Citroën ë-C3 review

In a world where electric cars are often defined by dizzying performance figures, super-long ranges and ultra-rapid charging, the Citroën ë-C3 is a welcome breath of fresh air, instead championing simplicity and affordability.

This is Citroën's smallest and cheapest electric car (discounting the minuscule Citroën Ami, which isn't technically a car at all) yet it has a surprisingly roomy interior and can officially travel almost 200 miles between charges.

"Cheap" is a relative word, of course, and the Citroën ë-C3 does cost more to buy than the Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03. However, they're tiny in comparison and have much shorter ranges.

Citroën ë-C3 vs rivals video review

Indeed, the ë-C3 is a much closer rival to the Renault 5 and Hyundai Inster, both or which are more expensive. And while the similar-sized BYD Dolphin Surf is available for less money, that's only if you're happy with a small battery an a paltry range between charges.

So how do we rate the Citroën ë-C3 against the best electric car rivals? Read on to find out...

The Citroën ë-C3 has a 43.7kWh (usable capacity) battery that’s good for an official range of up to 200 miles. That's about the same as a BYD Dolphin Surf Boost and a few miles further than a Renault 5 Urban Range.

However, in our real-world testing, the ë-C3's disappointing efficiency of between 3.5 and 3.8 miles per kWh means a range of 155-170 miles is more realistic – or even less in wintery weather conditions.

The 43.2kWh battery versions of the Dolphin Surf can deliver better real-world efficiency and a slightly longer range, while the Renault 5 Urban Range uses its energy in an even more efficient manner, although its smaller battery (40kWh) means its real-world range is similar to the ë-C3's.

With a 111bhp electric motor driving its front wheels, performance isn't as electric as you might be hoping. We managed a 0-60mph time of 10.4 seconds, compared with 9.0 seconds in the Renault 5 Urban Range and 8.0 seconds in the most powerful (Comfort) version of the Dolphin Surf.

So the ë-C3 isn't as quick as many rivals – but it's still plenty nippy enough up to about 50mph. It’s also easy to build speed smoothly thanks to a linear, well-calibrated accelerator pedal. And while the brakes can be a bit grabby, making it hard to slow down smoothly, we have similar criticisms about the brakes in the Dolphin Surf and Renault 5.

Soft suspension makes for a supple high-speed ride so you can waft along a motorway in relative comfort. Things tend to get a bit bouncy on rural roads with lots of undulations, though, and the ë-C3 isn't as settled around town as some rivals, including the Renault 5. 

There's a much bigger difference when it comes to handling. While the Renault 5 feels light on its toes and eager to change direction, the softer ë-C3 is much happier going in a straight line. In tight corners you'll notice plenty of body roll, and the light steering and tiny steering wheel conspire to rob you of confidence.

In short, the Dolphin Surf, Hyundai Inster and Renault 5 offer a more impressive ride and handling balance. At least the ë-C3 is fairly quiet: it drums up a bit less tyre noise than the Renault 5 and wind noise isn't too bad at a 70mph cruise.

“The Citroën ë-C3’s official 0-62mph time of 10.4 seconds may not look impressive but I didn't find acceleration too sluggish.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

The interior of the Citroën ë-C3 isn't exactly plush but it doesn't feel too austere either. While plenty of hard plastics are on show (more than in a BYD Dolphin Surf, Hyundai Inster or Renault 5) it feels more upmarket inside than a Dacia Spring or Leapmotor T03.

You even get what Citroën calls a "head-up display" – although that's stretching the definition because it's not the sort you get on pricier cars, where information is beamed on to the windscreen.

In the ë-C3 it simply means there's a digital driver’s display integrated into the dashboard above the small oblong steering wheel. None of our testers had a problem seeing the display over the top of the wheel, although the unusual arrangement does feel a bit unnatural and you sit relatively high up in the car.

Combined with tall side windows and relatively narrow pillars, visibility is generally good. Rear parking sensors come as standard, while the top-spec Max models gain a rear-view camera.

