Citroen is set to launch the stylish new C3 in January 2010.
Over 2 million versions of C3 have been sold worldwide, so the latest C3 is a very important car for the French brand. Citroen is bringing what it calls ‘Creative Technology’ into the equation with the new C3 and the result is a pretty car that is functional and innovative. Green Airdream+, Stop/Start technology and Hybrid versions are also on the way.
C3’s new exterior is smart and eye catching. The big talking point is the brilliant extended windscreen (‘Visiodrive’ models) that is standard on VRT+ C3s. This extended windscreen is 1.35 meters long and that’s about 36% longer than the average windscreen in its class. While most cars have a viewing angle of 28-degrees the Zenith panoramic screen gives front seat occupants a 108-degree view. The glass used has a graduated tint and a pull down blind and visors that are handy should the sun decide to shine strongly! The screen and blind work well but sadly you cannot pull the visors to the side to block glare from the side windows. Rear headroom suffers also. In the back my head was brushing off the roof and I’m no giant at five foot ten. Although slightly shorter than a Fiesta the C3’s boot is bigger with 300 litres of space (Fiesta 281).
Inside, the C3 is spacious, comfortable and modern. My test cars were all VTR+ versions and lacked little in terms of specification. The bright cabin and reworked dash and controls make C3 thoroughly modern. Space up front is good with the passenger seat set slightly forward of the driver’s seat. The only downside is found under the driver’s feet. The pedals are poorly spaced and my size tens had difficulty using pedals individually. So men in particular, be warned, if you have average sized feet, you'd better wear slim shoes.
Otherwise the driving experience about town is hard to fault.
On the road the C3 is comfortable and a great deal quieter than the outgoing car thanks to extra soundproofing. My test cars did not encourage fast cornering, but the front wheel drive petrol and diesel cars I tested proved composed and predictable.
ESP is only optional for now - in the coming months Europe will force ESP to become standard on all new cars. C3 is available in VT or VTR+ specification. C3 is going head to head with the likes of Fiesta, Polo and Corsa to name a few and these are very good machines. Prices are yet to be announced but expected to start at a little over fifteen thousand excluding delivery. Petrol and diesel versions will be available from launch with the 1.4 HDi (70bhp) expected to be a big seller in Ireland while a 1.4 (PSA) petrol powered 75bhp version will be favored by low mileage users. A BMW sourced 1.4 with 95bhp is available as is a 1.6 HDi in Europe and the UK but there are no plans yet to bring these versions to Ireland yet.
C3 in VTR+ specification will turn heads and the massive windscreen will give owners bragging rights for some years to come. The little French car is a real alternative to the norm and with HDi diesel economy the C3 makes sense.
Michael Sheridan
