[Emvi]

Ever since the TeamBHP review has gone public, I see a lot of noise on the forum. This is understandable and somewhat expected. Some key, usable features have been given a miss and a few features which were least expected of have been incorporated like one touch auto-down power windows on all 4 doors and the 10 inch touchscreen infotainment system!

Going by the TeamBHP review and a few others on the internet, even though Citroen have resorted to cost cutting, it is evident that the car is not 'cheaply' built. The quality of materials used seem to be decent for it's segment if not excellent, unlike Datsun cars. The power train(turbo variant) seems to be excellent and so is the ride and handling.

Not everyone in the market look for features and gizmos in a car, especially if the car is their second / third vehicle. Let us not forget the fact that base variants account for a good chunk of sales volume in the sub 10 lakh rupee car segment across manufacturers. As far as I know, none of these cars come equipped with features like automatic transmission, electrically adjustable ORVMs, automatic climate control, rear wiper & defogger, reversing camera, 4 door power windows, infotainment system, DRLs, and rear parcel tray, to name a few. In a scenario such as this, the base variant of the C3 looks decently equipped for its segment. I'am anticipating super aggressive pricing from Citroen. If they manage to do that, I am sure the dealerships will be kept busy. IMHO, its not the lack of features that might hurt Citroen, the lack of dealerships surely will.

[EV NXT]

FINALLY, a car with a proper EU build, driving pleasure, handling and performance at Indian prices.

It’s not just Skoda / VW that should be worried. Even Hyundai / Maruti would be if they get the price right.

[antz.bin]

Does Citroen sell a C4? Since they have already bombed the C5 and the C3 positioning seems to be confused as of now. If they price it like they priced the C5, it is another DOA product in the making.

After bombing 2 launches, they will need something literally named after a Bomb to be able to make any noises.

Just for the record, if I was in the market looking for a car in the Citroen C3 segment, I would firstly not even look at the C3 since:
1. It is missing a lot of the basic features that my existing, lower segment, ~3 yr old *discontinued* ride has. These are features that I use daily. I will definitely miss them on the C3.
2. Its not looking too bright in terms of safety ratings from the discussions above.

Finally, prior to the reviews landing up, there was absolutely no hype on this and I was actually surprised to see the thread up yesterday. I doubt the average Joe (Jayesh?) outside of the enthusiast community knows if something like this exists.

Anyways, it is a long way to go for Citroen. I would congratulate them on the launch and wish them the best of luck but my business is probably going elsewhere.

[VS1811]

For a still very much unknown brand like a Citroen, they needed to create a BIG BANG if they are to gain any sort of traction in Indian market. Unfortunately this will also be a DOA (Dead on Arrival) product.

I dont know why but i feel there is just a lack of understanding of the market. India is no more a cheap car market. Its now a value conscious market. You cant just make a cheap car and undercut the rivals and think it will do wonders. You need to show me value for money even if its priced same or above its competition but it should be worth it.

Think of how KIA / MG entered the market. Atleast 3-4 full front page ads in the newspaper, visible sign boards and heavy investments in digital marketing, showrooms coming up all across the country. Everyone knew these brands and their imminent products. And then the product itself. Seltos was not set out to undercut all its competition and win customers because it was the cheapest. But they gave multitude of engine options, gearbox options, trims, feature list that would shame a X1 / GLA and a sorted and well engineered product. Same for Hector.


Now think of C3, while they may have the engineering part of it sorted, but does that sell in itself? Whats an incentive for me as a buyer to risk my money with Citroen against very proven brands like Maruti, Tata and Hyundai. You cant beat them at their game. You will have to change the game. And C3, well its so half baked.

No AT? Really? why bother launching the car? Maybe wait for a while and get your trim levels and variants and gearboxes sorted and then carpet bomb the segment. Lack of features that are present even in the most basic cars today is just not done.
While they may think their wait and watch and adding features and variants later might help, its not easy to change a perception. By the time they will be getting the updates, the car and brand would be forgotten.

[vjkamal]

IMO, launching a car in 2022 without even a manually adjustable IRVM is a crime. Common, it is not even an A-segment car. Even so, missing out on something as basic as day/night IRVM would be a big NO for me as a customer. It's high time our government make day/night IRVMs mandatory. Let's see how many pick this over the competition

[arjab]

I am beginning to like this car.
Basics are correct. Powerful engine, healthy power to weight ratio, compact size and good ride and handling.
The PSA EB2DT series engine is very competent powertrain with some clever engineering bits thrown in. It is used by some OPEL models in Europe and is known as a frugal yet strong performer.
And if a car handles well it can run rings around competition even from a segment above.
Honestly, I do not care much for push button thingies and button-encusted steering wheels; as I am a dinosaur, from the era in which cars were cars. Get in, drive your heart out and enjoy!
But then dinosaurs are extinct nowadays, right?

[jaaz]

Apart from the day/night (manual) IRVM, there are other equipment too which should be made mandatory by the government.

