The host of the night was Diego Sampelegrini, Manager of the local firm that is the official representative of the two chevrons logo. In dialogue with Rio Uruguay Newspaperthe businessman began by highlighting that the occasion was also conducive to an official presentation of the subsidiary, pointing out that “when we started with this Citroën project for Concordia, the truth is that it was missing a product like that”, such as the new C3 Aircross.
Sampeligrini detailed some aspects of a product in which many of the brand’s expectations are placed to grow in the Argentine market. In that context, he pointed out that “the C3 is a product that started last year, which will come with several versions and one of them is Aircross, which is a product that fits just for a typical family of three children, which can come with the “five-seater or seven-seater version.”
He added that it is located in the smallest segment of SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicle), Sports Utility Vehicle, in Spanish. Among the most seductive aspects, he highlighted that “it is not an expensive car for the product that is presented, it is accessible and that is why I think it will have a good impact,” he predicted.
The representative of La Concorde insisted that “this presentation is for the Salto Grande region and the entire coast of Uruguay, since we are with our concessionaires in Concordia, in Chajarí, in Paso de los Libres.”
He also admitted that, in the automotive industry in general, “we are going through a quite difficult context, where sales are not abundant,” so “it gives a little oxygen that they launch a new product at this time,” just as Citroën does. Argentina.
Finally, he stressed that the doors of the dealerships will be open to resolve doubts and consult about price and financing promotions. For those who are already almost seduced, “there will be a car for people to test and see at Concordia,” while in the coming days they will have the same possibility “at the other dealerships we have in the region.”
Product characteristics
The Aircross could be considered an extended version of the current C3 – which has been sold in the country since October 2022 – with a wheelbase that goes from 2.54 m to 2.67 m, to reach a total length of 4. 32m.
But in addition to the “stretch”, the new C3 Aircross adds several features that make it quite different from its younger brother. To begin with, it has much more ground clearance – 22 cm – which better justifies the nickname “SUV”.
It also includes 7-seat versions, with an extra third row of two small seats in the back, ideal for children. If those seats are not used, they can be dismantled to obtain a large 493-liter trunk, by far the largest in its category.
The C3 Aircross adds distinctive comfort and practicality equipment, such as 15 storage compartments spread throughout the cabin, 5 USB ports and ventilation outlets for the rear seats.
Another salient feature is the offer of engines: to the well-known 1.6 with 115 hp and 151 Nm (which already equips the C3), it adds a new 3-cylinder 1.0-liter turbo (called T200) that produces 120 hp and 200 Nm of torque. The latter engine is only offered with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), while the former only comes with a 5-speed manual transmission.
Last, but not least, the design. Although the new C3 Aircross shares a good part of the nose components with the C3, there are substantive changes – in addition to its greater length, of course – that make it look like a totally different car: not only “bigger than what it really is”, as the brand advertises, but also more modern and better planted.
