February - The Brief – Citroen C3

On sale from January 15th

• The all new model is still instantly recognisable as a Citroen C3; no bad thing as the last incarnation did little wrong, but not many people actually knew that it existed.

• The exterior design is less cute than before, deliberately to try to attract a larger slice of the male side of the species that buy supermini models.

• A five door only, the 3 door offering will be the DS3 – a much sexier MINI-like model that will follow shortly.

• All but the base model feature the Zenith windscreen which stretches the screen to way over the driver’s head and results in the cabin being bathed in natural light. A gimmick? Possibly, but it does work well and the sensation of drving around in a goldfish bowl doesn’t last long.

• The interior is a very comfortable place to be. The materials used in its construction are much higher quality than before, following the trend set by the other new models that have been lauched as part of the new model offensive, the C5 and C4 Picasso ranges.

• The current small car offering from Citroen is slightly confused. Offering the current C3 alongside the slightly smaller C2 and the even more compact C1 never seemed to work. The role of the new C3 will be easier to understand, but the recently launched (and well regarded) C3 Picasso may have reduced the opportunity for a versatile 5 door hatch even more.


Verdict – the C3 lacks the striking looks of the Ford Fiesta or the obvious solidity of the new VW Polo, but it is a very capable compact car (remembering that the downsizing trend is now a reality), and an interesting alternative to the class leaders.

JK - Feb 2010