Rear defogger is a Safety feature, which even other manufacturers skip in lower variants. Rear wiper may be used only in specific situations, but defogger is a must in Winter.

Mandatory 6 Airbags move is a good one, but they should've included Knee Airbag too, which is essential to the Driver.

[n33rav]

Looking at the features offered and omitted, Citroen seems to be planning to undercut the market leader WagonR. If somehow they can do that, it will sale like hot cake considering it's looks, comfort and driving dynamics.

[rajk15]

Originally Posted by Omkar

Citroen C3 Cons

• No automatic transmission on offer - a big miss when ATs are rapidly gaining popularity in India

• Long-term reliability & after-sales service quality are big unknowns; dealer network is tiny

Safety

The Citroen C3 isn't feature-packed and the list of safety features is very basic. It has dual airbags, ABS, reverse parking sensors, speed-sensitive auto door lock and seatbelt reminder for driver and passenger. What you miss out on (compared to the competition) are adjustable headrests in the front and rear, ISOFIX child seat anchors, side airbags and a reverse parking camera.

Enough to put it out of consideration for a lot of potential urban customers.
AT box is a serious miss. As for maintenance, Indians are known to be risk-averse so there it goes- has FAILURE written all over it.

[abhkop]

Is there any target customer in Citroen's mind ? Going by the review and the product offer, it feels evident that there has been very little market research.

Citroen might position this against B-Segment hatchbacks. But the only way this model will likely survive is if it priced in the range of Alto/Kwid. Still it is going to be very tough.

[Abhinav_11286]

Hi guys

I own a C5 shine variant which I bought in April this year. The experience with the dealership at Gurugram (closed shop immediately after delivering my vehicle) and their Customer support has been explained in a separate thread:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...upportive.html (Bought a Citroen C5 demo car | Vehicle delivered in poor shape | Dealer incompetent & unsupportive)

Dealership was not able to register the car in my name for some reasons for 2 months. Finally registration came through last week.

Since 12th June, I have been trying to purchase their EW and AMC plans through their customer support. Somebody from their Online sales team or Delhi dealership was supposed to call me within 24 hours but the same is still awaited. I called up customer support this morning to check the status and the response I got is given below:

1. I don't know the status since you talked to somebody else on our team earlier.
2. Can't connect you to the earlier executive.
3. Reason for delay - The people who are supposed to revert might be busy with other things etc.

A brand planning to introduce a 'mass market' like C3 product doesn't seem to be bother about customers it already has. With an extremely thin dealer network, customers are bound to contact customer care for most of the issues.

I thought they would show different approach to 'complaints' and 'sales' but sadly, there is no difference at all. Its like they are not even interested in selling their product and services (3.75 lakh in this case) leave aside resolving customer issues after purchase.

In my personal experience, I found the C5 to be an excellent product but Citroen is ruining that experience with their pathetic after sales. Even brands like Tata and Mahindra are trying hard to improve customer experience.

Based on my experience with Citroen during the last 2 months, it is clear to me that Citroen is not ready for introducing a mass market product. They simply can't do anything right.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Put this turbo petrol and 6 speed gearbox into the Tata Punch, and you have your perfect small car!!

[Turbokick]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Put this turbo petrol and 6 speed gearbox into the Tata Punch, and you have your perfect small car!!

Or rather the equipment list of Punch in C3 to make it a perfect small car


I think a proper automatic gearbox is what C3 should have to make it a compelling package.
Irrespective of what equipment the competition has, there is a real dearth of proper automatics below 10 lakhs. That single handedly would give brownie points to C3!

[CR07]

Originally Posted by Omkar

The C3 comes with a McPherson strut suspension at the front and a twist-beam suspension with coil springs at the rear. Right off the bat, this is a very likeable suspension tune. There's a hint of stiffness in it, but overall the setup is very compliant. The ride over small potholes and uneven roads in the city is pretty good. The C3 dissipates shocks very evenly over the front and rear which gives you a feeling of gliding over the bad roads. Moreover, the suspension works silently too when going over bumps. Large potholes do register themselves in the cabin, but the C3 handles them well. Overall the ride quality is very absorbent.

Is the ride C5 Aircross type good? Of course, not considering it to be as good as C5, but considering C3's price point, is the ride as good ?

[ashutoshb]

What I am guessing:

• Shock introductory pricing for base variant.
• Value for money pricing for the one above.
• Cheapest 1.2 Turbo petrol in the segment.

There isnt a top variant, to speak of.

Citroen has already indicated that they will launch a sub 4 metre SUV on the same platform, I am assuming it will be the C3 Aircross.

To get economy of scale, the C3 Aircross sub 4 metre SUV, will either be sharing the same body shell or share more than just platform and parts. Maybe even the interior is the same, but well specced and spruced up.

They might be trying to avoid an overlap, between the top end C3 (which is not there presently) and base variant C3 Aircross.