New Citroen C3 Detailed In 14 Pictures

Take a closer look at the upcoming compact crossover and its styling details

The Citroen C3 has been recently unveiled in India. The sub-4m offering from the French carmaker will be a premium alternative to similar-size subcompact SUVs, crossovers, and hatchbacks. While this C3 is not the same as the one sold in other markets, it does have the same design DNA. 

Let’s take a closer look at the first Citroen that will be highly localised in India and launched in the first half of 2022:

Exterior

Front

The C3 does look like a smaller sibling of the C5 Aircross. There’s that distinctive top grille integrated into the double chevron. Its top line connects the sleek daytime lights running along the bonnet line, while the bottom line extends in the other direction for DRLs alongside the halogen headlamps. The main grille is lower down the front fascia and makes up most of the front bumper. It houses the front number plate and has elongated hexagons and a chunky slab of cladding in the middle, making it look rugged.

The bottom half of the bumper integrates into the front skid plate flanked by the fog lamps. In this orange roof and white body dual-tone finish, the fog lamp surrounds are also finished in orange, lending it a premium look.

Rear

At the rear, there are SUV-like curves and a tall bumper, the lower section of which is made entirely of cladding. The C-shaped elements of the taillamps snazz up the otherwise plain Jane rear. The tailgate features the model badge, the ‘Citroen’ name, and the logo.

Side

The C3’s family ties with the C5 Aircross are easy to spot from its side profile. It has cladding all along the bottom edge, and then some more on the lower section of the doors. The front door’s cladding has a colour insert, matching that of the roof. The blacked-out pillars and dual-tone paint give it that big-budget look. The view above also highlights the C3’s SUV-like 180mm ground clearance, which is tailored for Indian roads. The shorter overhangs allow for better approach and departure angles as well.

Wheels

Even the styling of the dual-tone alloy wheels is reminiscent of the C5.

• Upcoming Cars in India

INTERIOR

The cabin has flair, thanks to the orange-colour panels and geometrical details on the dashboard. It is worth mentioning that this is a pre-production reveal. The final version could offer more than what we see here.

The driver’s side of the cabin features the rugged-looking steering wheel (with wide spokes) that house the controls on the right side and the double chevron at the centre. It has a digital instrument cluster too.

At the centre of the dashboard, the C3 has a 10-inch wide-ratio touchscreen infotainment system. Its gloss black surround subtly differentiates it from the black housing. The infotainment will feature Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, of course. There’s a clever phone-holder socket under the display as well so that you don’t have to buy a third-party accessory. 

The AC vents of the Citroen C3 feature a chain-link design with two horizontal units in the middle of the dashboard and one vertically placed unit on each end. 

The climate controls in the centre console have a three-dial layout, each with a chrome ring. This detail sticks out as it is not as premium as the rest of the cabin and doesn’t even feature auto AC. However, this might not be the cabin of the top-spec C3. Just under the AC controls, we have a USB port, a 12V power socket, and two storage spaces.

The Citroen C3’s front seats are sculpted for comfort with integrated headrests and plenty of bolstering around the sides. At the back, the rear headrests are fixed, and there’s no headrest or three-point seatbelt for the middle passenger.

Surprisingly, controls for the rear power window are on the centre console tunnel, just in front of the bottle/phone holder.

Final Thoughts

Going by these images, the made-for-India Citroen C3 seems an affordable yet stylish alternative to the current segment leaders across the sub-4m hatchback and SUV spaces. Considering it will only launch in India in the first half of 2022, Citroen is yet to lock in the final feature list. So while we expect some changes, the overall design will likely remain unchanged.

The sub-4m offering will likely be offered with a 1.2-litre petrol engine mated to a 5-speed manual. However, further powertrain details are not out yet. It is expected to be priced from Rs 5.5 lakh (ex-showroom) and rival the likes of the Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite, Maruti Ignis, and the upcoming Tata Punch.