Citroën reinforces its international dimension and presents the new C3, a versatile sedan, less than 4 meters long, which will allow the French brand to expand in India while consolidating its presence in South America. The car is the first model in a family of three vehicles designed to be sold on international markets, developed and produced in India and South America, which will be marketed in these two regions over the next three years.
To meet the needs of the Indian and South American markets, Citroën has chosen to adapt its usual design and production process by entrusting part of the styling and development convergence phase to teams in each region under the guidance of Pierre Leclerq, head of Citroen design, in order to create a unique, bespoke vehicle.
The higher ground clearance compared to a conventional sedan is designed to avoid scratching the underbody, which could cause damage on rough roads. The angle of attack and angle of exit, are designed to prevent it from touching the ground on a steep incline, rough surface or obstacle in the road. The reason is functional: 40% of India’s roads are not paved. The hood is deliberately inclined to ensure, together with the raised driving position, better visibility, which is useful when dealing with heavy traffic in large Indian or South American cities.
Entering the passenger compartment, the horizontal dashboard immediately gives an impression of space. The passenger compartment develops vertically and this makes the C3 particularly habitable with a length of 3.9 metres (an important aspect for the Indian market where taxes are paid according to their size). To increase the quality of life on board, the designers of the French manufacturer have provided many storage compartments and wide seats. The C3 can comfortably accommodate five people, an essential point for customers in this segment. In terms of architecture, the wheelbase is 2.5 meters: it offers passengers in the second row seats the largest legroom in the segment (653 mm).
