Citroen C3 hatchback (2010 – ) expert review

The Citroen C3 displays little of the design flair for which Citroen was once so famous, but it’s a neat-looking car with its raised roof line and wheel-at-each-corner stance. There is one stand-out feature though, and that’s the panoramic windscreen which extends well into the roof – it ends towards the back of the front seats. Fitted to all Citroen C3 variants, apart from the entry-level VT, it opens up the front of the cabin brilliantly.

The C3’s interior is something of a mixed bag, as for such a small car the dash is very grown up. Our test car featured an integrated screen for the computer, stereo and sat-nav, while the climate control system is far from basic – but this is a costly extra. Although the cabin design is far from bland, some of the materials within it look or feel cheap, the sun visors being the most obvious example, as they’re simply thin plastic mouldings. The overall feel isn’t cheap though – it’s generally inviting. The ‘zenith’ windscreen also makes the cabin feel considerably more light and airy compared to the Vauxhall Corsa or Ford Fiesta.

The Citroen C3 is one of the smallest cars in its class, so you can’t expect a massive amount of cabin space, but the rear leg room is still disappointing. Even worse, the rear seat has been pushed well back, to open up the cabin as much as possible, leading to the back rest being rather upright. In typical small hatch fashion, the boot isn’t that big with the rear seats up, as there is just a 300-litre space with the parcel shelf fitted. However, remove the shelf and drop the back seats, and space increase to 1,160 litres.

If you want a comfortable car, the C3 is about as good as they come. French cars are renowned for their soft ride, and the C3 is no exception – even quite poor surfaces are handled readily. Such a soft ride takes its toll on the handling though, because there’s a lot of body roll in bends, to the point where it can be disconcerting if you get caught out by a sharp bend. Worse than that though is a rear suspension that feels crude – hit a pothole or bump mid-corner, and the car can be thrown off line.

The mid-range 95bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine offers a decent turn of speed; even at motorway speeds there’s enough in reserve to make driving the C3 a relaxing experience. Rated at 114mph and 0-62mph in 10.6 seconds, it’s plenty quick enough for everyday driving. If economy is more important to you, there are 61bhp 1.1-litre and 75bhp 1.4-litre petrol options – if you’d prefer more power there’s a 120bhp 1.6 petrol unit too. There are also 1.4 and 1.6-litre diesel engines available, with power outputs of 70, 90 or 110bhp, and with top speeds ranging between 101mph and 118mph.

With 20,000-mile service intervals, the C3 should prove cheap to run – to keep costs to a minimum, Citroen is offering a maintenance package for just £199. This takes care of all scheduled servicing for the first three years or 35,000 miles. It’s not all good news though, because Citroens tend to depreciate heavily, partly because they sell in such large numbers and partly because Citroen tends to do a lot of deals to shift new examples. As a result, it’s essential that you secure a decent discount before buying, to reduce the biggest running cost of all – depreciation.

This hasn’t been a strong point for Citroen in recent years, with electronic and trim glitches especially common. The new C3 feels far more solidly put together than its predecessor but only time will tell whether the electrical systems will be more durable.

The C3 comes with a four-star EuroNCAP rating, partly because safety kit levels aren’t that high on entry-level models. While all C3s come with electronic brake force distribution, anti-lock brakes and brake assist, along with four airbags, only the VTR+ and above get curtain airbags. Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) isn’t fitted as standard to any C3, and it’s available as an option only on the range-topping Exclusive, which is disappointing.

Citroen tends to build its cars relatively cheaply, by reducing the quality of some of the trim so it can fit more standard equipment. Despite higher quality trim than before, the new C3 still gets a fair amount of standard kit. While the entry-level VT isn’t loaded with equipment, it does get a CD player with auxiliary input and steering wheel-mounted controls, scented air freshener, front electric windows and electrically adjustable door mirrors. Move up just one level, to the VTR+, and cruise control, front fog lights, alloy wheels and air-con become standard equipment.

The new Citroen C3 is a big improvement on the old model. It looks and feels more grown up, comes with the availability of some big-car features and is cheap to buy. However, it’s also not as well equipped as some rivals and the cabin isn’t especially spacious.