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Entry-level car options are all the rage right now because the public needs mobility. Maybe you got your first job out of school, or you need a runabout for your day-to-day life. The entry-level car segment is cutthroat, and you must bring your A-Game to have a fighting chance.
Related: Citroën C3 (2023) - First Drive Review
Enter the new Citroën C3. While there is another C3 on offer, that's more of a premium offering which competes with the likes of the Volkswagen Polo, whereas this C3, in particular, is meant for the entry-level car market.
Styling
When one thinks of the Citroën brand, you think of fashionable and trendy, much like how French manufacturers tend to go their own way instead of following what design trend is in vogue at the time. In the entry-level car market, you do have some good-looking designs and the Citroën C3, objectively speaking, is one of them because it does embody that current Citroën design language fairly well
The vehicle's front fascia is unmistakably Citroën, with the headlights incorporated into the chevron badge as one of the critical design points. Although the C3 may be a B Segment hatchback, it mimics an SUV with plastic cladding, bold lower proportions, and it has 180mm of ground clearance. The C3, to the eye, doesn't look tiny and is substantial enough to tackle the big open roads. The robust design tapers off in the car's rear with polygonal taillights and a large black plastic trim piece on the rear bumper. You have the C3 in two-tone colours, with the second colour covering the roof. Rounding everything off are the 15-inch steel wheels with quad-fork style hubcaps covering the steelies.
Space & Interior
The Interior of the C3 is relatively spacious and one of the shining features of this vehicle. The dashboard is a mixture of abstract shapes and symmetry, but everything is where you need it to be with the C3, with enough cupholders and storage pockets in the centre stack. Headroom and legroom across the board are substantial, and your passengers wouldn't feel squashed. Space is aplenty, even in the boot area, with 315 litres of boot space to play with. Want to extend that? Yes, the rear seats fold down. If you want to add to that unique interior design, you have the choice of two colours for the dash and seat trims to choose from. Personalise the C3 how you will.
Comfort & Convenience
While the driving position is high, as you'd expect with a B-Segment hatchback mimicking SUV proportions, the seats in the C3 are supportive and comfortable enough. Some more bolstering and an adjustable headrest would be nice, but they're decent overall. The 10-inch infotainment touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is quite lovely, with decent definition, and it's wide enough to accommodate other functions like volume adjustment. A physical volume dial, separate mute, and on/off buttons would help with this instead of the infotainment being purely touch orientated. There's even keyless entry, drive-away central locking and electric windows all around. It would have been nice to have the electric windows centralised in one spot, like the driver's side door or even the centre console. Instead, the front window switches are on the driver's side door and the rears at the end of the front seat divider. An instrument cluster that stands out more and a more ergonomic gearknob would also feel better in the hands. Overall, the rest of the C3 interior is comfortable enough.
Performance
The 1.2-litre PURETECH 3-cylinder petrol engine powers the C3. This engine churns out 61 kW and 115 Nm through a 5-speed manual transmission to the front wheels. The PURETECH in this application is a lazier engine rather than something that prefers not to be revved out. This drivetrain drives easily with somewhat taller gearing. Some more torque or something like a VVT system would work in the C3 to give it more pep. It will help when the vehicle is loaded with people. Unfortunately, where the C3 struggles a bit is in the steering department. The steering feel is vague, the steering rack itself is pretty slow and pairing that with the small steering wheel requires more than necessary steering wheel turns to pilot the C3 on road and in parking situations. A quicker steering rack and a slightly bigger steering wheel would solve this. However, the ride quality in the C3 is almost second to none in this vehicle range. The C3 is unbelievably comfortable and soaks up bumps while asking for more.
Fuel Economy
Claimed fuel economy in the Citroën C3 is 5.6l /100km; we hovered around the 6.0 l/100km mark, which isn't bad.
Safety
The Citroën C3 comes with the following safety features:
- Dual front airbags
- ABS and EBD
- Park Distance Control
- Anti-Theft Alarm
- Driver and Passenger seatbelt reminders
Price
The Citroën C3 comes in only one variant named 'Feel'. The purchase price includes a 2-year/30 000km service plan and 5 year /100 000km warranty.
| Model | Price (incl. VAT) |
| Citroën C3 1.2 Feel | from R229 900 |
Competitors
- Suzuki Ignis
- Nissan Magnite
- Renault Kiger
Verdict
The latest Citroën C3 certainly fulfils the stylishly comfortable element of the entry-level vehicle. It does struggle a bit with engine performance and steering, but for what it is as an entry point to motoring, it's not a bad car to consider. You can't beat that ride comfort, and the infotainment is pretty decent.
