its width and height will be around 1829mm and 1474mm respectively. Some of its key design elements including split LED headlamps, Citroen’s signature double-slat grille, black cladding, pronounced wheel arches, alloy wheels and LED taillamps.
