A handful of leaked images showcasing
China’s Citroën C3L have been published by CarNewsChina. The new C3L is the
sedan variant of the Citroen C3-XR crossover which has been available in the
country since 2014. It is built through the Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën Automobile
joint venture and these photos show the C3L shares much of its styling with its
crossover sibling.
Viewed from the front, it’s actually very
hard to tell the difference between the C3L and the C3-XR. The headlights are the
same, as are the vertical LED daytime running lights incorporated into angular
air intakes and the rounded grille of the crossover. From the back, however,
the C3L clearly stands out from the C3-XR.
Likely in an attempt to retain as much
interior space as possible, Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën have created an upright
roofline that’s relatively flat until it dramatically tapers down an upright
rear window to an elongated deck lid. There’s also a very bulky C-pillar. It’s
a bit of an odd look compared to many of the four-door ‘coupe’ sedans we’ve
become familiar in recent years. At the rear, the C3L appears to feature the
same taillights and bumper as the crossover.
The new Citroën C3L is 4,505-mm long, 1,748-mm wide, 1,513-mm tall
and has a 2,655-mm long wheelbase. It will be sold exclusively
with a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine producing 114 hp and 190 Nm of torque and mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
The car will launch in China this quarter
with prices starting at around 110,000 yuan (US$ 15,575).
