One of South Africa’s cheapest crossovers is getting an automatic gearbox

Citroen has confirmed that it will launch a new automatic gearbox for the new C3, one of the most affordable crossovers in South Africa.

The company’s local division told Car Magazine that it is planning the introduction of an automatic drivetrain but that the timing for its launch has not yet been decided.

A welcome option for motorists

The C3 is the third-cheapest crossover currently on the market with a starting price of R236,900, only falling behind the Suzuki Ignis and Nissan Magnite.

It was launched in May last year and is actually a rather drastic reimagining of the car that came before it – also under the C3 umbrella.

This is because the other model, which is still on sale in South Africa, has a retail sticker of R378,900 and features a turbocharged 1.2-litre engine, putting it in the same batting league as something like the VW Polo or the Opel Corsa.

The revised C3 – which has adopted the popular crossover body type as opposed to the original’s hatchback silhouette – is targeting a completely different market segment, and up till now, it has only been available in a single “Feel” specification with a manual gearbox and a naturally-aspirated 1.2-litre petrol block that delivers 61kW and 115Nm.

When the new car was launched eight months ago, Citroen stated it would expand the range with “a high-grade model, an automatic option, as well as a compact SUV in the near future,” but there have been no updates on this plan until this point.

The confirmation of the automatic option, therefore, comes as an exciting prospect for local motorists, as there are only five crossovers in South Africa that offer an auto box for less than R300,000.

The Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift, 1 of 5 automatic crossovers under R300,000.

The cheapest self-shifter currently on offer is the Nissan Magnite EZ-Shift at R248,800, which uses a five-speed automated manual transmission (AMT) and is itself a relative newcomer that was only introduced last year as a more affordable alternative to the Magnite’s CVT models.

The specifications of the new C3 have yet to be detailed, but it is speculated that it will use a six-speed automatic in combination with the 1.2-litre engine.

It will also be interesting to see whether the brand ultimately decides to launch a turbocharged version of the crossover as well, given that the Indian market has access to a three-cylinder turbo-petrol with 81kW and 190Nm.