Our opinion on the Citroen C3
There was a change of approach with the arrival of the fourth-generation Citroen C3, with a ground-up redesign that incorporated Citroen’s new-found pursuit of driving comfort.
Combined with SUV-inspired styling, it means the C3 has been given a new lease of life, while attractive pricing means it offers great value for money, too. It’s not perfect, with an uninspiring driving experience and a range of low-powered drivetrains pegging it back a little, but that’s the trade-off for everyday comfort, while some cheaper materials in places remind you of its value-driven roots.
However, these shortcomings are easy to forgive when there’s a spacious supermini cabin and a decent range of standard kit. Keen prices and enticing finance deals help to make the C3 attractive, while the option of petrol, hybrid or fully electric powertrains offers more choice than in some rivals.
About the Citroen C3
Citroen has always stood for comfort, but it also scores big on value nowadays. That really hits home with the Citroen C3 supermini, and particularly with the all-electric Citroen e-C3 version. Of course, there are rivals such as the electric Dacia Spring and petrol-hybrid MG3 that are positioned to try and steal sales at the budget end of the market, but the C3 and e-C3 are more sophisticated propositions, and offer the flexibility of either a regular petrol powertrain or a zero-emissions set-up.
While the Citroen e-C3 offers so much for the money that it was worthy of our Car of the Year prize in 2024, the internal-combustion-engined versions can’t quite live up to the EV’s heights courtesy of a shortage of power.
Citroen C3 prices and latest deals
Affordable prices, plus some seriously competitive finance deals, mean the petrol C3 looks like a real bargain. The e-C3 is tightly priced too, with Stellantis stablemates such as the Peugeot E-208 and Vauxhall Corsa Electric being much more costly. Even the BYD Dolphin is around £10,000 more than the e-C3.
The petrol C3 with a manual transmission kicks off the range at around £19,000, while upgrading to Max spec will cost £1,500 extra. If you want an automatic gearbox, then your only option is the 108bhp petrol hybrid, which starts at around £21,200 for the Plus version, with the Max model costing £1,700 extra.
The all-electric Citroen e-C3 starts from around £20,000 with a 30kWh battery in Urban Range guise, while the Standard Range model starts from £22,100. The Standard Range is the only one that’s available in higher-spec Max trim, for £1,700 extra. It’s worth noting that the Government’s Electric Car Grant knocks £1,500 off the e-C3, no matter which version you choose.
You can spec your ideal Citroen C3 now on the Auto Express Buy a Car service and choose the best offer from dealers around the UK. There are used cars and leasing deals, too, and we can even help you to sell your car.
