Citroën C3 review

Not sure whether to get a small car or an SUV? The Citroën C3 could free you from your dilemma by letting you (sort of) have both.

You see, Citroën classes the C3 as a small car, but while the previous C3 actually looked like a small car, this fourth-generation model is taller, boxier and available with roof rails, skid plates and two-tone body styling. In other words, some SUV style.

Better still, the C3's pumped-up looks haven't pumped up the price. Citroën has managed to keep pricing at small-car levels by using its new Smart Car platform, which allows for 30% fewer components and consequently lower production costs. The same underpinnings are used for the fully electric Citroën ë-C3.

In a market where prices have continued to creep up in recent years, that's good news, but the C3 will still have its work cut out to compete against the best small cars and its closest rivals including the Renault Clio, Skoda Fabia and Suzuki Swift.

What’s new?

- April 2025 - C3 hybrid goes on with mild hybrid technology. Fuel consumption is improved by 5.6mpg and CO2 reduced by 14g/km over petrol models
- September 2024 - New C3 goes on sale with 99bhp 1.2-litre engine and two trim levels. A 10in touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are among highlights

The Citroën C3 range kicks off with a 99bhp 1.2-litre engine called the Turbo 100. It’s our recommend choice because it’s punchy around town with enough grunt to keep up with faster-moving traffic on motorways (0-62mph takes 10.8 seconds). It comes with a six-speed manual gearbox with a smooth and precise shift. 

If you want an automatic gearbox you'll need the 108bhp Hybrid 110, which is a mild-hybrid with a small electric motor to assist the petrol engine. It’s a little pokier, with 0-62mph in 9.8 seconds, and can run on electric power alone for short distances. It switches between petrol and electric power reasonably smoothly but the auto gearbox can be jerky at low speeds.

The ride can be jerky too, which isn’t what you might expect from a Citroën car model. Most have a soft ride but the C3 is firmer and not quite as forgiving. You’re jostled around at low speeds and it has a tendency to thump over pronounced ridges in the road.

The ride does improve as the speed builds and it’s not unduly bouncy over dips and crests like a typical Citroën, but the Skoda Fabia is a much more comfortable alternative.

The Fabia is also more refined. In the C3 you’re aware of the engine buzzing the gear lever and pedals at low revs, road noise on motorways, and pronounced thwacks from the suspension over poor surfaces.

The C3 is an easy car to drive, with light steering in town and plenty of grip on faster country roads. But is it fun to drive? No, not really. When you really push the C3 in bends there’s a fair amount of body lean and the steering doesn’t build weight predictably as the speed builds. For something with more precision and dynamic sparkle, try a Renault Clio or Seat Ibiza. 

“Although the C3 Hybrid 110 will run on electric power for a little bit, I found that unless I was very gentle with the accelerator the petrol engine would cut in.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

The Citroën C3's interior is not what you'd call luxurious, and most of the materials inside are hard and unforgiving – although that's not usual at this price point. The Suzuki Swift has similarly hard plastics throughout, but at least the C3 mixes things up with simple additions like the fabric trim across the dashboard. It helps lift the ambience a little. 

The C3's digital driver's display is really easy to see over the steering wheel, and actions you'll do often, such as adjusting the temperature settings, are simple when you're driving because there are plenty of proper buttons, rather than touchscreen controls.

The 10.3in touchscreen on the dashboard is a respectable size for cars at this end of the price range (the Kia Picanto gets a screen measuring just 8in). The only negatives are that the touchscreen’s definition isn’t super-sharp and the software sometimes takes a moment to load.

As far as equipment goes, the C3's infotainment system has all you could reasonably need, including wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and a six-speaker stereo. The top Max trim adds sat-nav and wireless phone-charging.

Hybrid 110 versions come with a front centre armrest, while all C3's have a softly cushioned driver’s seat that’s generally very comfortable. If you have any back issues, though, the lack of adjustable lumbar support might cause you a problem.

