Citroen C3 Aircross automatic debuts in Indonesia

The made-in-India Citroen C3 Aircross debuted at Indonesia International Auto Show 2023 but is slightly different from the one sold here. The Indonesia-spec C3 Aircross SUV gets a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox, which is expected to come to India at a later stage.

1. Citroen C3 Aircross AT makes 15Nm torque more than MT
2. AT will be offered on India-spec C3 Aircross at a later stage
3. The 6-speed AT is expected to come to C3 hatchback as well

Citroen C3 Aircross automatic powertrain

Apart from the automatic gearbox, the Indonesia-spec C3 Aircross is nearly identical to the India-spec SUV. While its 1.2-litre turbo-petrol makes the same 110hp,  it produces 205Nm of torque, 15Nm more than the India-spec C3 Aircross manual. With the manual gearbox, the C3 Aircross has a claimed fuel efficiency of 18.5kpl and with the automatic gearbox, it returns 17.5kpl (claimed).

The C3 Aircross gets a conventional gear lever for the 6-speed automatic gearbox with a manual mode but no paddle-shifters. It remains to be seen if the C3 Aircross in India will get the same conventional lever or get a toggle-like drive selector that is available in the eC3 and the C5 Aircross.

Citroen India has not confirmed when the C3 Aircross will get the 6-speed automatic gearbox, however, seeing how Indonesia only gets the torque converter automatic gearbox option, its India launch shouldn’t be far away. The same gearbox, which is likely to be sourced from Aisin, is also expected to be offered on the C3 hatchback sometime later this year.

Citroen C3 Aircross automatic interior

While most of the interior in the India-spec and Indonesia-spec models is the same, the latter gets different colours for the seats. The C3 Aircross here gets single-tone beige seats, while the Indonesia-spec model gets dual-tone grey and black seats. Interestingly, Citroen is only offering the SUV in Indonesia with the 7-seat configuration, while India gets both 5-seat and 7-seat configurations.

Citroen C3 Aircross price and rivals

Bookings for the C3 Aircross will begin in September, and the prices – expected to range between Rs 9 lakh-14 lakh – are likely to be announced around the same time. Deliveries will commence in October.

When launched, the C3 Aircross will rival the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Volkswagen Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, MG Astor, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder and the upcoming Honda Elevate.

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