Fortunately, there are proper physical knobs and buttons for controlling the air-conditioning settings. They're quite low down on the dashboard so it's a bit of a stretch to adjust them, but they're still preferable to air-con controls on the touchscreen, which you get in many new cars.

Talking of the touchscreen, it measures 10.3in and has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. It's not as easy to use or sophisticated as the one in an Inster or Renault 5 but it does the job.

Our only real gripe is that there's sometimes a lengthy pause between you pressing the touchscreen and the infotainment system responding.

“I found the ë-C3's oblong-shaped steering wheel fine to hold when driving in a straight line but a bit awkward to use when turning in to corners.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

The Citroën ë-C3 obviously isn't the biggest car on the road but there’s still plenty of head and leg room up front, with enough elbow room to prevent awkward elbow-bashing with your passenger.

The news is just as positive in the back – you'll find more head room than in a BYD Dolphin Surf or Renault 5, and there's far more leg room than in the latter. Translation? Even taller adults can sit in the back of the ë-C3 without feeling cramped.

You can technically carry five people but the three in the rear will be squeezed together like sardines in a tin. The Dolphin Surf has only two seatbelts in the back so it's limited to four occupants in total.

We managed to slot five carry-on suitcases into the ë-C3's 310-litre boot below the parcel shelf, which is one more than we squeezed into the boot of a Hyundai Inster or Renault 5.

There was even some space leftover for a small soft bag and the charging cable. That's a good thing because there's no hidden storage compartment under the boot floor or under the bonnet, so the charging cable has to go in with the rest of your luggage.

When you need more storage space, you can drop the ë-C3's rear seat back in a 60/40 split. When folded down they leave a step in the floor of the extended load bay, because there's no height-adjustable boot floor. There's a hefty lip at the boot entrance too.

“On paper, the ë-C3's boot is only fractionally larger than a Dolphin Surf's but I found it much more usable.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

The Citroën ë-C3 has a lower starting price than the Hyundai Inster and Renault 5. In fact, the only electric cars that cost less to buy outright are the BYD Dolphin Surf, Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03.

That isn't necessarily the case if you're signing up to a PCP finance agreement, though. The Renault 5's slower depreciation means it can actually work out slightly cheaper per month, although that could change depending on the interest rates and deposit contributions each manufacturer offers.

Just two trims are offered: Plus and Max. The Plus model gets the basics, including touchscreen infotainment, manual air-conditioning and rear parking sensors, and we think it offers the best value for money.

Max is tempting though because it adds tinted rear windows, automatic climate control, wireless phone-charging, a rear-view camera, electric rear windows, electrically folding and heated door mirrors and automatic high-beam assist for the headlights. 

Either way, the ë-C3 can theoretically accept up to 100kW from a suitably powerful public EV charger, which is quicker than an equivalent Inster or Renault 5 and means a 20-80% charge can take as little as 26 minutes.

However, in our tests charging took considerably longer than that. We waited 39 minutes for a 19-80% top-up. At the same time and location a Renault 5 Urban Range went from 17-80% in 28 minutes and a Dolphin Surf Comfort went from 29-80% in 25 minutes.

In terms of reliability, Citroën fared well in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, finishing seventh out of 31 brands in the overall league table. That should be good news for owners, although we don't yet have specific data for the ë-C3 yet.

Citroën gives you a standard three-year, 60,000-mile warranty on most components. That's on a par with the Renault 5, but both the Dolphin Surf and Inster have longer warranties. The ë-C3's drive battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles, with a guarantee that it will be refurbished or replaced if it drops below 70% of it's original capacity.

The ë-C3 hadn't been appraised by the safety experts at Euro NCAP at the time of writing, but as standard it comes with lane-keep assistance, speed-limit recognition, a driver attention alert system and automatic emergency braking (AEB).

"I find it quite novel the ë-C3 comes with either a black or white roof finish as standard and that you can opt to have it body-coloured as a no-cost option. Usually it’s the other way around." – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

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