Citroën C3

The competitive European B-segment forces all brands to fight for their share of sales. Since 2001 the Citroën C3 It is the representative in this segment for the French brand. It came as the natural replacement for the Citroën Saxo and the five-door Citroën C2. A model that has brought great sales to the house Citroën. The third generation alone accumulated more than 700.000 units sold throughout the old continent.

And it is that today The C3 is in the fourth of its generations. The last of them is presented in the fall of 2023, although its commercial stage does not start until the first half of 2024. Its launch introduces the small French model into a new electrified stage where its main objective is to democratize electric mobility. Units with a thermal engine are also available.

Technical characteristics of the Citroën C3

Beneath that typically French bodywork, the Citroën C3 It is the first model from the Stellantis conglomerate to enjoy the smallest platform of the house, called Smart Car. Later it will be used by other models belonging to the Peugeot and Opel brands. It is characterized by being developed for emerging markets, although in Europe it receives slight tweaks to adapt to safety and technology standards.

Due to its measurements, C3 is included within segment B, being larger than segment B. Citroën C1 and something smaller than Citroën C4 Cactus and that Citroen C3 Aircross, the SUV variant that will soon receive a similar update. That leaves us with some external measures of 4,01 meters long, 1,81 meters wide and 1,58 meters high. Minimal growth with respect to the outgoing generation.

At the moment, Citroën has not confirmed the wheelbase of its new utility vehicle, although it has detailed that its interior will have capacity for a maximum of five passengers. Three of them will be located in a narrow second row, suitable for two adults to ride in relative comfort. In terms of cargo space, the Citroën C3 offers a minimum volume of 350 liters. A great capacity if we take into account the measurements.

Mechanical range and gearboxes of the Citroën C3

As a good self-respecting utility, the Citroën C3 makes use of a short mechanical range, without fanfare, and Mainly designed for urban environments and short and medium routes. The big news of the fourth generation is the arrival of a 100% electric version called ë-C3. Such is its importance that the French house launches it first. Its autonomy and cost make it one of the most reasonable electric cars on the market.

Mechanically, it has a single motor installed on the front axle that offers a maximum performance of 113 horsepower. It is associated with an LFP (Lithium ferrophosphate) battery with a gross capacity of 44 kWh. Thanks to her The ë-C3 is capable of homologating a range of up to 320 kilometers in the WLTP cycle. For recharging, it has feeders of up to 100 kW in direct current and up to 11 kW in alternating current.

Later, in 2024, Citroën will launch the rest of the mechanical versions for the new C3 family. For now the presence of the 110-horsepower PureTech turbocharged three-cylinder engine with six-speed manual transmission. Unfortunately it will not offer any type of electrification, so it will have the DGT C label. As part of the French brand's new mechanical strategy, diesel units disappear from the market.

Equipment of the Citroën C3

Practicality and functionality. The smaller segments of the market choose to provide correct but very useful equipment for daily chores. The Citroën C3 does not show great luxuries. Inside we find materials of not excessive quality, mainly hard plastics that are accompanied by fabric surfaces.

Despite the recent commercial launch, Citroën has already specified which finishes will be available during the first sales phases, all of them corresponding to the ë-C3 version. From lowest to highest endowment we find the You and Max levels. The main differences between them lie in the base equipment, although we can also observe discrepancies in aesthetics and finishes.

As part of the C3 evolution program, The French utility vehicle renews its technological equipment for its fourth generation. Thanks to this, you can have elements such as a 10,25-inch multimedia system touch screen, connectivity for mobile devices, digital instrument panel, parking cameras, climate control, keyless entry and start and a complete security package and assistants. driving.

The Citroën C3 in video

The Citroën C3 of Km 0 and Second Hand

It should be remembered that the Citroën C3 has been on the market since 2001. In addition, it should not be overlooked that the European B-segment is one of the most popular of all, with high sales volumes. These two facts mean that there is a large quantity of C3 for sale in the second-hand and used channels. We find disparity of versions and vintages, starting from a minimum price of around 600 euros.

Despite what it may seem, the percentage of depreciation of the C3 is average. Second-hand channels always demand B-segment models and these keep prices relatively high. Something similar happens in the Km 0 channel, where we also find many units for sale. Being an easy-to-sell model, dealers accumulate many units in stock.

The Citroën C3 and its rivals

The Citroën C3 is not alone in this competitive segment. As we have already said, it is the second most popular segment in sales in the European market. There are many brands that bid on it, although in this case we have to focus on general brands and models, Well, they are, due to their size and sale price, the first rivals of the C3. We can highlight illustrious names such as Peugeot 208, Renault Clio, Seat Ibiza, Opel Corsa, Hyundai i20, KIA Rio, Ford Fiesta y Nissan Micra, among many others.

Highlight

• low consumption
• Affordable price
• ride comfort

To improve

• rear habitability
• Interior materials
• short mechanical range

Citroen C3 prices

The idea of ​​the C3 is to be practical and cheap. Cheap in use and maintenance, and also affordable in terms of sales prices. Since at the moment only the electric version has been presented, The starting price of the Citroën C3 is 23.800 euros, without offers or promotions, for the ë-C3 electric model. An amount that places it as the cheapest electric vehicle in terms of price-range. Later, in 2024, rates for the rest of the range with combustion engines will be presented.

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