Hatchback to the future

Can a built-in dash cam and plenty of other gadgety add-ons make Citroen’s new urban hatch a hit?

from £17,505 / stuff.tv/citroenc3

So, you’re looking for a small but spacious hatchback that’s stylish, comfortable and reasonably nippy. Why not throw in a bunch of handy driver aids, a stellar infotainment system and Citroen’s all-new 120° Connectedcam dash camera?

Q Aside from being a fantastic car to cruise in, this year’s C3 offers plenty of assistance to improve your whole driving experience. The reversing camera (paired with the optional 7in touchscreen) makes easy work of tight bays, while automatic wipers and headlights take distracting tasks off your hands. We also like the optional blind-spot monitors, which appear as little lights in your wing mirrors when someone is overtaking.

Q There’s also a hill-start assist function, and a lane departure warning system that alerts you if you cross a white line without indicating. At times there’s a lot going on in the cabin, but you’re likely to welcome most of it.

Q The touchscreen plays home to the infotainment system plus many of the driver and vehicle settings plus satnav. It’s also enabled for Apple Carplay, so you can hook up your iphone for media and calls.

Q Once you’ve mastered the touchscreen, it’s time to fire up the Connectedcam. If you have a shunt, it detects the impact then saves footage from 30 seconds before to 60 seconds after the accident. Thankfully, we didn’t get a chance to test that functionality.

Tech specs

Engine 1.5-litre diesel Transmission 5-speed manual 0-62mph 10.6sec Top speed 115mph Economy 76.3mpg (combined) CO2 95g/km

The integrated dash camera lives just below the rear view mirror and records in Full HD.

Turn for the worse Once you’re used to where things live on the touchscreen, you’ll find it a relative cinch to navigate – but its position isn’t ideal for full concentration while driving, and it’s almost entirely out of your line of sight as a satnav.