Ask any motoring enthusiast which company makes the strangest cars and you'll undoubtedly hear them mention Citroën. Their history with the weird and wonderful dates back many decades where experimentation was the name of the game. It's not necessarily a bad thing as this "out-of-the-box" thinking has led them to create some truly endearing machines and present technology that is often well ahead of its time.
Diesel engine passenger cars? Thanks, Citroën. Cornering headlights? Thanks, Citroën. Unibody construction, independent suspension and front-wheel-drive...? Thanks again, Citroën. Even self-levelling suspension is a technology developed and implemented by the French brand.
Its history in South Africa though is a troubled one. Poor aftersales service from an ill-formed dealer network saw the brand's reputation tarnished in the early 2000s and the brand struggled against the more popular, more reliable Japanese and German outfits that benefitted from local manufacturing plants.
Related: Citröen returns to SA with 3 new models!
Like a cat sitting at the back door, Citroën has been in and out of South Africa numerous times, the most recent exit was in 2016 and in late 2019, they decided that they would return. Admittedly, this is cause for concern for many who, looking to buy a new car, would shy away from the French firm amidst doubts of the brand's longevity locally. This though should be of no concern as the Citroën brand is backed by the PSA group who has made it clear that they will not be leaving us any time soon. Responsible for Peugeot, Citroën, Opel and Vauxhall (overseas) and having recently merged with FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles), PSA is fast becoming one of the larger automotive groups in the world.
And this brings us to one of their latest offerings on local soil; the Citroën C3.
Styling
The new Citroën C3 is a rather distinctive machine despite the fact that its proportions are rather traditional. If you were to see a silhouette of the Citroën C3 it would be easy to mistake it for something else, but with the lights turned on you can quickly identify it as such. This is because of the small styling cues that truly makes the C3 stand out.
The front-end arrangement sees the headlights placed smack, bang in the middle of the bumper with the grille resting higher up above. This grille is flanked by the LED Daytime Running Lights while driving/fog lamps rest in the lower section of the bumper, encased in contrasting, colourful surrounds. It's a strange, multi-tier arrangement that works surprisingly well.
The side is characterised by the Citroën Airbump panels, the thermoplastic polyurethane panel along the side of the car that effective forms automotive bubble wrap, protecting the sides from parking lot dents and scratches. The contrast created by the Airbump, body colour and contrasting wing mirror strikes an attractive image.
The rear is less inspired but still remains attractive, even if somewhat conventional in its design.
Drive
I had concerns over the direction that Citroën was headed when they launched the C4 Cactus mere months before they left South Africa in 2016. The driver ergonomics were all over the place and the suspension seemed woefully under-dampered for our local roads. The steering wheel was too far away from my chest and the pedals far too close. Getting these distances right resulted in me sitting completely upright which then posed the problem of visibility past the roof - and I'm not the tallest bloke out there.
Thankfully this has been addressed with the new C3 as has the dampering. I've always appreciated the ride quality from the French firms, there's something about their local cobblestone roads that sees them create cars with wonderfully compliant suspensions. Sadly this seems to have fallen by the wayside and brands like Renault are making their cars considerably firmer. Citroen is still holding the comfort flag high though and I found the suspension setup in the C3 to be rather agreeable, even if a little soft for the spirited driving one occasionally likes to partake in.
Performance
The Citroën C3 is available with a choice of two pocket-friendly engines, both measuring in at 1.2-litres. One benefits from a turbocharger and produces 81 kW and 205 Nm torque while the other has to make do without the forced induction and as a result, only produces 60 kW and 118 Nm. Our time was spent behind the wheel of the turbocharged variant and we couldn't help but think that the naturally aspirated 1.2-litre engine may prove to be a little lethargic up at altitude and is best in a coastal setting.
The 1.2-litre Feel version, without the turbo, sees drive sent through a 5-speed manual gearbox while the 1.2T Shine version (turbocharged) is mated to a 6-speed automatic. Our Shine example is said to be good for a 0 - 100 km/h time of 9.4-seconds and while brisk enough, we felt it suffered from a little lag when pulling away or crossing intersections as the small engine waited for the turbocharger to get up to speed.
Space and Comfort
It's not only the suspension that helps create the comfort inside the Citroën C3, the entire cabin is a stylish and comfortable place to spend some time. The high-density foam seats lack some lateral support but this then creates a level platform that allows all shapes and sizes to sit comfortably as they would on their living room couch.
The interior plastics are rather hard and unforgiving but they are only found in places where heavy traffic would see an upholstered trim wearing prematurely. The contact points are wrapped in a pleasant, soft-to-the-touch leatherette and the cabin design gives the impression of space and practicality. The dashes of colour and white inserts in the door bins help prevent the interior from appearing too sombre.
The C3 is a compact hatchback but despite this, the proportions are generous. 300-litres of boot space makes it rather practical too and at no point in time did it feel like the passengers were sitting on top of one another. Interior width measures in at a generous 1379 mm.
Safety
The safety of you and your passengers are also taken care of in the new C3 with a total of 6 airbags doing duty in the front, on the sides and as a curtain. ABS with EBD is standard as is Traction Control and Stability Control. Drivers will also benefit from Lane Departure Warning, Driver Attention Assist and Speed Limit Information. A tyre pressure monitoring system ensures that you're alerted to a tyre with low pressure or one that is losing pressure before it becomes a problem.
To ensure the safety and convenience of mounting your little one in their car seat, the rear features ISOFIX mountings on the outer seats.
Fuel Consumption
Both the turbocharged and naturally aspirated engines offer a very agreeable fuel consumption with Citrone claiming that the 1.2 Feel version will only consume 5.7 l/100km with a CO2 output of only 128 g/km. The turbocharged 1.2T Shine fares slightly worse but still does an admirable job with Citroën claiming 6.0 l/100km and a CO2 of 137 g/km.
Price
I always like to play the guessing game when it comes to testing cars. I'll spend some time with it and only then will I look at the price. This way I am able to gauge whether the car presents value for money or not. In the case of the C3 I was genuinely dumbfounded when I read the price. I was expecting prices in the region of R400 000 for the quality of the drive, the equipment level and the overall refinement. Imagine my surprise when I saw that the 1.2T Shine model costs a mere R299 900.
Furthermore, it's backed by a comprehensive 5-year / 100 000 km warranty and covered by a service plan of the same duration, 5-year / 100 000 km.
Verdict
I like to think that I'm well suited to offer an opinion on a French car. My first car was a French car so I understand them and because of this, I'm also more likely to give it a fair chance I believe. Too many are quick to jump on the bandwagon denounce a French car because of the stigma created at the turn of the Millenium. I believe those days are long gone and we should be taking a look at them and accurately weighing their merits.
As such, the Citroën C3 comes up a winner, presenting an interesting package at the same time. Some may stray from the C3 because of its styling, but one should never stray from it just because of the badge.
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