Modern and assertive: The new C3 has managed to give a big car feel to a small car. (Lunga Mzangwe/M&G)
The Citroën team has punched above its weight with the design of the new C3.
It is modern and assertive. The front looks pretty and bold and has thin, curved-shaped headlights that are connected by a strip with the Citroën badge in the middle of it, but also moulded into that strip.
While the front was bold and made me feel as if I was looking at a bigger car, the back looked boxy, and that’s where reality does set in that this is a small car. The roof rails look interesting and add to the mirage that this is not a small vehicle.
The C3 reminded me of the Nissan Magnite, which is a direct competitor to the former.
Inside, the steering wheel looks and feels good, the digital driver display is clear and to the point, with no complications, while the 10-inch infotainment with wireless Apple Play and Android Auto feel modern and are quite impressive.
The door pockets of the car in front are quite big and the back ones are also sufficient.
The boot space is decent and deep enough to load stuff for a long distance or fit several bags of groceries after shopping.
The vehicle is comfortable and spacious. I took four members of my family for a drive and it wasn’t a squeeze for two adults, two children and me as the driver.
But there were certain features that made the vehicle feel rather outdated. For example, the central locking system does not have a button to press for locking.
I was in the C3 Max Turbo 6AT, which sports a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. But the automatic gear selector has the same design as those in older cars, making it aesthetically unpleasing.
Overall, the cabin was open and functional.
In the week that I had the car, the C3 did not in any way feel like a small car. While it is categorised as a hatchback, the vehicle seems more like a compact SUV given its high ground clearance.
Once you get moving, the car has a punchy performance with a great fuel economy for those who want to feel the rush but still want to save on petrol.
The 1.2-litre engine delivers 81kW of power and 205 Nm of torque. Paired to a six-speed automatic gearbox, the fuel consumption is about 6.3 litres/100km. On the manual variants, you can expect a lower fuel consumption.
My verdict on the car is that it is designed for real-world needs, practical, good looking, fuel efficient, comfortable — which makes it an ideal car for a young family. The car is different in all the right ways.
The Citroën C3 is available in three variants: a 1.2 PLUS 5MT that is priced at R249 900, 1.2 MAX 5MT that comes in at R259 900 and a MAX TURBO 6AT priced at R299 900.
All variants come with a two-year/30 000 km service plan and a a five-years/100,000km warranty.