Car Reviews Reviews

2022 Citroen C3 Review

Written by Parichay Malvankar

Citroen is bringing its second product to the Indian market in the form of the C3. The C3 offers the same quirky styling as its bigger sibling, the C5 Aircross. The new hatchback will also be based on Citroen’s new CMP platform. The C3 is an important product for Citroen. The company announced that it would also launch an all-electric compact car. This new-electric car will use the C3 as the base platform. Until then, Citroen’s second product, the C3, will go up against Tata Punch, Maruti Suzuki Ignis, Renault Kiger and Nissan Magnite.

Citroen C3 – Variants, Colours & Customisation Packs

The Citroen C3 will be available in two variants – Live and Feel. The Live may be the base model in the C3’s lineup, but it still comes well-equipped. On the other hand, the range-topping Feel variant gets all the bells and whistles. Furthermore, it also gets an additional engine option. There will be a total of two powertrain options – PureTech 82 and PureTech 110. The PureTech 82 is available in both, Live and Feel variants.

The Citroen C3 will get a host of colour options to choose from. In total, it gets four monotone colours and six dual-tone colours. The monotone colours are – Zesty Orange, Polar White, Platinum Grey and Steel Grey. Meanwhile, the dual-tone options are – Polar White / Zesty Orange Roof, Polar White / Platinum Grey Roof, Platnium Grey / Zesty Orange Roof, Steel Grey / Zesty Orange Roof, Steel Grey / Platinum Grey Roof and also Zesty Orange / Platinum Grey Roof. 

In addition to this, there will also be three customisation packs on offer. These customisation packs add contrasting elements to the exterior of the car. The three customisation packs are – Zesty Orange, Platinum Grey and Chrome.

Citroen C3 – Design Highlights

The Citroen C3 follows the company’s hallmark design language and also gets an SUV-inspired stance. The company’s designer says the C3 is a “B-segment car with SUV codes”. Hence, though the C3 is a compact vehicle, it gets more than one SUV-inspired touch. These include black plastic wheel arches and silver skid plates at the front.

The front end also houses a split headlight design. The grille, which also has the large Citroen logo, merges with the headlights. The two-slat chrome grille’s upper slat merges with the side turn indicators. At the same time, the lower slat merges with the main headlight housing. The main headlight unit houses a reflector-type headlight unit and also an LED DRL. Lower down, the foglight housing is available in a contrasting Zesty Orange colour theme. The same is present on the rear view mirrors and the roof. It is a part of the three available customisation packages.

On the sides, you see the black plastic cladding on the doors and the wheel arches. The front door’s plastic cladding also has the Citroen trademark contrasting housing. The C3 also gets roof rails as standard. Overall, it is clear the design draws inspiration from an SUV.

At the rear of the C3, the first thing that catches your eyes is the big Citroen logo on the tailgate. The taillights also have a wraparound design and extend to the sides of the C3. The lower bumper of the C3 gets lots of black plastic cladding. On either side, you also get reflectors with contrasting housing. 

Citroen C3 – Interior Highlights

The interior design of the C3 carries the same bold SUV design cues as the exterior. The dashboard of the C3 stretches from end to end and accentuates the width of the car. The centre dashboard offers a large 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment display. The infotainment also supports Citroen Connect, which lets users utilise the Mirror Screen technology. This allows users to mirror their smartphones’ functions onto the car’s infotainment. Furthermore, the high-definition screen is also compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Both the variants also get a digital instrument cluster as standard. 

Like the exteriors, the interior trim is also available in 2 customisable trims. These two trims are – Anodized Orange and Anodized Grey. The two trims change the dashboard’s trim to a more subtle grey colour or add visual pop thanks to the orange colour. 

The Citroen C3 will also offer a lot of space for the occupants. The front occupants get a 991 mm headroom. While at the rear, the C3 offers shoulder room of 1,378 mm. In addition to this, to help cater to the customers’ luggage needs, the Citroen C3 offers a 315-litre boot space. The rear seats also fold flat, helping carry even more luggage when needed. 

Citroen C3 – Powertrain

The Citroen C3 will come with two engine options – PureTech 82 and PureTech 110. The former uses a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated 3-cylinder engine, while the latter uses a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbo-petrol motor. The PureTech 82 produces 82 PS of power at 5,750 rpm. Meanwhile, the max torque is 115 Nm at 3,750 rpm. The PureTech 110 may be the same size as the PureTech 82, but it benefits from a turbocharger. The turbo-petrol motor produces 110 PS at 5,500 rpm and 190 Nm of torque at 1,750 rpm. 

The gearbox options differ on the two engines. However, there is only a manual gearbox available on both of them. The PureTech 82 uses a 5-speed manual gearbox, while the PureTech 110 gets a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Citroen claims a fuel efficiency of 19.8 kmpl for the PureTech 82. At the same time, the company claims the PureTech 110 will deliver up to 19.4 kmpl.

Citroen C3 – Safety Features

The French manufacturer equips the C3 with all the necessary safety features across the range. These include ABS and front driver and passenger-side airbags. In addition to this, reverse parking sensors will also be available on both the Live and Feel variants. Other standard safety features include Engine Immobiliser, a Child lock for the rear doors and a High-speed alert system.

Citroen C3 – Warranty, RSA & AMC

To ensure a hassle-free ownership experience, the French manufacturer offers a standard warranty of 2 years or 40,000 km on the C3. Additionally, Citroen is also offering 24×7 Roadside Assistance services. In addition to this, Citroen says there will also be extended warranty and maintenance packages on offer. However, Citroen has not provided details for the same. The additional packages will be available through Citroen’s dealerships. 

Also Read: Citroen C3 Vs. Tata Punch – Specification Comparison