Citroen eC3X at Rs 10.25 Lakh: Cheaper, Better Kitted, Still a Hard Sell
Citroen has relaunched the eC3 as the eC3X, with prices starting at Rs 10.25 lakh ex-showroom, a cut of Rs 1.74 lakh over the outgoing car. The 2026 update brings projector LED headlights, six airbags, a TFT driver's display, JBL speakers and a battery-as-a-service plan.
What was announced
Citroen India has launched the 2026 eC3X, a comprehensive update to the eC3 electric hatchback, at an introductory ex-showroom price of Rs 10.25 lakh. That is Rs 1.74 lakh lower than the outgoing eC3. A battery-as-a-service (BaaS) scheme is also on offer, dropping the upfront cost to Rs 6.29 lakh with a battery rental fee of Rs 2.26 per km.
The eC3X is now the cheapest new electric car you can buy in India, but cheapest and best-bought are not the same thing.
The car is offered in three variants: Live, Live (O) and Shine. Claimed range is up by 79km, though the battery pack itself is unchanged. New equipment includes projector LED headlights borrowed from the ICE C3X, redesigned 15-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, and electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs. V-shaped LED DRLs, LED taillights, black wheel-arch cladding and halogen front fog lamps carry over.
Inside, the eC3X gets a new coloured TFT driver's display, six airbags as standard, a wireless phone charger and a JBL speaker system. The dashboard layout, freestanding touchscreen and overall cabin architecture are largely carried over from the previous car. Front and rear bumper designs have been mildly reworked. Citroen positions the eC3X against the Tata Tiago EV and Punch EV at the entry end of the electric hatch and micro-SUV space, with the BaaS pricing aimed squarely at first-time EV buyers and fleet operators looking for a low cash outlay.
The Car Jury verdict
Citroen has finally given the eC3 what it needed two years ago: a price that reads sensibly and a features list that does not look embarrassed next to a Tiago EV. At Rs 6.29 lakh under BaaS, it is the cheapest way into a new electric car in India today, and six airbags plus LED projectors close the obvious gaps.
But the eC3X arrives into a segment that has moved past it. As Faisal Khan of FasBeam notes, this car was never engineered with today's EV brief in mind, and it shows in the packaging. Tata's Curvv EV and the MG Windsor EV exist at adjacent money with more range, more screen and more presence. Buy this only if BaaS maths and a low upfront figure are non-negotiable; otherwise the Tatas remain the smarter EV cheque.