You sit higher up than in most small cars – including the Hyundai i10 and the Picanto – and even some small SUVs (the Skoda Kamiq for example).

That height helps with visibility, and it’s easy to see out of the C3 to the front and sides, but the wide rear pillars slightly hamper your view out of the back. That's not really a problem though: every C3 has rear parking sensors, and top-spec Max trim adds a rear-view camera.

“It's pretty easy to see out of the C3, and I found it’s boxy shape meant I could see the end of the bonnet while parking.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

The Citroën C3 holds its own on interior space against other small cars. In the front there's plenty of head and leg room, and even though the interior is narrow you won’t be knocking elbows with your passenger.

Things are tighter in the rear seats: six-footers should be just about content with the leg and head room available but it’ll be tight if the front seats are slid fully back. Also, you’ll struggle to fit three adults across the back seat – it's technically possible but will be a proper squeeze.

On the plus side, the tall side windows make it feel airy. Need more room with spending more? Then check out the (even cheaper) Dacia Sandero.

Storage is adequate in the C3. The front door bins are a decent size, the cubby below the touchscreen is generous, and rear-seat passengers are treated to nifty little phone pockets. 

There’s nothing nifty when it comes to seating flexibility though. Like most small cars, the C3 has a basic 60/40 split-folding rear seat. It’s only the Honda Jazz (with its flip-up rear-seat bases) that offers more flexibility. Some small SUVs – including the Renault Captur and Volkswagen T-Cross – come with sliding rear seats.

Most small SUVs have bigger boots too. The C3’s boot is fairly average by small-car standards at 310 litres, which is enough for a typical family’s weekly shop. That beats the Suzuki Swift (265 litres) but the Renault Clio has up to 301 to 391 litres depending on the engine.

While it’s a decent size, the C3’s boot has no height-adjustable boot floor, which is available with some of the competition. Plus, the high load lip makes it less accessible.

“Yes, there are roomier cars in this class but I find that the C3 feels airier in the back than most of them because of its big windows.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

The starting price for the Citroën C3 is one of its key selling points, and makes it one of the cheaper small cars you can buy. Sure, a Kia Picanto undercuts it but that’s a lot less spacious. And while a Skoda Fabia is roomier inside and more polished to drive, it’s much pricier.

The C3 is relatively cheap to run too. The Turbo 100 officially averages just over 50mpg while the Hybrid 110 averages more than 55mpg. In the real world we didn’t quite hit that figure (as is the case with most official figures) but we weren’t far off – it averaging just over 50mpg.

If you want significantly better fuel economy you'll need to look at a full hybrid such as a Renault Clio E-Tech or Toyota Yaris Cross. They can push 60mpg if you drive carefully.

There’s also the Citroën ë-C3 electric car, which is a good choice if you mostly do town or city driving and can save money by using a home EV charger or if you get it as a company car.

Back to the petrol C3... It's available in a choice of two trims. Entry-level Plus is our choice because it comes with a good amount of goodies for a lose price. Kit includes touchscreen infotainment, 17in alloy wheels, electrically folding and heated wing mirrors, roof bars, automatic wipers, LED headlights, air-conditioning and rear-parking sensors.

Max trim adds even more equipment and is worth considering if you fancy additions such as LED rear lights, rear privacy glass, automatic climate control, wireless phone-charging, a rear-view camera and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror.

We can't tell you how safe the C3 will be yet because it hasn't been tested by Euro NCAP but it comes with lane-keep assist, speed-limit recognition, a driver attention alert system and automatic emergency braking (AEB).

Similarly, reliability is an unknown because the latest C3 is too new to have featured in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey. That said, Citroën as a brand ranked seventh out of 31 manufacturers, which is a confidence-inspiring result.

All Citroën car models come with a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty. It’s worth noting that all Hyundais come with a five-year warranty, Kias have seven-year warranties, and Toyotas are covered for up to 10 years.

“I think Plus trim has all the kit most people would expect but I can understand why you’d be tempted by the additional goodies you get with Max trim.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

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