Citroen Australia is trying to make a business case for the new C3 and has suggested that if the new car sits with the overall brand direction that it could be here next year.
THE NEW CITROEN C3 has been revealed with Citroen Australia saying it’s trying to work through a business case to bring the thing to Australia. It believes the new C3 would be a welcome addition to the local Citroen line-up.
“Negotiations are well underway and we are very keen to reintroduce the C3 to Australia if we can deliver a package that meets the needs of Australian customers and complements the overall local brand direction, said General Manager at Citroen Australia, Kai Bruesewitz.
“In the likely case that those negotiations are successful, we anticipate launching the vehicle in Australia mid-2017 with specifications and pricing confirmed closer to this time”.
The new Citroen C3 is the second model to have been born of the company’s new design philosophy; the first was the Cactus. And the design similarities are clear to see, from the low-mounted head-lights and slim daytime running lights to the air bump body protection. In profile, the new C3 has a floating roofline enhanced by the black windscreen pillars.
Like the Cactus, the new C3, according to Citroen is all about personalisation of the vehicle. Meaning, it’s giving owners the chance to make the C3 exactly what they want it to be. “All-new C3 will be the first mid-range model to offer an extensive customisation capability both inside and out. Exterior appearance choices range from pop to classic, from sporty to trendy and the interior mood can emphasise warmth and cosiness or dynamism and technology,” Citroen said.
There are nine colours to choose from and a staggering 36 colour combinations in total. On the inside, there are “four moods” to choose from, which mirror the dashboard trim for the seats.
“The “Standard” mood is uncluttered and neutral, with yellow over-stitched upholstery while the “Metropolitan Grey” mood puts the emphasis on warmth and brightness, with soft colours and textiles on the dashboard trim as well as the seat upholstery. The “Urban Red” mood combines dark and bright colours to produce a dynamic feel, the lined dashboard trim featuring red over-stitching and a red surround over its whole width. The “Hype Colorado” mood uses soft, upmarket materials and special upholstery with a colour contrast effect and width-wise signature, harmonising with a two-tone, leather-covered steering wheel.”
And to show that car connectivity and our connection to social media has gone mad, the Citroen C3 will features a full-HD camera with GPS and a 16GB internal memory. Fitted behind the rear vision mirror, it records everything the “driver sees through the windscreen to log the driving experience. The driver can click to safely take photos for keeping or sharing on the social networks immediately or, keeping the button pressed, shoot film with a 20 second duration for sharing once the car is stationary”. The camera is also able to record in the event of a collision for up to 90 seconds, both before and after the impact. The camera is always on and operates on a 90-second loop and, so, if the car detects a collision, the camera takes the last 90 seconds of footage and then dumps it to the internal hard drive.
The new C3 sits on the PSA Group A platform which the French car maker claims was optimised for this new model. The C3 uses the typical Citroen setup of a pseudo Macpherson Strut design with deformable struts. While a new “H”-shaped crossbar fits beneath the seats “for increased occupant protection through greater impact strength”.
Globally, the new C3 comes with a choice of latest-generation, PureTech petrol and BlueHDi diesel engines. It offers a choice of three PureTech three-cylinder petrol engines with manual transmission (PureTech 68, 82 and 110 with engine Stop & Start). There are two manual diesel powertrains (BlueHDi 75 with Stop & Start and 100 with Stop & Start). It’s not known what the C3 would be offered with if it makes it Down Under.
In terms of safety, the C3 will be offered with a variety of active safety systems, including a reversing camera, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and a driver attention alert.
