India-Bound Citroen’s Nissan Magnite-Rival Spotted Testing In Cold Weather

Citroen’s small SUV will be a petrol-only offering, and will be exported to other countries from India

• The Citroen SUV was being tested in snow.

• The snow-testing could signal the presence of onboard traction control modes.

• Gets a  split headlamp set-up like the Tata Harrier.

• The made-in-India 1.2-litre turbo-petrol motor could be the only engine.

• Launch expected around Diwali, could be priced around Rs 6 lakh

• Will be positioned below the Nexon and rival the Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger, and the upcoming Tata HBX  

It’s no secret that Citroen has been working on a small sub-4 metre SUV to follow up the launch of the C5 Aircross in April. Expected to hit showrooms by the end of the year, the SUV has already been spotted testing multiple times in India. This time, however, the SUV was spotted in snowy conditions overseas.

The SUV will be a highly localised, made-in-India product and also exported to different countries. That explains why it is being tested on a global stage. That said, testing in snowy conditions can happen for two reasons. First, to assess if the various parts (used in the making of the car) can handle cold weather, and second, to test safety features in low-traction conditions.

While most of the images look like they were clicked on tarmac, some of the shots show the Citroen SUV being driven on a lightly snow-covered road. Cars like the Kia Sonet and Tata Nexon already come with traction modes that help them manage grip in low-traction conditions. Could the Citroen SUV offer a similar feature?

Apart from that, there isn’t much that separates these new photos from the ones we have seen earlier. A lack of camouflage around the headlight area reveals a split set-up similar to that of the Tata Harrier. A sleek light has been placed at the top (right underneath the bonnet), which will presumably be the LED and the turn indicator. While a more conventional halogen bulb set-up is seen below that, we do expect Citroen to offer LED lighting on the top-spec variants. The pictures also show a rear wiper and a demister at the back of the Citroen SUV.

The SUV will only be powered by a petrol engine, likely the made-in-India 1.2-litre turbo-petrol motor. We had previously caught a glimpse of its interior, which revealed a floating-type touchscreen. You can read more about it here.

Once launched around Diwali, the Citroen SUV will become the tenth offering in the sub-4-metre-SUV space, with its competition consisting of the Vitara Brezza, Venue, Sonet, EcoSport, Nexon, XUV300, Magnite, Kiger, and the TUV300 (likely to be renamed ‘Bolero Neo’). With that in mind, we expect this SUV to be priced from around Rs 6 lakh.

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