Made-in-India Citroen C3 named ‘2023 World Urban Car’ at 19th World Car Awards, marking historic achievement for French automaker!
Citroen C3, a hatchback made in India and owned by Stellantis-owned French automaker Citroen, has been named the “2023 World Urban Car” at the 19th World Car Awards.
This award is particularly significant as the Citroen C3 is the first vehicle produced in India to receive this prestigious award.
At the 19th World Car Awards, the Citroen C3, a made-in-India hatchback owned by Stellantis-owned French automaker Citroen, was named “2023 World Urban Car.” The company announced the achievement of this momentous award on the sidelines of the inauguration of the New York Auto Show, following a vote by over 100 global journalists from 32 different countries.
The C3 won the prestigious award in the Urban Car category, which was open to all vehicles under 4.25 metres in length that are sold in at least two significant markets (China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, and the United States), as well as on at least two continents.
This award is even more significant because the model is the first vehicle produced in India to receive this prestigious award. The French automaker has received three World Car Awards so far. The Citroen C4 Cactus was named World Car Design of the Year in 2015, and Carlos Tavares, CEO of PSA Group, was named World Car Person of the Year in 2020. The Citroen C4 also won the design award in 2006. In 2017, the Citroen C3 was ranked among the “Top Three in the World” in the World Urban Car category.
Citroen CEO Thierry Koskas commented on the World Urban Car achievement, saying, “We are especially honoured to receive this ‘2023 WORLD URBAN CAR’ award for C3.’ This model’s commercial success underscores the importance of our growth strategy in India, Asia, and South America.
The Citroen C3, as the first model in a three-car family, combines strong, modern styling with high levels of comfort, not to mention the connectivity and technology that customers in these regions expect.”
The Citroen C3 is the French automaker’s first vehicle designed and built in India. Since its debut in the summer of 2022, approximately 7000 units have been sold, contributing to a nearly 880% increase in sales for the brand over the previous year. This achievement is also demonstrated by the positive feedback received for the e-C3, an electric variant of the C3 manufactured in India, for which the company reports that initial orders are extremely good.
About Citroen C3
The e-C3 is an all-electric model that was recently launched by the company, with a starting price of Rs. 11.5 lakh for the Live variant and up to Rs. 12.43 lakh for the Feel variant with dual-tone paint option and Vibe Pack. The eC3 has a 29.2 kWh battery pack and a front-axle mounted electric motor with a peak torque of 57 hp and 143 Nm. The eC3 accelerates from 0 to 60 km/h in 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 107 km/h. The ARAI-claimed range of the eC3 is 320 km, and there are two charging options.
The first is a DC fast charger capable of charging the battery pack from 10% to 80% in 57 minutes, and the second is a 3.3 kW onboard AC charger capable of CCS2 fast charging. The eC3 can also be charged at home, and it takes 10.5 hours to charge from 10% to 100%.
