Citroen has made some of the best small city-focused cars throughout the year and has never really stopped developing its segment. C3 has been in production for more than 22 years and is now in the fourth generation, cementing itself as a favorite in the supermini segment. It comes with 113 hp and 120nm sent to the front wheels. 44kWh is the total capacity of the battery pack and its WLTP rating is 320km. From the front, the E-C3 is more sophisticated than the previous models, betting on a goofy design with round details. The front is very high and sits upright due to pedestrian safety standards, but it also allows for more aggressive styling and a more important road presence.
The Citroën logo is huge and placed prominently in the center of the grille. The sides are characterized by a complete lack of eccentricity and originality. The optional 17-inch wheels on the test vehicle look great. Despite being a larger size option, they still have a lot of rubber on them for a comfortable ride. The rear end of the new C3 again looks somewhat impressive with a huge logo along with a large taillight and a number of small accents. Overall, the E-C3 is readjustable, but stylish enough. Inside, the Citroen E-C3 is wonderfully simplified. All the buttons are big and easy to grasp. Unlike The interior of the E-C3 has a soft surface in all the areas you often touch, and it feels nice to sit down and use.
Especially considering the price range, the interior of the E-C3 is great, and in this valence interior, the Citroen E-C3 is wonderfully simplified. Every door has a different message written on its sill in bold red color. The driver display is actually a projection like a head-up display, not on the windshield itself. Below the central display is a small indented area with a cloth finish that can be used for storage. It's not fancy, but it comes practical for small items. In the center of the bottom of the dashboard is a climate control button. They are nice and simple, not integrated into the screen that is always welcome. Depending on the trim, you will get a heated seat and steering wheel, as well as a heated windscreen, which was an extra reserved for the most luxurious cars just a few years ago.
The center console starts with a large wireless charging pad, followed by 2 large cup holders. At the rear you barely find a funcional element. There are two USB-C outlets and that's almost it. Sadly, there is no armrest in the middle. There are 2 storage pockets on the back of the front seat. For smartphones there is one small one at the top, and for documents and small objects there is a large one at the bottom. Despite being a compact vehicle, the Citroen E-C3 can fit 4 adults with reasonable comfort. Our critic's high 1.95m (6'4") and fits behind his own seat. Sure, things are a bit cramped in terms of footwork, but the headroom is enough. For children or smaller adults the back seat is perfectly ok for all kinds of trips.
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The trunk of the Citroen E-C3 is the average of the segment. Overall the storage space of the E-C3 is abundant due to the size of the car and it can prove to be really practical in most situations. The seats are comfortable and large, allowing for easy access and excellent travel comfort. All controls are where you expect them to be no surprise. A little unfortunately, sitting behind the wheel of the Citroen E-C3, where the E-C3 can not choose the option with a keyless system, you feel nice from the beginning. It would have been nice at least top trim to get this extra stuff. The driving experience is normal for mini cars. The power is enough but not impressive, the steering feedback is minimal and the suspension is not a driver-focused car in the hope that it won't take over road defects, but the E-C3 handles all sorts of daily commutes well and can be your non-intrusive companion.
One thing we didn't like was the lack of one-pedal driving. You get recovery as standard, but often you find yourself needing to press on the brake pedal. To completely stop from low speed, you definitely need to brake with the pedal. On a positive note, it is very easy to disable the annoying driver aid. Even though there are no driving settings at all, the E-C3 has a quick button to disable lane keeping assist and traffic sign warning. We have explained why they are mandatory, but the way Citroen disables them is commendable. Instead of filling in some menu deep control, you just hold down the two buttons on the left side of the steering wheel and you're done. Until the next time you have to climb inside and repeat a certain procedure.
Overall, the whole experience of driving a Citroen E-C3 has been relaxing and unengaging. It is from point A to point without problems or excitement. The technology is really minimal in the Citroen E-C3. You get just the basics with nothing more. The driver display we mentioned earlier provides just a few readouts and not a consumption figure. Technically impressive, but a disaster in terms of ease of use. The center screen also has a basic feature set. But that's not a bad thing, because it makes the car simple and very easy to use. You will get a map with GPS that works fine.. With the Home menu, you can quickly access the phone's connectivity, media and navigation, which are virtually all the features that Infotainment offers, and the buttons are large and easy to read.
In the settings menu, you can hardly change anything. The interior of the E-C3 is quiet for the segment. It filters the surrounding sounds well, but the noise of tires and wind is very noticeable, especially at high speeds. Despite being louder than some rivals, there are no annoying or rattling sounds and it looks subjectively quieter. 113 hp does not exactly spell excellent acceleration. On the other hand, the brakes are impressive. The E-C3 took only 100m (0'34") to brake from 111km/h to 7". Better yet, E-C3 can immediately replicate its results multiple times in succession. It should also be noted that winter tires and slightly wet surfaces should occupy a longer braking distance, in comparison with the usual ideal conditions.
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Because there is no such readout inside, we were not able to do our normal range test on the Citroen e-C3. I drove the test vehicle at less than 200km, and the battery remained at less than 10%. Cars like the Renault 5 and Hyundai Instar achieve much higher mileage from a slightly larger battery. If the Citroen E-C3 does not have a large range on a single charge and often takes long trips, it really does not work for you. But the charging speed is good. You can't get the built-in cable from Fiat Grande Panda, but all the charging parameters are the same. Ideally, you will get 100kW CCS charge and 11kW AC charge. The Citroen E-C3 stands the ground with low pricing, good interior quality and easy operation.
This is an attractive product with minimal disadvantages and significant advantages, especially for the segment. The first and closest rival of the E-C3 is the Fiat Grande Panda. These 2 are identical in many aspects, but different enough to consider one over the other. Panda has more elaborate styling, more quirks inside and outside, and a built-in charging cable that leaves you more storage space on the back. The E-C3 features better materials inside and handles better, especially at higher speeds. The 2nd rival we chose is Hyundai Insta. It is slightly smaller in size and sits lower than the ground. Insta provides more customization and infotainment features, making it a more modern vehicle.
The material quality is once again on the E-C3, simplicity and price side as well.Citroen knows how to make compact cars!. And that is what is key for that segment. The E-C3 sells well in Europe and is becoming a common sight. It offers great value for money even if it could benefit from a more advanced infotainment and some optional comfort extras. A bigger battery option may have broadened its appeal, although it may have come at too high a price. So we should appreciate the Citroen E-C3 for what it is - an urban traveller that requires minimal efforts from your side. It is a more compelling product than the Dacia Spring but still affordable enough to be considered a bargain.
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