► CAR’s first test of new petrol Citroen C3
► Joins electric and hybrid models
► One of the most spacious small cars
Citroen hasn’t recently been one to challenge the best superminis on sale, but that hasn’t stopped its C3 from selling like hotcakes. More than 5.6m versions of this small car have been sold since 2002 and it’s now the French firm’s most popular model ever – even ahead of the classic 2CV.
But the old Citroen C3 was really starting to feel its age, with its cramped interior and outdated cabin no longer cutting it in this popular class, especially if the French firm wanted to steal current Ford Fiesta owners who are now having to look elsewhere. So can this new model cut it?
At a glance
Pros: Great value, comfy, surprisingly spacious
Cons: Feels cheap in areas, not a driver’s choice
What’s new?
Citroen has well and truly reinvented this new C3, which shares very little in common with the car it replaces. It’s got a completely different look, and has moved to more of an SUV-like profile with all its gloss black plastic and raised ride height, though Citroen stresses this is still a supermini at heart.
Some of the most significant changes are under the surface. There’s now an electric version available, which you can read about in our separate Citroen e-C3 review. Though the focus here is the petrol model, the EV is important to reference nonetheless – an 111bhp motor and 44kWh battery delivers 199 miles of range and it’s the first genuinely affordable electric car to be built in Europe at Citroen’s plant in Slovakia. Dacia’s Spring, even the new one, is assembled in China.
On the interior front, despite retaining a similar length to the old C3, we’ve now got a much roomier car, with that boxy shape working wonders. And then there’s the price, which at around £18,000 for the petrol undercuts the vast majority of its rivals, yet without feeling like there are many massive compromises.
What are the specs?
Citroen is committed to giving customers a choice of powertrains, so alongside the headline-grabbing electric e-C3, you can also get it as a regular petrol and a mild-hybrid automatic model that promises to reduce fuel consumption by 10 per cent.
Previously Citroen offered a choice of naturally-aspirated and turbocharged petrol engines, but there’s now just one ‘regular’ e-C3 available – a 1.2-litre ‘PureTech’ petrol unit putting out 99bhp and 151lb ft of torque. It’s mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and even has a physical handbrake. The only thing it will be tearing around is a McDonald’s car park; 0-62mph takes 10.6 seconds and it manages a top speed of 116mph. Acceleration isn’t too dissimilar to the EV, either.
Citroen is still homologating the new C3, with certain aspects of these test cars feeling unfinished, but expect around 50mpg based on our testing, and CO2 emissions of 128g/km for this petrol.
What’s it like to drive?
In a word, comfy. It’s always been Citroen’s selling point and the C3 is the smallest car that the French firm has engineered its ‘Advanced Comfort’ suspension setup into. It works courtesy of two hydraulic bump stops on each corner – one for compression and the other for rebound. Citroen claims a ‘magic carpet ride’ and while it’s not quite up there with Aladdin’s special talent, it’s mightily impressive for a car with such a small wheelbase.
Our test route takes us through some of Hungary’s rough roads, arguably worse than the UK’s – somehow – and the C3 takes it all in its stride. It doesn’t float over the surface like Citroen’s larger cars, a C5X for example, but it soaks up bumps well and its soft setup is perfect for a car like this that will have to deal with pockmarked city streets.
A tight turning circle and small dimensions – the only real direction it’s grown is in height – mean it’s easy to drive and park, with feather-light steering again ideal for narrower roads. There’s quite a sizable blind spot in the rear three-quarters, though, due to a lack of window.
Driven back-to-back with the e-C3, we’d choose the keys to the EV first, But the petrol engine is nippy enough and the six-speed manual gearbox (you’ll have to wait for the hybrid if you want an auto) and clutch are far less vague than previous Citroen gearboxes, where the biting point was so high they felt like the clutch had worn fresh out of the factory.
It’s not a driver’s car, unsurprisingly, with levels of body roll that can feel like a ship swaying in the wind, a bit like the old 2CV, you could say, yet it never once feels like it’s running out of grip. Our test cars still had several electrical gremlins, with ALL driver assistance features disabled, so this area can’t yet be assessed.
What’s the interior like?
Despite the C3’s low starting price, all models now come with a wide 10.25-inch touchscreen that helps to modernise the cabin. It’s simple and no-frills but better than many systems from far more expensive cars. Citroen calls it a head-up display but it’s more of a digital screen wedged into the dashboard – not dissimilar an old C4 Picasso if we’re really getting into the Citroen mindset.
You get physical climate controls that have a surprisingly upmarket feel and soft, well-padded seats that are a French speciality. Yes, there are plenty of cheaper materials but it feels durable enough considering the price, and in many ways no worse than far more expensive superminis. There are slightly cringy red labels on the door cards with slogans like ‘be cool’ and ‘have fun’. I think a pair of scissors would be used quite quickly to cut these off if it were mine…
The C3’s boxy looks also work wonders on its interior space. Despite measuring a fraction over four metres long, rear space is competitive with far larger cars, with two adults able to sit comfortably in the rear with masses of headroom especially. The 310-litre boot isn’t as big as that in a Renault Clio, but is perfectly adequate for something with this footprint.
Before you buy
Citroen previously offered an entry-level You trim on the C3, but despite its low price, hardly any UK buyers chose it so this bare-bones trim is gone (Dacia did similar on its Sandero).
The C3 goes on sale in September 2024, a few months after the EV, with prices starting from £17,790 for the entry-level Plus trim, or £21,290 for a Max, though this is only offered with the more expensive hybrid. Prices put it at the lower end of the spectrum, and though the £13,795 Dacia Sandero is much cheaper, it lacks a lot of the C3’s standard kit. It’s a few hundred pounds less than the brilliant Renault Clio, too.
Standard kit on the Plus includes 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and a 10.25-inch touchscreen, but you’ll need the Max for a rear camera, wireless smartphone charging and heated front seats.
Verdict
Citroen seems to have reclaimed its mojo back in recent years, and the new C3 is a fine example in how to still make a low-cost car that can still be practical without ever feel penny-pinching. The design might not look instantly ‘Citroen’, and I’m no fan of its new logo, but the focus on comfort is most certainly welcome.
It’s an excellent addition to the small car class, and the choice of petrol, hybrid and EV adds to the appeal. Final proof will arrive when Citroen irons out its few electrical gremlins in these pre-production cars, but it most certainly looks promising.