Citroen C3
Well equipped C-Series looks good value for money, but does the supermini add up in other key areas?
MODEL TESTED: Citroen C3 PureTech 83 C-Series
PRICE: £14,180 ENGINE: 1.2-litre 3cyl, 82bhp
CITROEN added the C-Series trim to the C3 line-up – as well as the C3 Aircross and C5 Aircross SUVs – to group the most popular options together into a better-value package. It’s the cheapest C3 model, and is priced from £14,180. Metallic paint (up to £575) and a spare wheel (dealer-fit option) are the only extras, otherwise that’s the price you’ll pay.
Design & engineering
BESIDE the other superminis in the Stellantis group, the C3’s price looks very cheap. There is one key reason for this: under the skin, the Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa use the group’s latest CMP platform, while the Citroen uses previous-generation technology.
But while some of the infotainment and safety systems are no longer at the cutting edge, Citroen has focused elsewhere on making the C3 as practical and as interesting as anything else in the class. First, there are the “air bumps” on the outside; this plastic cladding is designed to protect the car against lowspeed scrapes and wayward supermarket trolleys. Picked out by the red highlights on this C-Series trim, they’ve become a quirky design feature.
While they provide some cushioning on the outside, more important are what the brand calls its “Advanced Comfort” seats. By applying varying grades of foam within wide, soft chairs, Citroen claims the seats can make every drive as relaxing as possible. There’s plenty of adjustment for a driving position that is just a little higher than the class average.
The seats are placed within a cabin that goes some way to perpetuating the easy-going feel. The uncluttered appearance and clever use of materials mean that even though it’s among the cheapest superminis money can buy, it doesn’t feel nasty. There are still plenty of hard plastics – especially in the back – but that’s not unusual at this level.
Buyers have petrol and diesel engine options. The 1. 2-litre petrol is available with a turbo, but we’re driving a C3 without one, and it sends its 82bhp through a five-speed gearbox to the front wheels.
Driving
ON the road, it’s immediately clear that the C3 is set up for comfort rather than fun. That’s not in any way a criticism; it only adds another reason to choose the Citroen over firmer rivals like the Swift, and indeed most other superminis. Combined with those squidgy seats, occupants feel far more relaxed in the C3 than they would in most similarly sized cars.
But the suspension tune is by no means perfect; soft damping means that it never settles as quickly as the Swift over larger compressions such as speed bumps, while there is plenty of body roll through corners. There are alternative models which can better isolate the noise of bumps and knocks from the cabin, too, although compared with the Suzuki, the Citroen just holds an edge on refinement.
Yet the 1. 2-litre petrol engine is a sweet unit. With three cylinders to the Swift’s four, a little more vibration can be felt through the pedals, but otherwise it’s smooth and quiet. Officially, it’ll cover the 0-62mph dash in 12.5 seconds – 0.6 seconds quicker than the Swift. More relevant than those
numbers is that it feels keener than the Suzuki’s unit at low revs, too, so you don’t need to shift down quite as frequently. That’s a good thing, because the C3’s rubbery gearshift feel is rather poor. Coupled with light and vague steering, it robs the driver of any enjoyment that could have otherwise been had.
Practicality
WITH both cars being so small, it isn’t fair to demand acres of interior space from them. Overall, both are about average for the supermini class. The Suzuki is slightly more spacious when it comes to knee room, but there’s little more than millimetres in it. The Citroen’s soft, flat rear bench means that, while fitting three people in the back is a squeeze for shoulder room, it’s more comfortable than in the Swift.
With 300 litres, the C3 pips the Swift’s 265-litre boot capacity. The rear seat backs fold down in a 60:40 split, increasing that volume to 992 litres, but the space is rather uneven, making it tricky to load larger items. There’s an adjustable boot floor, but the shallow bumper means that it’s fairly easy to lean over and drop items into the space.
The car’s climate controls are integrated into the touchscreen system, which means they aren’t the easiest to use on the move, while the car’s centre console wasn’t designed with the latest smartphones in mind, either, because the shelf beneath the touchscreen is a bit too small to securely hold most modern devices. The lightcoloured door pockets mean that it’s easy to find small items dropped into them, though.
Ownership
CITROEN’S Achilles’ heel as a brand over the past few years has been its ownership experience, and there’s little to indicate that will change soon. In our Driver Power 2021 satisfaction survey the French firm finished a disappointing 28th out of 29 brands. Suzuki fared much better, scoring a mid-table 14th place.
Running costs
ONE of the benefits of loading up the C-Series with options and then charging less than any other model in the
C3 range is that it holds on to its value very well – not only by the standards of its own range but compared with the Swift, too. After three years or 36,000 miles of driving, it’s worth
48.3 per cent of its original value.
At 46 per cent, the Suzuki doesn’t perform quite as strongly. In monetary terms, the C3 will be worth £6,850 after three years, compared with the Swift, which will be worth £6, 205. Of course, you do have to pay slightly more for the C3 in the first place, which cancels out some of this benefit.