Video by Leah Caroll. Words by Donal Byrne.
We've waited quite some time for a reasonable choice of affordable small electric cars, and while they’re not exactly coming thick and fast, they are becoming more widely available.
Citroen is the latest manufacturer to join the fray with its new C3, which is being produced as an EV but also has a small petrol engine version and a small petrol hybrid option available.
The C3 has always been one of Citroen’s mainstays as a city car and has accounted for 30 per cent of the company’s sales since it was first introduced.
For a budget car (the starting price is €23,400 for the 1.2 litre petrol version), it is quite smartly designed and has more than a little flair too, at least externally. At 1.5 metres tall, it stands quite tall for a car of its length (4.0 metres) and has some smart styling cues, such as the skid plates and headlights.
There’s a largish front windscreen that adds to a sense of brightness inside and the ground clearance is an SUV-type benefit you expect to find on slightly bigger cars. The car could not be described as any sort of mini SUV, however. It’s a simple and small hatchback designed for urban use.
Citroen has thrown quite a bit of standard equipment at the C3 for a car at this price point. It has, as standard, for example, the company’s advanced comfort seating - and comfortable it is, too.
It also has advanced comfort suspension that allows for graduated movement rather than harsher movement - again, something you would expect on bigger cars.
Inside, things are a little more on the budget side. There is a reasonable 10.25" screen that operates Apple and Android systems, but the company that owns Citroen (and other makes like Peugeot, Fiat and Opel), Stellantis, is not as advanced as other manufacturers in this area. Hyundai’s twin screens on its C3 EV competitor, the Inster, are much better.
It is, nevertheless, a comfortable interior with those seats, and a brief first drive in the electric version made for a pleasant interlude. The brightness and generous elbow room were very agreeable, although rear seat passengers may be a bit limited for space if the front seats are extended back fully.
The boot is deep rather than long and has a very useful capacity of 310 litres. This can be extended to 1200 litres with the rear seats folded.
The conventional petrol and hybrid versions both have a 1.2 litre, three-cylinder petrol engine, with the hybrid having a 21 kW motor. The former has a six-speed manual gearbox and the latter is automatic.
There are two specification grades, but, along with the enhanced suspension and seating, both grades come with lane departure warning, speed recognition function, driver attention monitor, hill start assist and an electronic stability programme.
The 1.0 litre petrol manual starts at €23,400, the hybrid automatic at 26,800 and the EV at €23,400.
The EV has a claimed range of 320 kilometres, with the usual caveat about real-world consumption and ranges applying. It will have quite a challenge from the Hyundai Inster, which is now perhaps the strongest competitor in the small EV market with an entry price of under €20,000.
The C3 also has to contend with very established cars in this segment, such as the Toyota Yaris, but equipment levels combined with pricing should give it a chance to compete rather keenly.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
