Citroen has finally launched its first mass-market offering for India, the C3. The C3 is priced between ₹5.71 lakh and ₹8.06 lakh. This places it between a lot of B-segment hatchbacks, premium hatchbacks, and even compact SUVs! Though Citroen doesn’t call the C3 a compact SUV, it surely has the dimensions and ground clearance of one. To know how the C3 compares to the cars from each category, we pit it against five cars to see how it fares in terms of price, dimensions, specifications, and features:
Price
| Variant | Citroen C3 | Maruti Suzuki Ignis | Tata Altroz | Tata Punch | Nissan Magnite | Renault Kiger |
| Petrol Nat Asp | ₹5.71 Lakh to ₹6.92 lakh | ₹5.35 lakh to ₹6.47 lakh | ₹6.29 Lakh to ₹8.99 lakh | ₹5.92 lakh to ₹8.8 lakh | ₹5.97 lakh to ₹8.50 lakh | ₹5.99 lakh to ₹8.62 lakh |
| Petrol Automatic | N.A. | ₹6.49 lakh to ₹7.72 lakh | ₹8.29 lakh to ₹9.99 lakh | ₹7.29 lakh to ₹9.48 lakh | ₹8.8 lakh to ₹10.53 lakh | ₹8.04 lakh to ₹10.62 lakh |
| Turbo Petrol | ₹8.05 lakh | N.A. | ₹8.25 lakh to ₹9.55 lakh | N.A. | ₹8.01 lakh to ₹9.66 lakh | ₹8.92 lakh to ₹9.72 lakh ₹8.92 lakh to ₹9.72 lakh |
The Citroen C3 is priced pretty close to the entry-level variants of other compact SUVs and the Altroz as well. However, it is the cheapest among these cars when we compare the top-end variants. The significantly cheaper top-end variant comes at the cost of equipment wherein the C3 lacks a lot of features that the competition offers. The Maruti Ignis undercuts the C3 comfortably due to its small size. However, it is pretty well equipped and its petrol engine is on par too. Except for the C3, all the cars here offer an automatic transmission with their naturally aspirated petrol engines. The Magnite and Kiger offer a CVT too mated to the turbo petrol engine. Speaking of turbo petrol engines, the C3 is not only the cheapest but is also the most powerful of the lot. As mentioned before, the competition offers more kit and hence they are more expensive than the C3 turbo. The Punch and Ignis miss out on a turbo petrol engine.
Dimensions
| Citroen C3 | Maruti Suzuki Ignis | Tata Altroz | Tata Punch | Nissan Magnite | Renault Kiger | |
| Length | 3981mm | 3700 mm | 3990 mm | 3827 mm | 3994 mm | 3991 mm |
| Width | 1733 mm | 1690 mm | 1755 mm | 1742 mm | 1758 mm | 1750 mm |
| Height | 1586mm | 1595 mm | 1523 mm | 1615 mm | 1572 mm | 1600 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2540 mm | 2435 mm | 2501 mm | 2445 mm | 2500 mm | 2500 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 180 mm | 180 mm | 165 mm | 187 mm | 205 mm | 205 mm |
| Boot Space | 315 litres | 260 litres | 345 litres | 366 litres | 336 litres | 405 litres |
As expected from a B segment hatchback, the Ignis is the smallest of the lot. The rest of the competition is closely matched when it comes to length, width and height. Though the Altroz and other compact SUVs have a wheelbase of around 2500mm, the C3 has the longest wheelbase of 2540 mm. Cars like the C3, Ignis and Punch have a ground clearance in the region of 180mm whereas the Magnite and Kiger come with a ground clearance of 205mm. The Altroz has the least ground clearance thanks to its hatchback attributes. In terms of boot space, the Kiger comes out on top followed by the Punch, which is further followed by the Altroz and Magnite. The C3 with its 315 litres of boot space falls short compared to others and the Ignis comes last.
Powertrain
| Citroen C3 | Maruti Suzuki Ignis | Tata Altroz | Tata Punch | Nissan Magnite | Renault Kiger | |
| Engine | 1.2-liter NA/1.2-liter turbo | 1.2-liter NA | 1.2-liter NA/1.2-liter turbo | 1.2-liter NA | 1-liter NA/1-liter turbo | 1-liter NA/1-liter turbo |
| Power | 82 hp/110 hp | 83 hp | 86 hp/110 hp | 86 hp | 72 hp/100 hp | 72 hp/100 hp |
| Torque | 115 nm/190 nm | 113 nm | 113 nm/140 nm | 113 nm | 96 nm/160 nm(MT), 152(CVT) | 96 nm/160 nm(MT), 152(CVT) |
| Transmission | 5-speed MT/6-speed MT | 5-speed MT, AMT | 5-speed MT, 6-speed DCT/5-speed MT | 5-speed MT, AMT | 5-speed MT/5-speed MT, CVT | 5-speed MT, AMT/5-speed MT, CVT |
All the cars offer a 3-cylinder engine except the Ignis which comes with a four-cylinder unit. The naturally aspirated engines of all cars are pretty much on par with Tata producing the most amount of power and Citroen the most torque. The Magnite and Kiger are the least powerful in the segment. When it comes to the turbo petrol engine, the C3 aces the competition with its specifications and 6-speed manual gearbox. However, it misses out on the option of an automatic transmission in both engines, unlike others. The Punch and Ignis lack the option of a turbo petrol engine as well. The Altroz is the only car here to offer a diesel engine.
Features
One of the biggest flaws of the C3 is its features list. It gets manual air-conditioning, power windows, LED DRLs, a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple Carplay, steering-mounted audio controls, and a digital instrument cluster. However, it misses out on a lot of features like electrically adjustable and folding mirrors, automatic climate control, alloy wheels, a reverse parking camera and a whole lot more.
The Maruti Suzuki Ignis comes equipped with projector headlamps, LED DRLs, automatic climate control, steering-mounted audio controls, touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple Carplay, reverse parking camera, keyless entry with push button start/stop, and electrically adjustable and folding mirrors.
The Tata Altroz is well equipped with projector headlamps, LED DRLs, selectable driving modes, a semi-digital instrument cluster, a touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone compatibility, cruise control, Harman Kardon speakers, connected car tech, a reverse camera, ambient lighting, keyless entry with push buttons start/stop, rain-sensing wipers, auto headlamps and automatic climate control.
The Tata Punch comes loaded with features such as projector headlamps with LED DRLs, auto headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, push-button start with keyless entry, automatic climate control, cooled glove box, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone compatibility, a reverse parking camera, a 7-inch semi-digital instrument cluster, iRA connected car technology, selectable drive modes, cruise control, puddle lamps, and traction pro mode.
The Nissan Magnite comes with features such as LED bi-projector headlamps and LED DRLs, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 360-degree camera, connected car tech, cruise control, climate control, TPMS, cruise control, push-button start/stop and a digital instrument cluster, to name a few.
The Renault Kiger gets features such as LED projector headlamps, LED DRLs, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, reverse parking camera, push-button start/stop with keyless entry, 8-inch infotainment system with wireless smartphone compatibility, selectable drive modes, cooled glove box, automatic climate control with PM 2.5 filter and ambient lighting.
Conclusion
The Citroen C3 makes a strong case for itself if you are looking for a car that offers good space, excellent ride quality and a powerful turbo petrol engine. However, it does fall short when it comes to features. If you are on a tight budget, buying a B segment hatchback is the way to go. If you want something nicer, stretch your budget and get a premium hatchback like the Altroz. Lastly, if you want all-rounder compact SUV, the Magnite and Kiger are your best bet due to the value that these cars offer when compared to rivals like the Tata Punch.