New Citroen SUV Spied, Will Be Globally Unveiled In India On This Date

• Upcoming SUV to get wide, two-part front grille and split headlights similar to C3. 

• Expected to be a three-row offering with large, squarish taillights with LED elements. 

• Likely to get Citroen’s 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine with automatic transmission option. 

• Global premiere in India on April 27, launch expected around mid-2023. 

• Prices are expected to start at around Rs 9 lakh (ex-showroom). 

Spy shots have already made sure the entry of Citroen’s compact SUV is an open secret, and now the carmaker has officially announced the model’s arrival will be on April 27, 2023. 

It’s an all-new SUV that’ll be pitted against the Hyundai Creta and according to the carmaker, it has been designed and engineered in India. We still don’t know what the SUV will be called or how it will look, but the latest spy sighting gives us a better idea of what to expect.

Citroen SUV’s C3-inspired design 

The Citroen SUV may be derived from the C3, but it’ll look quite different from the hatchback. It’s wider and longer than the C3 and is expected to be a three-row SUV. Its larger two-part front grille should give it a distinctive look, and its split headlight setup and halogen headlights are similar to the C3’s units; it remains to be seen if more advanced headlights (projector or LED units) will be offered on the final, production-spec SUV. 

Apart from its distinctive front-end styling, the Citroen SUV also gets flared wheel arches and side cladding. Its window line is C3-esque and the doors get lift-type handles similar to the C3. It should also get alloy wheels at least at higher trim levels, unlike the C3 which only gets steel wheels from the factory. At the rear, the SUV has a more upright tailgate, below which sits a chunky bumper that also houses the number plate.

Interior, features and powertrains 

Previous spy shots have revealed that the Citroen SUV will get C3-like design cues inside as well, with a similar dashboard layout. We also expect the Citroen SUV to offer a third row of seats, similar to the Renault Triber. 

Citroen C3 dashboard for representation only

The SUV should get the C3’s impressive 10-inch infotainment touchscreen and digitised instrument cluster, apart from niceties missing in the existing hatchback, such as a rear washer and wiper and electric sunroof. On the safety front, it should get up to six airbags, rear parking camera and stability control, in order to be on a par with its rivals in the highly competitive compact SUV segment.  

Under the bonnet, the Citroen SUV should get the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine that’s offered on the range-topping C3 Feel Turbo variant. It’s tuned for 110PS in the hatch, but the SUV could get more power; the same engine also gets a 130PS tune overseas after all. It should be paired with a six-speed manual transmission and the SUV should also get an automatic transmission option that’s missing in the India-spec C3. 

• Citroen C3-based Compact SUV’s Interior And Dashboard Spied For The First Time

• Three-row Citroen C3 Spied Again; Launch Likely In Mid-2023

• Citroen eC3 EV Goes On Sale In India At Rs 11.50 Lakh

The upcoming Citroen compact SUV is expected to retail from Rs 9 lakh onwards (ex-showroom). It’ll rival the Hyundai Creta and Maruti Grand Vitara, and would be an alternative to MPVs like the Maruti Ertiga and XL6 as well as Kia Carens.