- Available in a single ‘Feel’ variant; price starts at ZAR 230000 (Rs. 9.63 lakh)

- Bridges the gap between small and large hatchbacks

The new Citroen C3 has made the brand more accessible to buyers in South Africa, with the previous most affordable model being the Euro-spec C3 which costs ZAR 305900 (Rs. 12.78 lakh). The made-in-India C3 also competes in a segment which is seeing an explosion in sales, and is dominated by cars familiar to Indian buyers - including the Suzuki Swift, Toyota Vitza (Maruti Celerio), and Renault Kiger.

B-segment car for A-segment price

The Citroen C3 offers the maximum space in a segment filled with hatchbacks. At 3,981mm long, the new C3 is only 10mm shorter than the Triber, but is longer or at par with similarly priced hatchbacks and crossovers like the Renault Kiger.

Unlike the model sold in India, the C3 sold in South Africa is only offered in one trim level - Feel, and one engine option - the naturally-aspirated 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine. This engine develops a maximum power of 82bhp at 5,750rpm and a peak torque of 115Nm at 3,750rpm. This is paired with a five-speed manual gearbox, though the company has stated an automatic gearbox will be offered at a later date.

The feature highlights include a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay connectivity, 10 exterior colour combinations - including six dual-tone colour combos, two interior dashboard colour options, LED DRLs, ‘Advanced Comfort’ seats, and a whole host of customisable accessories.

Made-in-India, made-for-South Africa

Interestingly, the engine in the South Africa-spec Citroen C3 develops 1bhp more than the ‘Puretech 82’ engine sold in India, but the torque figure remains the same. Mileage for the petrol-MT combo differs too, while the South African version returns 17.85kmpl, the India-spec model returns a claimed 19.3kmpl. This could be due to a 13kg difference in weight and a different tuning that has been done to accommodate for the varied fuel quality in different parts of South Africa.

The South Africa-spec C3 is sold with five years/1,00,000km warranty plan as standard, as compared to the two years/40,000km warranty offered in India. Additionally, South African buyers will also get a two years/30,000km service plan bundled with their purchase, which Indian buyers have to pay for additionally.

Made-in-India C3 Aircrossincoming

Citroen will launch the larger five- or seven-seater C3 Aircrossin India later in 2023. It is likely to be introduced in South Africa too.

Citroen currently offers the C3 hatchback, eC3 electric hatchback, and C5 Aircross in India. We have driven all of these cars and to know about them in detail you can read our reviews.