Citroen C3- Into The Thick Of It

While the C5 Aircross laid the foundation for the Citroen brand in India, the French car maker is gearing up to chase volumes with the made for India C3 that will be positioned in the Rs 5 to 10 lakh space

- Dhruv Saxena

Citroen’s first product in the Indian market arrived in 2021 in the form of the C5 Aircross SUV, but that was merely the appetizer to give us a taste of what the French car maker has to offer. Now, though, it’s time for the main course as the company gears up to launch the made for India Citroen C3 in our market.

While Citroen insists on referring to the C3 as a hatchback, it gets some very obvious SUV-inspired styling cues including an upright stance, cladding for the bumpers and wheel arches, roof rails, and faux skid plates. Signature Citroen styling elements are present in the form of those LED DRLs merging with the chrome strips up front that also incorporate the insignia. Design-wise, we think Citroen has done a fine job with the C3 making it look more expensive that it’s actually going to be.

The C3 measures 3,981mm long, 1,733mm wide, and 1,586mm tall which makes it bigger in size than hatchbacks like the Maruti Suzuki Swift and Hyundai Grand i10 Nios and slightly shorter in length than the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Hyundai i20. Compared to something like the Tata Punch, the Citroen C3 is longer but not as tall or wide. However, at 2,450mm, C3’s wheelbase is longer than the Tata’s and most B-segment hatchbacks too. Alloy wheels aren’t standard on any variant, but will be offered as an optional extra. Plus, Citroen also has a whole host of customization options that will be available to buyers including body graphics, exterior, and interior accessories.