Two Birds, One Citroën

In an age where hatchbacks are losing ground to compact SUVs, Citroën have taken a bold step by introducing the C3 as a 'hatchback' that brings the hardware to fight the compact SUV lot as well

- Jim Gorde

ROOF-RAILS FINISHED IN BLACK. FRONT AND REAR embedded skid-plates. A high 180 millimetres of ground clearance. Thick and high-profile 195/65 rubber on 15-inch wheels. And that butch stance. Clearly, Citroën are aware of what they have. And they are targeting the youth who want more in less. More of everything in less of everything. More space. Less size. More tech. Less price. More quality. Less quantity? Well.

Education says hatchback; experience says compact SUV

Citroën India have been here for some time, slowly but surely expanding their presence while communicating their USP of prioritising comfort all round. The C5 Aircross was their spearhead of choice, but it is a more premium offering and comes with a potent diesel engine. Citroën see no market for a compact car with a diesel engine owing to a high cost of production and ancillaries. True, they’re cleaner than petrols, all said and done, but the cost of the new-age clean-up technology is much higher.

Three-pot 1.2-litre, turbo-petrol has good driveability

But back to the matter at hand. The new Citroën C3 is being offered as a hatchback but looks—and feels—a lot like a compact crossover SUV. The body style on this high spec is certainly crossover and so are the features mentioned at the outset. Anyway, the C3 was created to excite the senses, to offer comfort and space of a larger car in a more compact body, and to allow for extensive customisation to facilitate buyers to make their ride unique by personalising it the way they want to. That means a choice of four vibrant exterior colours as well as two roof colours, two dashboard colours, and as many as 56 options spread across three accessory packs for chrome or contrast elements.