29/05/2024 The new C3 from Citroën hopes to continue on from where the outgoing small hatchback left off – as the French firm’s most popular car. We went to Austria to test a couple of pre-production C3s to get a flavour of what to expect when they land in Ireland at the end of the year.
The five-door, front wheel drive C3 accounts for roughly 30% of Citroën’s passenger car sales (5.6m sold since 2002) and with agressive pricing, and the synergies gained from being part of the giant Stellantis group, there should be fewer cliched excuses used to avoid the niche French brand – that said our pre production cars were still getting their software and ADAS systems ‘finessed’ prior to going in to production and we had to factor this in to our testing.
The new C3 is built on a new modular platform that will underpin a number of Stellantis stablemates. The front end features a striking new look and Citroën’s fresh corporate identity and famous double chevron badge prove handsome in the flesh and work very well with the new and more blocky/SUV-like exterior new. There are a few nice touches and accessories to add a bit of individualism to the car – in essence the C3 is a friendly and cute looking car that manages to project a reasonably substantial resence on the road. Comfortable, soft suspension will be a C3 USP thanks to the addition of its patented progressive hydraulic cushions tech that ease harshness caused by shock absorbers being pushed to their limit.
Inside there is loads of space for a small car – the C3 is the same lenght as th eoutgoing model and slightly larger in all other dimensions. The big news is comfier seats that feature more memory foam padding(+10mm). The baby Citroën has a nice, simple dash layout that is the heart of its C-Zen lounge design concept. The driver’s display is innovative. Citroën’s new Head-Up Display features for the first time in a C3 that ‘reflects vehicle information on a glossy black surface located between the top of the dashboard and the bottom of the windshield. This clever solution ensures no duplication of information, as traditionally seen between a head-up display and an instrument cluster, allowing the driver to easily access all key information needed without taking their eyes off the road.’ Five adults can fit in the cabin – with four in comfort. The boot has grown to 310 litres, making the C3 a potential one-car small family vehicle.
Under the bonnet there is a choice of petrol, hybrid (auto) and electric power. We tested the three cylinder 1.2 litre turbocharged ‘Puretech’ petrol first and it was a delight. Power output of the entry C3 is upped to 100hp and 205nm (0-100km/h = 10.6sec). The engine handled city and motorway driving with ease and it felt a perfect fit for car. The ride was soft but not loose. Bumps were tackled without fuss and while there can be some body roll in the corners it always felt surefooted and good fun. Power to the front wheels was via a six-speed manual gearbox – so on the open road you can expect to return good fuel economy in the lightweight machine (1,151kgs). Citroën quote 5.6l/100km as a ‘combined’ average fuel consumption. The cabin was reasonably quiet too even at 120km/h.
Next we took the electric ë-C3 out. The ë-C3 comes with a 44kWh (LFP) battery. Power from the electric motor is a relatively modest for an EV 113hp and 120nm. The EV’s performance is good without being breathtaking and this is reflected in its excellent energy consumption figures – often in the low teens and even lower in urban settings. ë-C3 ‘combined’ energy comsumtion is quoted at 17.1kW. The EV can charge at up to 75kW at a fast charger. AC/home charging features a 7.5kW onboard charger as standard with an 11kW an option. The good news is the boot space remains the same in the EV at 310 litres.
On the road the heavier ë-C3 (1, 416kgs) feels like a different car to the petrol C3. The ride feels duller and more mature. The fun feel and nimble nature of the etrol three cyclinder is missing – yet the ë-C3 is still very good to drive. The new C3 is going to shake up the small car market thanks to its expected value for money postioning. We look forward to testing the range on Irish roads when the new car and its crossover sister car the new C3 Aircross arrive. Michael Sheridan
