[gck_tourer]

This was an opportunity for Citroen to correct it's past mistakes. Yet they bungled again. They could have launched a true top end with ACC, proper key fob, cruise control, 6 airbags, captain seats and sun roof. Inspite of the sales figures of manual version, if this what they can come up with for our market, then only god can save this company. The management has to be fired for doing such an injustice to an excellently engineered product. This is again dead on arrival.

[guptad42]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Citroen C3 Aircross Automatic launched at Rs 12.84 lakh.

Attachment 2566792

Link

The launch price made me think of the Brezza AT. I wonder if Suzuki is missing a trick here.

• Suzuki already pays the full ~45%-48% SUV GST on Brezza (because the engine is bigger than 1.2L allowed under sub-4m car benefit).
• Brezza already has a smooth 1.5L engine and AT. So, can fight on spec sheet comparisons.
• Performance is adequate with the hybrid, though not scorching.

Then why not stretch the Brezza by 15-20cm (whatever can be safely worked out without investing huge sums) and launch it as Brezza Max or Brezza+ or something.

Improve cabin space, add 'boss mode' features like rear seat recline that are easy to do. A cleaner headlamp and grill design to visually differentiate from Brezza will help, the rear can stay the same as it already looks wide.

Suzuki could sell it for a little more than the current models of Brezza and compete in the Elevate and Creta category. Suzuki AT SUV for the price of a Honda/Hyundai manual, same big space. Could be a smash hit.

It will compete with the entry level Grand Vitara models. but Vitara AT is more expensive, and Suzuki never had a problem selling multiple models in the same size segments. It tends to expand their volumes rather than hurt their sales. There is a 3L price gap between AT base models in Brezza vs GrandVitara. This Brezza Max/+ will be hardly 50-75K more than the Brezza. Could even replace the Brezza, help it justify the higher price (its peers are cheaper because they get sub4m tax benefit).

[StormShadow]

At first I went to Carwale to see the price difference between what I consider the 7 seater MUV (?) segment leader and chose the more premium version of it (ie) the XL6 instead of the Ertiga and to be honest for the roughly 50k difference Citroen only loses out on:
1. Automatic Climate Control
2. Paddle Shifters
3. Keyless Entry
4. Only 2 Airbags while XL6 boasts 4 Airbags

Note: There are other minor/petty differences like Follow me home headlamps, LED setup and 360 camera which I feel aren't as important as the other stuff mentioned above.

The thing that's going on for Citroen is
1. Better Engine
2. Better Suspension
3. Marginal space difference cause of slightly bigger dimensions inside (?).

So IMHO if one lives in a metro and have access to a Citroen showroom and is a little wild and an enthusiastic driver they can honestly go for the C3 Aircross as it has all the basics right barring a few obvious omission which one can live with.

Cheers
Storm

[ashutoshb]

A good review, focussing on the AirCross' strengths by PowerDrift.

https://youtu.be/U7jiA6DN6wA?si=4VkxWtGAKoKoqtIU

[srh]

Originally Posted by ashutoshb

A good review, focussing on the AirCross' strengths by PowerDrift.

https://Youtu.be/U7jiA6DN6wA?si=4VkxWtGAKoKoqtIU

This is blatantly an advertisement. Cannot really call it a review by any strecth of imagination. I would hope they put a disclaimer to that effect.

On the car itself, it would have been a compelling package if:
- They had done crash testing and got a decent score
- They had provided cruise control at least in the automatic (and preferable adaptive cruise control)
- They has provided automatic climate control

[Vishal.R]

Originally Posted by StormShadow

.....XL6 instead of the Ertiga and to be honest for the roughly 50k difference Citroen only loses out on:
1. Automatic Climate Control
2. Paddle Shifters
3. Keyless Entry
4. Only 2 Airbags while XL6 boasts 4 Airbags

Please compare with ZETA instead of Alpha, XL6 ZETA is 60k cheaper (on road Ahmedabad) compared to Aircross Max 7 seater AT, and all above features are present in ZETA also, plus below are other advantages over Aircross.

Cruise Control
Comfort of captain seats and batter space in third row.

Personally I would appreciate a well engineered product with batter highway performance and handling over Maruti / Hyundai but practically, it's still difficult at this price to select over competition. (Nexon for 5 seater, Ertiga / XL6 for 6/7 seater)

[venus1975]

Originally Posted by TusharK

• Plus AT 5-seater – Rs 12,84,800
• Max AT 5-seater – Rs 13,49,800

This is how it compares with the Elevate from a pricing standpoint:

Honda Elevate CVT V - Rs 13,40,900
Honda Elevate CVT VX - Rs 14,79,900

Unless someone has a strong preference for TC AT gearbox over a CVT, I don't see any reason why they would prefer C3 Aircross over the Elevate. Thoughts?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by ashutoshb

A good review, focussing on the AirCross' strengths by PowerDrift.

Originally Posted by srh

This is blatantly an advertisement. Cannot really call it a review by any strecth of imagination. I would hope they put a disclaimer to that effect.

Says as such at the start - look at top left. Although, the disclaimer is really a "blink and you'll miss it" type.

[Axe77]

Oh wow. Good catch on that fine print.

Even a lot of the comments to the PD video read like they’ve been fed in via some media campaign management agency.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Oh wow. Good catch on that fine print.

Even a lot of the comments to the PD video read like they’ve been fed in via some media campaign management agency.

Why should we be so judgemental about PowerDrift when even Autocar is doing more or less the same thing?
Please view top left corner of this screengrab.

[StormShadow]

Originally Posted by Vishal.R

Cruise Control

I agree with this, but I felt like the car was marginally bigger when I test drove it. (I have a friend who have an Ertiga in 7 seater variant and have drove it multiple times). Still like I said in the end it's only a true contender if someone wants an enthusiastic petrol AT rather than the XL6/Ertiga as a 7 seater MUV (?) with a good suspension setup and barebone interiors, they can go for it, which I think would be in the 100's

Cheers
Storm

[wooka]

The paid promotions are for other third-party ads like Castrol in a Citroen car review, and not for any money taken from Citroen.

[Vibhav-Van]

I don't think this pricing is going to work wonders for them.

Two perspectives:

a) 7 seater people mover - The similarly priced Ertiga / XL6 offer more in terms of space, after-sales and overall peace of mind.

b) 5 seater crossover - The Elevate is just a few tens of thousands away and there isn't much that this C3 Aircross offers over the Elevate. The difference would be even smaller in EMI terms, for which you have Honda's reliability, a proven 1.5 L motor (which is also fun in it's own way).

This C3 Aircross AT lands again in no-man's land and might end up as a sales dud.

Citroen should instead update their C3 hatchback with this AT gearbox and price it aggressively as that would be a differentiator in a sea of AMT gearboxes. It's do-or-die for Stellantis India now.

[Thyag]

This car is missing the diesel engine, put in the 1.5 or 1.6 BlueHDi engines with option of Manual & Automatic Transmission - that's how they should have started the game of C3 Aircross .

Anyway, who are we to advise these big conglomerates who have big advisory groups with too many executives, pencil pushers who simply screw up the launches without knowing what's happening in the market .

[OpenRoads]

So in case of Elevate or GV you spend 50~60K more and get:
1. Bigger 1.5l 4 cylinder engine with better fuel efficiency.
2. Wider after sales service network.
3. Ton of features (cruise control, better safety, rear ac vents, the list goes on)

What you don't get:
1. Option to put a bench in the boot and call it a seven seater.

I am unable to see Citroens logic here.