French carmaker Citroen is gearing up to launch its first car in the Indian market and the SUV is expected to be launched in 2020. The first SUV will be the Citroen C5 Aircross. The second SUV is expected to come by 2021. And now, it is being speculated that the brand is developing a third mid-size SUV for India which is likely to come by 2022.
The third mid-size SUV is expected to be based on the C4 Cactus, but the car is likely to be heavily localised and expected to come with India-specific features. The Citroen C4 Cactus is available in the international market and the mid-size car which is expected to be based on the C4 and will follow the same design language.
In the international market, the C4 Cactus features a double chevron grille with headlights mounted low on the bumpers and the fog lights situated below them. The daytime running lights neatly integrates with the grille and the car gets a large air dam with vertical air intakes on both ends of the bumper. The roof gets a floating design and from the profile the car gets plastic cladding on the wheel arches as well as an ‘AirBump’ system which is, an air-filled scratch-proof panel located at the bottom of the doors, to protect the car from bumps and scratches, a useful feature considering the traffic in urban areas. The rear of the car gets 3D taillights with a squared-off design.
The engine is expected to come in two options a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel which is speculated to come with at least a mild hybrid system. The hybridisation is likely to become mandatory when the new real-world driving emissions come in to effect, starting from the year 2023.
The mid-size SUV when launchedbwill compete with the Hyundai Creta which is currently the segment leader in India.