According to the French brand, the Citroen C3 is 90% manufactured in India! It has been tested for thousands of kilometres in Indian conditions before being tweaked for Indian roads.
In 2021, Citroen entered the Indian market with their gorgeous SUV, the C5. It was the best looking premium SUV by far. And it was also fun to drive and incredibly comfortable.
At that time, they had promised to deliver a mass market vehicle for India by 2022. And here it is!
This new C3 also looks extremely good. That alone should help it make a mark in the Indian market and take on the competition.
Which segment does the Citroen C3 fit?
The brand doesn't like to refer to the C3 as a hatchback. They call it a hatchback with an SUV twist!
And the truth is, there is evidence of SUV genes everywhere you look in the car. Inspirations from the C5 Aircross can be seen everywhere on this C3.
Exterior
Up front it has a slim chrome grille which runs the width of the car, with the triangular Citroen logo sitting at its centre.
Above the halogen headlamps is a split LED DRL which merges with the grille. Though this is not available on the lower variant of the C3.
Throughout the exterior and interior of the C3, you will find orange accents. Which do give the vehicle a breath of fresh air.
For the fog lights there is an orange coloured housing. The faux airvents on the side of the car also get the same orange treatment. This orange highlight continues on the mirrors and roof of the car.
Taking design elements from the SUV world, the C3 has a diffuser under the bumper and plastic cladding around the car. The hood is also slightly raised, so that you have a better view of all that is in front of you. It does feel like driving a small SUV, including the 180 mm of ground clearance.
The Citroen C3 is longer than the Tata Punch at 3.98 metres. Though it is not as tall and wide as the Punch. The car comes equipped with 15-inch wheels, but not alloy even as an option.
Interior
When you enter the car, you can feel the influence of the C5. The split AC vents, semi-square flat bottomed steering wheel, and dashboard with orange highlights all feel premium.
Another impressive feature is the 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with 10 inbuilt features. You can connect your phone to the system through Android Auto and Apple Car Play. But it does not allow you to connect your car to your phone.
The digital display on the C3 is petite and pretty, but does not house a tachometer.
Visually, there is no difference between the interiors of the turbo and naturally aspirated engines, besides the gear lever! The NA comes with a 5-speed gearbox, while the turbo comes with a 6-speed.
The side mirrors can be adjusted from the inside of your car.
Drivers of a shorter stature, will probably keep their seats tilted quite far forward, as visibility to them will be low.
Quality of plastics used everywhere on the car is excellent.
This has been designed to be a practical car. As such, the storage spaces provided on the interiors was more than adequate.
Cushioning on the seats is excellent, providing great support and will be wonderful on long drives.
The Citroen C3 has a wheelbase of 2540 mm, longest in the segment. But the legroom for the rear passengers is not great. There are also no AC vents for the rear, but you do get a charging port. Switches for the power windows are in the middle and not placed on the doors.
The rear also does not get any centre armrest, nor an adjustable headrest. It is comfortable for 2, but not for 3.
The C3 has a boot capacity of 315 litres, which is less than the competition. The Punch and Magnite have 366 litres and the Kiger has 405 litres. Folding the rear seats flat increases the space tremendously if you so need it.
Engine
The C3 is offered with two engine options, Turbo and Naturally Aspirated. Both are 1.2 litres and run a 3-cylinder configuration. One could only minor vibrations coming through from the engine.
The NA with 82 bhp and 115 Nm is okay, when compared to the segment. It is 4 bhp less than the Punch. For city driving it was more than adequate. With a strong bottom end and decent top end, it suffered most with mid-range power.
As you revved up the engine, you could feel the increase in engine vibrations. But for just 1374 kg, it has decent power.
While overtaking, you need to think twice about downshifting. While the clutch is nice and light to use, the gear shifts aren't smooth and slightly notchy.
The Turbo variant on the other hand is a different ball game. With its 115 bhp and 190 Nm, it takes you into a different league.
With this variant, the C3 has the best power and torque figures in the segment. It also weighs just 1035 kg. You are always egged on to drive with ever increasing enthusiasm. We were expecting an automatic for this variant, but it isn't the case. The bottom and mid-range of this engine are nicely balanced and at no point of time, do you feel out of breath.
While driving the Turbo variant, what was missed the most was the presence of a tachometer. One could feel the engine pulling, but without knowing at what RPM is it pulling. The company states that peak power is generated at 5500 RPM.
There is slightly noticeable vibrations from the engine, but not excessive. There is a also noticeable turbo lag. But it is much more entertaining to drive than the NA variant. Citroen claims that the C3 does 0-100 kmph in 10 seconds.
Both the engine variants have great refinement levels.
Handling
The C3 sports the usual McPherson strut and multi-link suspension setup. Though it has been tweaked for rough roads as well. With 5 passengers at slow speeds on bad roads, it felt like climbing up and down small mountains! Thanks to its 180 mm ground clearance, there was no scrape from the bottom.
Braking on the C3 is also great, even with a fully loaded car.
Despite being a long car, it has a turning radius under 10 metres. Its electric power steering is also great, with its inputs being light in the city and heavier on the highways.
The 15-inch tyres are wider than what you get on the Honda City, so you have incredible grip throughout your drive.
With the bigger C5 Aircross, it is said to have a 'Flying Carpet Ride', with respect to handling and ride quality.
While the C3 doesn't provide the same levels of luxury, it does offer a smooth and bump free ride.
To buy or not to buy the Citroen C3?
The features packed into the C3 by Citroen are quite commendable. But in many places you will notice where the company has cut costs. A reverse camera, tachometer, powered side mirrors, rear AC vent, night light adjusting interior mirror, and adjustable headrest are not available.
Else, for a compact hatchback, the C3 has all the necessary features.
Engine refinement and performance is great. For those looking to have more fun while driving, the turbo is the option to choose. You needn't even worry about the fuel efficiency. Citroen claims 19.8 kmpl for the NA and 19.4 kmpl for the Turbo.
Priced correctly, the Citroen C3 can take the driving experience to another level. And make you one happy customer while travelling on any road!
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