Company sources say that the C3X will come with fastback styling and an SUV-like high ground clearance.
20 May 2023 | 9384 Views | By Akbar Merchant, Autocar India
Citroen is all set to launch an all-new crossover sedan called the C3X (code: CC22) in the Indian market sometime next year. The C3X will be Citroen’s third product to be built on the company’s India-specific CMP modular platform, following the C3 hatchback and the upcoming C3 Aircross
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Citroen is all set to launch an all-new crossover sedan called the C3X (code: CC22) in the Indian market sometime next year. The C3X will be Citroen’s third product to be built on the company’s India-specific CMP modular platform, following the C3 hatchback and the upcoming C3 Aircross SUV.
Citroen C3X: what will it be?
Like with the C3, which is essentially a hatchback with SUV-like ground clearance, or the C3 Aircross, with its clever three-row seating in a Creta-sized 4.3m SUV, Citroen hopes to differentiate the C3X with its innovative design.
Company sources say that the C3X will come with fastback styling and an SUV-like high ground clearance, which is unique in the sedan segment. While the new C3X will be aimed at the likes of the Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Virtus and Skoda Slavia, it will carve out its own niche as a crossover sedan with distinctive styling on the lines of the larger C4X and the C5X that are on sale in Europe.
The C3X sedan headed to India will likely share the same front-end styling as the C3 Aircross, but it will feature a heavily tapered roofline leading to a notchback-style tailgate. The C3X will sport a lot of SUV-like cues, such as ground clearance similar to the C3 Aircross, large alloy wheels and rugged-looking plastic cladding all around. As far as dimensions go, the C3X should be around 4.3-4.4 metres in length and will likely have the same wheelbase as the C3 Aircross SUV.
Apart from the heavy localisation of components to lower costs, Citroen India is also strongly focussing on sharing parts among its models for better economies of scale. We have seen interior elements like the dashboard and seats shared between the C3, the eC3 and the C3 Aircross SUV. Expect the upcoming C3X to have more common elements from the C3 Aircross, including its fully digital instrument cluster, the 10-inch infotainment system, dashboard, steering wheel, seating and HVAC controls.
Citroen C3X: shared platform, powertrain
Just like the other C-cubed models from Citroen, the upcoming C3X will also sit on the modular CMP platform, which has been tweaked for Indian conditions. Powertrain options will also likely be the same, with the sedan coming with a sole 1.2-litre, 110hp turbo petrol engine. There will be an all-electric iteration as well that could join the line-up at least six months after the petrol-powered sedan goes on sale.
Citroen C3X: India launch timeline
Citroen is on track to launch an all-new model every year and the C3X will be the third product in as many years. Though the company has not indicated any timeline for the C3X, it’s safe to assume that Citroen will maintain the same pattern of launching both internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric versions within a six-month interval.
With the ICE version of the C3 Aircross due by July-August, the electric derivative of the SUV is likely to be launched in February 2024. Hence, the C3X should arrive around July 2024, with the electric version of the crossover sedan six months later in January or February 2025.