Can the upcoming Citroen C4 coupe-SUV work for India?

Team OD Updated: April 13, 2020, 07:35 PM IST

Citroen seems to be working on a new SUV that will sit below its flagship Citroen C5 Aircross in the French carmaker's line-up. This car will replace the unique C4 Cactus but will uniquely carry a coupe-SUV design.

Spy photos show that the new SUV will carry Citroen's unique styling with its cuboidal elements and clamshell bonnet. The front seems to sport the low-set headlamps which is followed by a sleek profile and a unique high-edged bootlid, quite similar to say a Tesla Model Y. The lamps are also a departure from other Citroens with the triangular shaping. Also seen are the aerodynamic alloy wheels that are meant to improve range.

We think the Citroen coupe-SUV will be based on the EMP1 platform, which is also shred with cars like the second-gen Peugeot 2008. This is a more compact architecture than the C5 Aircross architecture but will feature a fully-electric option. The e-2008 that is based on the same architecture has a 50kWh battery pack that powers a 140PS and 260 Nm. This SUV has a range of around 330km as per the WLTP cycle and we expect similar numbers for the Citroen. There should also be a 1.2-litre turbo petrol 3-cylinder with three power outputs between 101PS and 155PS and a 4-cylinder 1.5-litre diesel engine with 100PS and 250 Nm. These engines come paired with an eight-speed automatic.

On the inside we can expect the design to reflect that of the C5 Aircross, with the singular split AC vents, the rectangular digital instrumentation and the specially developed comfort seats.

Citroen has deferred its India debut to early next year from late 2020, in light of the Coronavirus pandemic. The company has an aggressive product strategy planned for India that will begin with the C5 Aircross flagship. This will likely be followed by the C3 Aircross and an affordable hatchback developed on the more cost-effective C-Cubed program for emerging markets. The company plans to launch around two more cars other than this, but hasn't specified which these might be.

We think this coupe-SUV could be a great bet for India, especially in its EV avatar. This could be priced less than Rs 25 lakh, and carve a niche for itself in this segment. There are a slew of products set to be launched in that segment over the next few years including ones from Skoda/VW, an electric coupe-SUV will allow Citroen to further its stock as maker of cars with a fresh perspective and capitalise on its premium image.

Spy image source: Auto Express