French carmaker Citroen debuts in India's mass car market with C3

Priced around Rs 5.7-8.05 lakh, the mini SUV will vie with the Punch, Magnite and Ignis

French carmaker Citroën has forayed into the mass passenger vehicle market in India with the launch of the C3 on Wednesday. 
 

With prices starting from Rs 5.7 lakh, the car will see 90 per cent of the parts procured locally. It is the first product from Citroën’s C-Cubed family of vehicles. The micro SUV goes on sale from Wednesday itself and competes with the likes of Tata Motors’ Punch, Nissan Magnite, Maruti Suzuki Ignis and Renault Kwid, among others.
 

The share of micro SUVs in which the C3 is positioned, is estimated to be around 20 per cent. This figure has been growing steadily as Indian buyers have been showing a strong preference for anything that has an SUV stance.
 

The Tata Punch, which sells an average 10,000 units a month, leads the segment, followed by the Ignis, Magnite and Kwid.

“The India launch of the Citroën C3 is a very proud moment for all of us at Stellantis,” said Roland Bouchara, chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD), Stellantis India, in a statement.

With this launch, Citroën enters the mainstream B-hatch segment in India. The company is confident that the new C3’s customised comfort USP will make it attractive and unique for consumers, he said.
 

Citroen buyers can experience the high-definition 3D Configurator online and at the La Maison Citroën phygital showrooms to configure and customise the car.
 

“With over 90 per cent localised parts in the new C3, we are leveraging our strong supplier base, our R&D Centre in Chennai, the vehicle assembly plant at Thiruvallur and the powertrain plant at Hosur in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
 

“The C3 ticks all the boxes – be it pricing, styling or features and can be a good bet for the new generation and first-time buyers who have started coming back to the market after a lull,” said Puneet Gupta, director at S&P Global Mobility, automotive sales forecast — India & Asean.
 

A mass model like this also tends to bring excitement in the distribution channels of a company, he added.
 

To compete with mass manufacturers like Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors, Citroën will extend its 100 per cent direct online buying — commenced when the brand entered the Indian market — to over 90 Indian cities. This also includes those outside the dealer network, it said in the statement.
 

“Customers can seamlessly experience the high-definition 3D Configurator online and at the La Maison Citroën phygital showrooms to configure and customise their new C3,” it said.
 

For the after-sales network named the L’Atelier Citroën, the company will offer unique services like remote diagnostics and 100 per cent parts availability.
 

It will also have Citroën Service on Wheels. This will enhance reach and availability for customers by covering the most common repairs at the customer’s doorstep, it said.