[volkman10]

Globally unveiled, more info. from Europe:

Although this new C3 Aircross is not intended for the European market, it is immediately recognizable as Citroën. The front is very similar to that of the non-European C3, but there are clear differences. For example, Citroën splits the large cooling opening in the bumper with a piece of plastic in the body color and the headlights also differ slightly from its smaller brother. How big is this exotic Citroën C3 Aircross? It extends over a distance of 4.32 meters and is therefore more than 15 centimeters longer than 'our C3 Aircross'. The wheelbase is 2.67 meters and is 13 centimeters longer than that of the non-European C3 and even slightly longer than that of 'our' C3 Aircross. Under the hood is at least a 110 hp 1.2 Puretech machine. More powertrains may follow later.

It is striking that it is also sold in that format in India, as car manufacturers often keep compact models below 4 meters so that the cars fall into a more favorable tax category. Still, about 10 percent (366,432 units) of the cars sold in India last year were longer than 4 meters, 32 percent more than a year earlier. So there is certainly a market for this C3 Aircross.

This new Citroën C3 Aircross has been fine-tuned in Brazil for the South American market and the Asian variant has also been scrutinized for the local markets. The model will also be built locally, in Thiruvallur in India and Porto Real in Brazil. The model will be launched in India and Brazil at the end of this year. In 2024, Citroën will also put it in showrooms in Indonesia.

Why does Citroën focus so much attention on growth markets? Citroën has set a target for 2025 to sell 30 percent of the cars it sells worldwide outside Europe. In 2022, Citroën saw its sales in Southeast Asia increase by 57 percent compared to 2021. In South America, Citroën sales increased by 21.2 percent. Citroën is a new player in India, so sales increased by 873 percent last year, but to a modest 6,588 units. If we look at the most important South American markets for Citroën, we also see significant growth figures there. In Brazil, Citroën saw its sales increase by 38 percent to more than 32,000 cars last year. In Argentina, more than 11 percent more cars of the brand found an owner last year than in 2021.

Link

[SJ1211]

Forget Creta / Seltos - Target Nexon & Brezza -keep prices between 9L to 14L and see if this product has a chance without Sunroof / Automatic & other goodies!!

Indians would prefer features over seating versatility any day! Citroen.. please learn!

[Knightrider]

This one looks good and proportionate!

It is perfect for the customers who find Triber too small or Ertiga too plain and boring or for those who really don't need 7 seats but want a 'big' looking affordable car/SUV. This one looks more stylish and SUV-ish. If priced right, it may also compete with some of the compact SUVs.

Another one for the thread where we discuss whether 3rd row seats are useful I would say 'why not?'.

[volkman10]

The C3 Aircross for India and LATAM:

Styling elements from the Oli

The new non-European C3 Aircross has a much more angular design than its predecessor. Its front end takes up the well-known codes of the brand, starting with two-stage lights including a Y-light signature lying on each side, as well as chrome rods extending the chevrons of the logo. The flared shape of the air intake under the grille gives the vehicle a false Mitsubishi look, while the two hood indentations evoke the C5 Aircross. This is also the case with the profile of the new SUV due to the thickness of the rear pillar as well as the horizontality of the hood and roof, as truncated by the steep front and rear faces.

At the rear, on the other hand, the crossover introduces C-shaped lights open to the outside. Taken from the Oli concept, these should be found on the European C3 Aircross, whose projectors will adopt the same shape according to our information. The interior layout could also be similar across markets, with instrumentation split between a 7-inch digital dashboard and a 10-inch central touchscreen.

Link

Interior Images from PowerDrift:

[SanjitVigneshS]

I hope it justifies the Aircross moniker.

If it can provide a Duster like suspension setup for comfort, this would be a great option for a chauffeur driver family car which doesn’t need a great performance.

The price could still make or break the game though.

[ads11]

This isn't an unattractive car by any means, I find it well proportioned and it has the distinct Citroen looks. Sure the insides feel a bit low rent and sparse feature wise (I wish climate control wasn't considered a nicety, especially in India). As long as it's priced suitably aggressively (read low enough) to go with the fairly spartan vibe, then sure, I think there's takers to be had here. But Citroen can't be having any delusions of grandeur here.

Hopefully the India spec C3 and this C3 drive better than the UK spec C3. Twice I've driven one and it's woeful. Raspy engine, gearbox feels like finding a gate in a bowl of mushy peas and just no pull at low revs. Great ride though. But overall a bit low rent compared to its Peugeot siblings for example.

