CITROEN C3 Review

While it does assure a decent level of comfort in urban traffic, things are the other way around when it comes to open road.

It all starts with the suspension setup. At low speeds, the car can absorb almost every shock on the road, including speed bumps and potholes, but things are slowly changing as the driver presses the throttle pedal. Instability becomes a thing to remember at higher speeds, especially on curvy roads where the car acts just like a boat and the steering doesn't feel quite right.

The seats are pretty comfortable and, although there's a heating function, they lack a cooling system which made our ride a bit sweaty, especially due to the textiles used on the backseats.

Ergonomics however is the biggest problem. Although most things are in the right place, it's difficult, if not impossible, to reach them without ample moves of the hands. The stick shift for example is hard to control mostly due to the armrest's position, and shifting into 1st, 3rd and 5th gear takes longer. The handbrake lever is placed just underneath the armrest, which once again, is very awkward.

A good thing is that the central armrest is just a 200-Euro option so it won't be available in standard form. In addition, the automatic climate control is also optional, for 300 Euros, just like the heated front seats - 200 Euros - and the 15-inch alloy wheels - 300 Euros.

Interior space might cause some problems in case the passengers' height exceeds 2 meters. If the available legroom is enough even in this extreme scenario, it's almost impossible to keep the hairstyle untouched if traveling as a rear passenger, as a 2-meter tall guy would hit the roof with the head.
The 2010 Citroen C3 is far from being a technical achievement, as the car can be easily considered a basic means of transportation at most chapters, including the powertrain.

Based on the old platform, the new C3 is different in dimensions, as the new model is longer, taller and wider than its predecessor. It has however the same wheelbase and weight as the 2002 model.

The 1.4 HDi engine develops 70 horsepower at 4000 rpm and 160 Nm of torque at 2000 rpm, while releasing 113 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Translate this into performance figures and you get a maximum speed of 101 mph (163 km/h), while the 0-100 km/h sprint is completed in 13.7 seconds.

The engine was developed in collaboration with Ford, so the 1.4-liter HDi unit can also be seen on some other models, including Ford Fiesta, the European flavor of Ford Fusion, Peugeot 206 and the old Mazda2.

Citroen's mixed fuel consumption rating is 4.2 l/100km (56 mpg) and, after 250 kilometers covered in both urban and non-urban environments, we learned that the truth doesn't go too far - 5.9 l/100km (39.8 mpg).

The car also employs MacPherson-type front suspension, new rear axle with flexible traverse beam and variable electric power steering, all of them configured for optimal comfort.

Although it manages to return so low fuel consumption figures, helping technologies such as start-stop are missing entirely on the car we tested. However, other versions are equipped with the so-called Gear Efficiency Indicator (GEI) that alerts the driver of the optimum moment for shifting gears, thus getting the lowest consumption rating.
The new C3 is just a modest model when it comes to gadgets, but the version we tested came packed with a few extra options beside the standard ones.

In standard form, the Confort grade comes with manual air conditioning, power front windows, air freshener, audio system with 6 speakers and MP3 support plus power driver seat. Our installed options include automatic climate control, parking sensors, electric, power and foldable exterior mirrors, power rear windows, ESP, heated seats and USB connectivity.

Specifically, the audio system offered as standard is nothing special, an ordinary configuration you'd expect to find on such a model. The MP3 support allowed us to play our very own MP3 CD's while the USB port provided support for any USB flash pen storing additional MP3s. There's no support for other types of multimedia files and the player is not compatible with DVDs.

The parking assistance system uses the dashboard display to indicate the surrounding objects and thus guide the driver into the empty spot. The whole function can be disabled however through the car's settings.

The Bluetooth connectivity is extremely easy to use, with the pairing process, between the mobile phone and the car, taking only a few seconds. After the pairing is complete, the system automatically controls the incoming calls, allowing the driver to choose whether to answer or reject a call straight from the dashboard.
There are lots of preconceived ideas when it comes to the small class, most of them claiming that all cars included in this category usually provide a reduced level of safety, especially when dealing with a larger vehicle. The car we tested was equipped with dual frontal airbags, side airbags plus ABS, EBD and ESP, the latter being available as an option priced at 400 Euros.

Additionally, the new C3 comes with a separate speed limiter function, controllable through the same lever as cruise control, that allowed us to configure the maximum speed limit for the current trip. Last but not least, the car features a seatbelt reminder system for driver and front seat passenger.

As a result, the hatchback received 4 stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests, scoring maximum points in the side barrier impact. It offered good protection to pedestrians' legs, while the seat and head restraint provided poor protection against whiplash injuries, according to Euro NCAP papers. This basically means the new C3 is as safe as the old model, which also earned 4 stars following the Euro NCAP tests.
After a few days spent behind the wheel of the new C3, we were impressed by a single fact: the fuel consumption. Although most people complain that such a limited power is absolutely unacceptable, this is actually the best solution for city driving - unless you're into hybrids, of course. The new C3, equipped with the 1.4-liter HDi configuration is incredibly efficient, burning around 6 l/100km in urban conditions.

Aside from the fuel consumption, the C3 is actually a basic means of transportation with some superior features, such as automatic climate control, cruise control and heated seats. However, the low price we have to pay for the car translates into poor quality and this can be easily noticed inside the car, especially at the roof where the guys over at Citroen used a flimsy cover with cheap plastics and no vanity mirrors or roof handles. The Zenith windscreen is indeed a cool addition for such a model but it only becomes boring after a few days spent driving the C3.

All in all, the car seems to be one of the viable solutions for people looking for small, not too fancy and efficient way to travel to and from office.