CARS OF THE WORLD

New Citroen C3 2022.

The Citroen C3 cross-hatch is the first-born of the brand’s new budget family.

The compact hatchback «in SUV style» is addressed to not rich countries, it will be produced at two sites, and each region will have its own range of engines.

It is known for a long time that Citroen brand prepares the whole family of inexpensive models for emerging markets: the range will include three compacts by 2024, their production will be launched in India and Brazil, and the firstborn will be presented today «five-door», which assigned an index C3.

It is only the name that connects this car with the eurohatch.

Note that the French brand began developing the Indian market only this year and today sells there an expensive (and unpopular) crossover C5 Aircross.

The brand is present in Brazil for a long time, but even there it feels, to put it mildly, not very well: the local range is only C4 Cactus (and it is very different from the deceased «Old World» Cactus).

In general, the new C3 has great expectations. The company didn’t disclose all the specifications, so the full presentation is still to come.

In the meantime, we can assess the design of the «other» C3.

Surprisingly, but despite black plastic bodykit around the perimeter and roof rails, Citroen does not consider the novelty a crossover: the release says exactly about a hatchback, though its appearance is still «inspired by SUV».

The front part is made in style of the last C4 and C5 X, that is the novelty also got tiered optics and diode strips which are like «continuation» of a branded double chevron.

The model can be painted in two colors.

At the moment, only the dimensions of the Indian version are announced: the length of «their» new C3 is 3.98 meters (there the cars with length up to four meters are entitled to tax benefits), wheelbase is 2.54 meters, the claimed ground clearance is a very decent 180 mm.

Not a word about a «carriage» yet. Indian mass media believe that the base of the Citroen C3 is the CMP (Common Modular Platform), which the new Citroen C4, Peugeot 208 (for South America it is produced in Argentina) and Opel Mokka are based on.

But it is possible that this is a simplified version of the global «bogie».

In a similar way, Volkswagen has done with the platform MQB-A0: it was simplified specifically for India, turning it into MQB-A0-IN (firstborns of this «truck» became Skoda Kushaq and VW Taigun).

Well and recall that the European C3 hatchback is built on the old platform PF1, while the length and size of the wheelbase of the «Old World» model is almost identical to the new cross-hatch (3996 and 2539 mm respectively).

Inside the cabin — truncated steering wheel, side air deflectors made vertical, plus color inserts can be ordered for the front panel.

Also the new C3 got a multimedia system with a 10-inch touchscreen, towering over the panel. The rest of the equipment hasn’t been disclosed yet. The trunk volume is 315 liters.

Citroen will also announce engines later, each region will have its own range.

The Indian profile media write about petrol «three» 1.2 («atmospheric» and turbo version) and Brazilians predict their hatch to have 1.6 atmospheric engine, which is familiar from other local models of the former PSA concern (together with FCA this company merged with the alliance Stellantis), and «turbo» 1.0 from crossover Fiat Pulse.

In any case, the drive is only front-wheel drive.

New Citroen C3 will be produced at the end of the year, sales start in the first half of 2022.

It is officially announced that hatchbacks Brazilian production will appear in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay and Ecuador.

There are no plans to ship cars from India to other countries, but the C3 of Indian assembly may well make it to South Africa. But the appearance of the novelty in Russia is unlikely.

As for the other budget models of Citroen, according to unofficial data, it will be a sedan and a «real» crossover.