It's official now: Citroën is bringing a new Shine finish to the C3 range in India, with new equipment that allows the brand's small sedan to make up for its lack of equipment. The brand is also adding safety equipment to the lower trims, making the C3 more competitive.
Since its launch in July 2022, the Citroën C3 range has been rather small, with a single engine offered in two power outputs and two versions (Live and Feel), with the aim of offering the most accessible price. However, in this quest, Citroën omitted some of the comfort and safety features demanded by Indian consumers and found on competing cars, which are sometimes sold for less than the C3. As a result, these missing features, which were not even available as options, made the C3 less competitive than its rivals and caused it to lose sales.
Citroën had to react quickly and has done so by adding equipment to the C3 already on the market, such as real time tyre pressure, ESP and side start assistance, which were not previously available. These are in addition to the two airbags, ABS and reversing radar already present on the C3.
The main new feature of the range, however, is the appearance of the high-end Shine finish, which allows Citroën to make up for the C3's lack of equipment. This latest Shine version comes standard with electrically adjustable mirrors, 15-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, a rear window wiper and demisting function, a day/night interior mirror and, above all, a reversing camera. Finally, the C3 Shine is equipped with the My Citroën Connect application, which has been available on the electric versions since February and now automatically provides the C3 Shine with a total of 35 applications.
Saurabh Vatsa, Citroën Brand Director, India, said: "We are delighted to launch the new Shine variant of the Citroën C3 with the latest features that customers in this segment have been craving for. With the new Citroën Connectivity 1.0 now on board the C3, this sedan with an SUV touch will truly be a perfect all-round package for the young and progressive customer in this competitive segment".
In terms of price, the range is as follows:
C3 Live: 616,000 rupees or €6,827
C3 Feel: 708,000 rupees or €7,850
C3 Feel Vibe: Rs. 723,000 or €8,000
C3 Feel two-tone: 723,000 rupees or €8,000
C3 Feel Vibe two-tone: Rs. 738,000 or €8,180
C3 Shine: 760,000 rupees or €8,420
C3 Shine Vibe: 772,000 rupees or €8,550
C3 Shine two-tone: 775,000 rupees or €8,590
C3 Shine Vibe two-tone: 787,000 rupees or €8,720
C3 Feel turbo two-tone Vibe: 825,000 rupees or €9,150
Surprisingly, this C3 Shine is not available with the 1.2 turbo engine of 110 hp, only in the Feel version, but we bet this will change soon. Citroën has reacted quickly by extending the range of the C3 to keep it in the conversation. With this new range, which has been upgraded on the equipment side, Citroën is regaining competitiveness in this difficult segment in India, which should be reflected in sales in the coming months.