Even if it bears the same name as “our” city car, this new Citroën C3 will never come to Europe. Known under the code name CC21, this model, whose body looks more like an SUV than a sedan, is intended only for India and South America. Discovery.
Argus has already told you about it: in the future, the Citroën C3 will be duplicated. Today, the Chevron brand has just unveiled a whole new generation. But this one, known by the internal code name CC21, will never come to Europe. Even if Carlos Tavares, the boss of the Stellantis group, had considered making it a global model, it will ultimately remain confined to India and South America. On the old continent, in 2023 we will be entitled to another unprecedented C3. With a specific body and more advanced undersides, since it will take a less stripped down version of the CMP platform, used by the Peugeot 208, Opel Corsa or the recent compact C4.
The first Citroën designed for India
This does not mean, however, that the C3 “CC21” is a secondary novelty for Citroën. Quite the contrary! It must free the manufacturer from its dependence on Europe, which today represents 85% of sales. The objective, in the long term, is to see this share reduce to 70%, by strengthening the international presence. For this, the brand has recently set up in India, a market that should quickly become the third in the world for the automotive sector, after China and the United States.
With its 3.98 m long, i.e. 2 cm shorter than the current European version, the new C3 y adopts exactly the right format to avoid the heavy taxes which hit the models of more than 4 m. It should thus reach much larger volumes than those of the C5 Aircross family SUV, the only offer currently in the catalog. Especially since it will be manufactured on site, in Chennai, unlike its big brother. But it will also be available in various South American countries., a continent where Citroën has been established since the 1960s. With production this time ensured in Brazil, in Porto Real.
A style reminiscent of a small SUV
On the style side, apart from a few differences in the choice of colors and customization, the two versions are almost identical. They take the same look of a small SUV, evoking a shortened version of the restyled C3 Aircross. Roof bars, vertical tailgate, fender flares, door sill protection and shields, ground clearance of 18 cm … the manual of the perfect little adventurer has been well assimilated. A necessity according to Citroën, which indicates that 40% of Indian roads are unpaved, and that Brazilian sidewalks are particularly high. However, this should not prevent the future European C3 from playing a rather similar aesthetic card, according to our information.
Modern interior but basic materials
In the cabin, apart from a steering wheel located on the right in India, the differences seem just as fine. In both cases, we find a completely modern presentation, with digital instrumentation. and a large 10-inch capacitive touch screen, compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, possibly supplemented by a smartphone holder alongside, Dacia Sandero style. The design of the aerators evokes other current productions of Chevrons, and a colorful decor can brighten up the atmosphere. Only the fairly basic aspect of the materials really reminds us that the model is intended for markets with lower purchasing power than ours. Even if, with an estimated price between 8 and 10,000 € in India, this C3 is already targeting a more affluent clientele than that of the Renault Kwid or Suzuki Swift.
Different engines depending on the market
Showing such prices without hampering profitability has not been easy, however. To achieve this, Citroën had to rely on local partners. In particular, he called on Tata Consulting, a branch of the Indian giant Tata specializing in engineering. This explains why the Chevrons looked grim when they discovered the new Tata Punch, whose look furiously evokes the C3 … while the two models in theory do not share anything at all! Here, it is indeed the CMP base of Stellantis which is used, but in an even more simplified version than that which will be used by the European version.
The CK Birla group is responsible for the assembly, distribution and manufacture of the powertrains of the Indian version. Mechanics on which the brand remains silent for the moment: it simply confirmed that there would be, a little later, an electric version, as we had already announced.
However, it is unlikely to be offered in Latin America, a market where heat engines also look different. Citroën could well be supplied by Fiat (1.0 engine produced locally instead of the 1.2 in India), another label of the Stellantis group, whose sales on this continent are enough to make the Chevron brand green with envy. It must be said that the offer of the latter is no longer really up to date: in Argentina and until recently in Brazil, it is even the second generation of C3, stopped in 2016 with us, which is still available! Suffice to say that it is a big leap forward that awaits the owners of the future CC21.
