[HereticHermit]

Apparently the shine version is going to get all the bells and whistles https://m.indiacarnews.com/article/n...soon/57346/amp

But are those goodies really worth 1 lakh, as suggested in the article?

All said the news got my interest piqued.

The new C3 Shine variant will some extra goodies on offer such as an electrically adjustable ORVMs, a rear parking camera, button starts/stop, defogger and rear wiper and washer. It might also come with the leather wrapped steering wheel, three-point seatbelts for all five occupants and alloy wheels.

Besides aforementioned features, the Shine trim will have a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a digital instrument cluster, a four-speaker sound system, manual AC unit, front and rear USB charging ports, seatbelt reminders and rear parking sensors.

[GTO]

Good to see that the C3 will now come with more features, BUT:

- What the heck was the Citroen management thinking by launching a car without such mandatory features? I have spoken time & again about getting things right at launch as that is the very moment your car gets the most eyeballs & opinions are formed - my detailed article on this theory (Why it's important to offer the right engines + AT gearboxes + variants at the time of launch).

- All of the proposed features in the Shine variant are more or less expected in cars these days. Nothing really stands out there.

- Citroen should realise that "cheap" and "basic" does NOT sell in India. Cars are aspirational products and should be well-equipped. Just ask Mr. Datsun who didn't understand this. Indian car buyers are driven by "value" & "aspiration", not "cheap".

- The only thing I feel really bad for is the C3 itself. In turbo guise, it is one heck of a car with a superb engine, suspension & driving experience. But thanks to Citroen's dimwitted decisions & product planning, it has bombed.

- No Automatic? In a market that is moving to ATs in a big way? What kind of research (if at all) did Citroen do in India?

Citroen's engineering team has succeeded, but the management has failed. Citroen India management frankly has no clue about the Indian automotive industry. Even the C5 Aircross is such an exceptional & over-engineered car, that bombed only due to overpricing.

[fhdowntheline]

One can only attribute it to a dogma that some of the makers have about their cars.The belief that a well engineered product speaks for itself, consumer perception be damned. On a lighter but relevant note, there is a popular refrain in Pune " amchi kuthe shakha nahi( we have no other branch) " attributed to some local brands that are adamant about not expanding. But even they have changed their tune with the times.

[rupak.choudhury]

Very well said boss. Had the Shine variant been there since the very beginning, the car would have done far better. I hear a lot of future buyers say that the car is good, but it lacks basic features. I myself am not happy with the IRVM (that I'm going to change soon) & few other basic features would have been really appreciative. You've truly said that in India, it's the aspiration & not the price, that sells. People do have the budget in mind, but can overlook it for better options.

Originally Posted by GTO

Good to see that the C3 will now come with more features, BUT:
====Even the C5 Aircross is such an exceptional & over-engineered car, that bombed only due to overpricing.

[CarEnthu101]

I feel like this is Honda Brio Pt.2! Amazing car but getting a bad reputation due to initial launch mess ups!! Why can't manufacturers see previous mistakes of other manufacturers and learn!

[HereticHermit]

In trying to achieve higher value proposition at a price point, Citroen definitely overlooked the aspiration of 'i want to have this car' part. The features that were once 'good to have' are essential now a days and buyers are lot more informed than they were earlier so naturally they aspire toward better options elsewhere.

Personally, I am not too fussed about if Citroen (at certain price point) miss out on things like Electrically Adjustable ORVM or leather wrapped steering wheel and rather I will take mental note of safety measures and what modicum of control one have over the driving experience which is a sum total of many factors and not limited to creature comforts. But then I am easily pleased and spent formative years with budget segment MSL products.

[VRSriram]

Some pictures of Shine version from dealer.
Still tachometer is not there.

[Bluengel180]

I really doubt that this will wash out the public perception of "Cheap and loses out on basic features" for Citroen. Its a case of too little too late.

The market perception of a car is what it launches with. Nobody is going to know that there is a variant that has all the "missing" features because all the reviews they get will be of the launch model describing it as basic.

The Koreans have this spot on. The cars launch with everything you need as variants right from day one. Even the indian manufacturers haven't got this right yet.

[lordrayden]

Originally Posted by GTO

I have spoken time & again about getting things right at launch as that is the very moment your car gets the most eyeballs & opinions are formed

Originally Posted by Bluengel180

The market perception of a car is what it launches with. Nobody is going to know that there is a variant that has all the "missing" features because all the reviews they get will be of the launch model describing it as basic.

The Koreans have this spot on. The cars launch with everything you need as variants right from day one. Even the indian manufacturers haven't got this right yet.

You could say the VAG group is even more clever. They launch a car, let people build opinions and perceptions, and then sit and delete features .

[arjab]

This is a case of "bolting the stable door after the horse has fled"!

The market has abandoned the C3, itself a very competent car particularly in turbo guise. Best of luck to Team Citroen.

Hope the 7-seater see's better days. Sales of the C3 EV is nothing to write home about.

[KPR]

The problem with C3 is not just limited to features. The brand Citroen itself isn't known among masses. How many will think beyond 3 biggies MS, Hyundai and Tata in this segment? Imagine if Kia introduces a raised GC hatchback with similar price point and features like existing C3. It will definitely sell with waiting period.

[the.dogfather]

As they say 'First impression is the best impression' and Citroen C3 missed the train here.
We have seen the same story with the Global Ford Fiesta which was overpriced and the image never changed. Even for Ford as a company, they could never come out of the expensive service image.

One thing which is still good for the Citroen C3 is that common buyer still hasn't heard about the car yet and most probably hasn't seen one or did not notice it even if they saw it. This gives the brand a chance to take this as an all new launch along with the electric model. Other than car enthusiasts, I don't think anyone knows of the Citroen C3. They need to work a lot to build up an image and try to make a re-entry with a bang.

[SRISRI_90]

Better Late than never. Glad Citroen India has woken up to reality.

We're so impressed with our C5 Aircross that we really wanted to buy the C3 for city use.

But, the lack of features and Automatic gearbox made us hold the purchase.

The C3 turbo is a hoot to drive, sad that it still not offered with in the sensible automatic guise.

[ron178]

Originally Posted by VRSriram

Some pictures of Shine version from dealer.
Still tachometer is not there.

It looks like it, but can you verify this is your dealer’s lot and your dealer didn’t send you images of a bunch of cars destined for export? Just throwing around a theory; the shipyard in media images looks somewhat different from these images so they are probably genuine.

In any case, good to hear although too late. If specced like it is in Brazil the C3 could be an excellent rival to the Celerio. Maybe it wouldn’t appeal to your average Maruti buyer, but it would certainly have the image of a global product. As currently specced it is in no man’s land and if I’m honest even this variant is not enough.

[bravo82in]

Too little too late
In India a car is a hit or a miss on day one of launch . The segment is Jam Packed with cars loaded to the brim with features and creature comforts. How come Citroen didn’t do their home work before launching a product.
They must take a leaf or two from Kia how to build brand image and launch a product in India.

They need to cut down the prices as well for their products to be seen on roads.