The new Citroen C3 Aircross SUV made its global debut in India on Thursday.
This is the brand’s third model for India after the C3 hatchback and C5 Aircross SUV.
The 4.3-metre-long SUV will be Citroen's entry into the heavily contested compact SUV segment with the model’s USP being the option of a third row of seats.
In terms of size, the C3 Aircross measures 4.3m in length, 1,654mm in height, 1,796mm in width, and sits on a 2,671mm wheelbase - the longest in the segment. Compared to the compact SUV segment, the C3 Aircross will be similar in size to the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, and Maruti Grand Vitara/Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. The SUV also gets 200mm of ground clearance.
The C3 Aircross will initially only be available with a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine though the company is yet to confirm the power output. The unit will be paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard, and there's no news about an automatic gearbox option for now.
Speaking to Autocar India at the launch, Citroen Brand CEO Thierry Koskas said, “Ours is a progressive growth and you must remember we have 30 dealers, but very soon, we will double that with the Aircross launch, and by the end of the year we will have 100.”
Citroen India launched the C3 hatchback in July 2022. When launched, the price for the car started from Rs 5.71 lakh and went up to Rs 8.06 lakh (ex-showroom). The C3 lacked basic features such as rear wipers, defogger, electrically adjustable ORVM, rear camera, IRVM, and many more. Even the top-end variants missed out on alloy wheels and fog lamps.
The new C3 Aircross SUV will go on sale in India in the second half of 2023 and is expected to bring in additional traction for Citroen in India.