[ramprakashram]

I feel this is handsome looking car, but with bit more research and thought could have been a smash hit. My personal observations:

PROs:
1. Balanced looks, doesn’t look stretched out, much better than what I had imagined.
2. Alloys and Color combination brings a proper Citreon vibe.
3. New instrument cluster will make a world of difference compared to the one in C3.
4. Removable third row is a good touch.

CONs:
1. Citreon should have replaced that flap type door handle. ( For a car trying to be a Crete competitor, this is not acceptable for me).
2. Front armrest looks from the age of xylo.
3. No ACC (Enough talked already)
4. Engine offered is far beyond the segment standard, Citreon should have bumped up power to atleast match the segment standard if not surpass it.
5. It does not have any bling inside the cabin, feels very ordinary.
6. No buzz or media coverage, didn’t know about the launch till I saw the article in Autocar.
7. No automatic 😳

Hope they price the top-end variant well below the mid-variant of creta to bring some footfall in the showroom else I can see the next Chevrolet incident brewing slowly.

[sf71hvettel]

I do not understand how Citroen expects this car to succeed. When Kia/MG started in India, they had a wider dealer network on day 1 than Citroen has 1.5 years later.

Their launches are dull. There is no hype for any of their cars- which invariably leads to a poor resale market. The only USP they can possibly have for this car is pricing. Since it's 4.3M long, it is going in the same tax bracket as the Creta/Seltos/Ertiga (43%) vs the Venue/Sonet/Triber (29%)- so I see little hope there as well.

If someone needs a versatile 7 seater- they will get a Ertiga. If someone needs an affordable 7 seater- they will get a Triber. If someone needs a feature rich 5 seater- there is an endless list of options from Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, etc.

Who exactly is the target audience for this car? I honestly expect even the Comet EV to outsell this.

[DRPSREDDY]

The car looks very nice and handsome. But there is no window for the third row of seats. I'm sure people seated there will feel claustrophobic. I found an aircraft type small window in the rear edge but that ain't any help as it is backwards. Such an awkward placement it is.

Posted the picture for information.



But somehow it gives me a vibe of the Renault Lodgy. Hope it doesn't end up with the same fate the Lodgy ended up with.

[Maverick_4662]

I get spruced up Renault Triber and not Creta/Seltos rival vibes from the car.

[zadoom]

Originally Posted by volkman10

The C3 Aircross for India and LATAM:

From the various images in this thread it looks like the car has the individual type armrest at the front. However from one of the images in this post from volkman10 it looks like the individual armrest is only for the driver side. The passenger has to carry his/her own arrangement for resting the arm. I may be wrong and the people who have seen the car may confirm but if it indeed is only 1 armrest then this probably would be another of the french eccentricities at work in the design.

Overall the exterior design looks good, the interiors not so impressive. Given some of the key misses like the Automatic, features and things like the flap type door handles, I would most likely give it a miss. For now the only Citroen to go for still is the C5.

Cheers

[jackofsome]

110hp and 7 seats? It will huff and puff anyway with 2 passengers on board, God knows what will happen when 6 people cram in. And then try and go for a holiday up in the hills. The only part I like about this car- the steering wheel, looks delicious.

Off topic- How hard it is for other manufacturers to pull off what Kia or MG did in the Indian market? I ask this is because i want more and more manufacturers in the market, but this market is pretty unforgiving.

[On4Wheels]

C3 Aircross would be a best seller for Citroen, if it is priced right like Citroen C3. Many buyers who go for Triber and Ertiga are thrifty. They do not bother whether the door handle is flat or any other bling features. Many of my friends find the sun roof itself a gimmicky feature. Also, the far less sales numbers of XL6 compared to Ertiga vindicates my argument. Now, if C3 Aircross come with best in class handling and ride and build quality, it would be difficult to ignore. In my opinion, many buyers settle for Nexon and XUV 300 to save themselves from tin can cars like Creta and Seltos. The main downside is its lean service network.

Further, I have read lots praise about C3's handling and suspension and hence curious to test drive the C3 Aircross 7 seat version. Also, I appeal Citroen to send this car to Global NCAP to make my purchase decision simpler .

[ashutoshb]

Looking at the equipment levels, what the walkthroughs are saying about fit and finish, the 120 bhp engine, 90% localisation levels, it all points to an aggressive pricing strategy, appearing to be targeting the sub 4 metre SUVs.

Creta / Seltos are not the primary targets, its the Nexon and the Brezza.

A large, spacious 4.3 metre SUV at the price of a sub 4 metre SUV.

Now, it remains to be seen how many buyers prefer size over premium features.

[blueather]

What a sorry state of affairs.

Creta's NA engine makes more power than this 1.2 turbo.
And I'm still noticing those poor halogen bulbs in the headlamp section.