MEUDON, France — Citroën on Tuesday unveiled its new electric e-C3 SUV, a low-cost model starting at 23,300 euros aimed at taking on Chinese carmakers in the affordable
The EV from Citroën, part of the Stellantis auto group, will be assembled in Slovakia and launch in the second quarter of 2024. It is the same size as the current C3 city car, but less rounded and slightly taller.The average European electric city car costs around 30,000 euros. To go lower, Stellantis is reusing its simplified"Smart Car" platform used in India, which differs from the four EV platforms the group has under development. Stellantis said it plans to base seven models across its brands on this platform, likely including the next. With 90% of its suppliers from low-cost countries, a reduced diversity and a cheaper battery technology from China, the Smart Car platform will allow Stellantis to cut the e-C3 price further to as low as 20.
Citroën's C3 last year accounted for 11% of the city car market in Europe. Since the first generation of the model in 2002, more than 5.6 million have sold. Unveiled in the immense Hangar Y in Meudon, where airships were assembled at the end of the 19th century, the car also inaugurates the brand's new design, including a new logo that harks back to its origins.