Those in the fortunate position to be shopping for a brand new first vehicle are entering a market packed to the brim with tempting propositions from some of the most well-established brands on earth. There are many factors at play when you are looking for a first vehicle, including price, practicality, performance, efficiency and aftersales service.
In this article, we will be examining Citroën’s local model range to determine if they will make for good first cars.
Space
The entry point into the local line-up is the C3, which measures 3 996mm in length, 1 749mm wide and 1 474mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2 540mm, making it compact and easy to drive in an urban environment, while the 300-litres of boot space is sufficient.
Moving up the range, the C3 Aircross which measures 4 154mm long, 1 756mm wide and 1 637mm tall and a wheelbase of 2604mm, making it spacious enough for five occupants while its boot boasts 410-litres of space which can extend to 520-litres with the rear seats folded flat.
The flagship in the local Citroën range is the C5 Aircross which is rather large, measuring 4 500mm long, 1 969mm wide, 1 689mm tall and features a wheelbase of 2 730mm, making it spacious, while a 520-litre boot, which can extend from to 720 and even 1 630-litres of space.
Performance and pricing
Both the C3 and C3 Aircross model ranges feature a 1.2-litre petrol engine, however, the C3 is available a naturally aspirated version of the engine and a 5-speed manual gearbox while the flagship C3 and the C3 Aircross feature s turbocharged version of the engine and a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The C5 Aircross range features a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine paired exclusively with a 6-speed automatic gearbox.
C3
|
|
Citroën C3 1.2 Feel |
Citroën C3 1.2T Shine |
|
Engine |
1.2-litre, 3-cylinder, petrol |
1.2-litre, turbocharged, 3-cylinder, petrol |
|
Transmission |
5-speed manual |
6-speed automatic |
|
Power |
60 kW |
81 kW |
|
Torque |
118 Nm |
205 Nm |
|
0-100km/h |
13.2s |
9.4s |
|
Top speed |
169 km/h |
194 km/h |
|
Fuel consumption |
5.7 L / 100 km |
6.0 L / 100 km |
|
CO2 emission |
128 g/km |
137 g/km |
|
Price |
R274 900 |
R334 900 |
*This table was compiled with information sourced from www.duoporta.co.za
C3 Aircross
|
|
Citroën C3 Aircross 1.2T Feel |
Citroën C3 Aircross 1.2T Shine |
|
Engine |
1.2-litre, turbocharged, 3-cylinder, petrol |
1.2-litre, turbocharged, 3-cylinder, petrol |
|
Transmission |
6-speed automatic |
6-speed automatic |
|
Power |
81 kW |
81 kW |
|
Torque |
205 Nm |
205 Nm |
|
0-100km/h |
10.7s |
10.7s |
|
Top speed |
184 km/h |
184 km/h |
|
Fuel consumption |
6.5 L / 100 km |
6.5 L / 100 km |
|
CO2 emission |
146 g/km |
146 g/km |
|
Price |
R384 900 |
R407 900 |
*This table was compiled with information sourced from www.duoporta.co.za
C5 Aircross
|
|
Citroën C5 Aircross 1.6T Feel |
Citroën C5 Aircross 1.6T Shine |
|
Engine |
1.6-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder, petrol |
1.6-litre, turbocharged, 4-cylinder, petrol |
|
Transmission |
6-speed automatic |
6-speed automatic |
|
Power |
121 kW |
121 kW |
|
Torque |
240 Nm |
240 Nm |
|
0-100km/h |
10.5s |
10.5s |
|
Top speed |
189 km/h |
189 km/h |
|
Fuel consumption |
7.9 L / 100 km |
7.9 L / 100 km |
|
CO2 emission |
179 g/km |
179 g/km |
|
Price |
R539 900 |
R579 900 |
*This table was compiled with information sourced from www.duoporta.co.za
Warranty & Service
Many consumers will have reservations surrounding the Citroën brand locally since the French marque left the country and returned a few years later. The brand has committed itself to the local market and offers both warranties and service plan as standard in all models.
C3
The C3 model range comes with a 5-year / 100 000km warranty and a 3-year / 60 000km service plan with the intervals set at every 15 000km.
C3 Aircross
The C3 Aircross model range comes with a 5-year / 100 000km warranty and a 3-year / 60 000km service plan with the intervals set at every 15 000km.
C5 Aircross
The C5 Aircross model range comes with a 5-year / 100 000km warranty and a 5-year / 100 000km service plan with the intervals set at every 15 000km.
Safety
The C3 and C3 Aircross ranges were crash-tested by the Euro NCAP new car assessment programme in 2017. They achieved a 4-Star rating including 88% for adult occupant safety, 83% for child occupant safety, 59% for pedestrian safety and 58% for its safety assistance systems.
The C5 model range was also crash-tested by the Euro NCAP new car assessment programme, but more recently in 2019. It achieved a 4-Star rating, scoring 87% for adult occupant safety, 86% for child occupant safety, 58% for pedestrian safety and 75% for its safety assistance systems.
Verdict
As a left-field choice, the Citroën brand may be relatively low on a prospective buyer’s list of new vehicles to test drive, however, the products are efficient, relatively safe, reasonably priced and practical, making them worthy of consideration.
