As you might remember, Citroen entered the Indian market with the C5 Aircross SUV, and, as you also might know, the sales figures are—I don’t know exactly how to put it—not respectable. I mean, if you enter a price-conscious market with a new brand and an astronomical price tag, you simply don’t expect to do great numbers. However, Stellantis (then PSA Group) learned fairly quickly and introduced the C3 hatchback in mid-2022, which achieved relatively good success. The C3 was followed by an all-electric E-C3 earlier this year.
And now, it’s time to expand the C3 lineup in the market with the new C3 Aircross. But do note that this C3 Aircross has nothing to do with the European-spec C3 Aircross. The Aircross we’re seeing here is built on the same platform as the aforementioned India-spec C3 hatchback, and is designed specifically for Indian and South American markets. It is available in 5- and 7-seat configurations.
Yes, they’ve managed to pack three rows into a body that is roughly the size of a Hyundai Creta. I mean, if Renault Triber can accommodate three rows, then I think the new C3 Aircross with a wheelbase of just over 2,670 mm shouldn’t have too many problems with an extra set of seats at the very back. From the side profile, the long wheelbase is fairly evident—as is its length of 4,320 mm. As for styling, I think it has those Citroen-typical styling elements, although, from the front-three-quarter angles, it reminds me of the Kia Sportage.
On the inside, the new C3 Aircross’ dashboard looks fairly identical to that of its hatchback sibling. You got that familiar 10-inch touchscreen in the middle, and there’ll also be a 7-inch MID. The second-row seat tumbles down to enable access to the third row, of course. Apparently, the third-row seats can be folded down or removed individually when you need to expand the boot capacity. Citroen claims a boot capacity of up to 511-litres (assuming with the third row removed) in the 7-seater and up to 482-litres in the 5-seater version. Further details are expected to be shared closer to the launch date (late 2023).
The new C3 Aircross is expected to be powered by a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine coupled with a 6-speed manual gearbox, a combination that is also available in the C3 hatchback. In the hatchback, the combo offers 81 kW (110 metric hp) and 190 Nm (140 lb-ft) of torque. It is unclear at the moment if there’ll be an automatic option, but there’s not gonna be an AWD option for sure.
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