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WEEKEND ROADTEST: New Citroen C3 1.6HDi 90bhp Exclusive 5-Door
publication date: Dec 19, 2009
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author/source: David Miles
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On television screens now with pre-launch Christmas and
New Year holiday period advertising campaign and on sale from the 15th
January, the new Citroen C3 five door ‘supermini’ has the external
styling cues of its predecessor but inside things have definitely
changed for the better.
Bear in mind the new C3 has to sell against the likes of the best
selling Ford Fiesta, the Vauxhall Corsa and now the brand new and class
leading Volkswagen Polo to name just three. The three door versions,
called DS3 follows early next year
But the latest C3 is not just a face-lift model; Citroen made the
decision to keep with the general style which sold over two million
units since its launch in 2002, but generally it is a new car.
At 3,940mm in length, 1,730mm in width and 1,510mm in height the new C3
has roughly the same overall proportions of the outgoing model. It has
a short and steeply rising bonnet, large frontal glass area, low glass
line to the sides and a bulbous roof. The styling now includes a more
noticeable trapezoidal front grille and an eye-catching design for the
headlight clusters giving increased road presence and a purposeful
look.
Side styling treatment includes a low waistline and instead of black
rubbing strips on the doors as used for the previous C3 there are now
contoured styling lines pressed into the metal. At the chunky rear
there is a wide opening tailgate giving access to a deep and wide
300-litre boot. But the high rear sill doesn’t make loading easy for
heavy items and although the rear seats do fold down, they do not fold
flat so leaving a step in the load floor.
The modern day family car is mainly about packaging, maximum space in
the minimum size but front seat passengers in the new C3 have lots of
space and rear seat occupants should be quite happy with the leg and
headroom. The seats look comfortable and supportive but feel less so
after a long journey. The ride though is comfortable and the suspension
generally copes well. Perhaps it is a bit soft at the front end and the
rear system can cause the car to skip sideways when a rear wheel falls
into a big hole. There is also some wind and tyre noise intrusion.
With the low waistline, huge glass area relative to the size of the car
and the Zenith panoramic sunroof for VTR+ and Exclusive versions, the
interior is light, airy and the visibility all round is first class.
Also first class and the most notable first impression about the new C3
is the huge improvement in the design of the interior trim. It looks
more expensive, it generally feels of high quality, it is more
sculptured and it looks ‘posh’, certainly a higher level in style and
quality over other popular ‘superminis’. I can see this feature being a
big selling point for retail customers – that and the final negotiated
price of course.
The new C3 is offered in Citroën’s three core trim levels, VT, VTR+ and
Exclusive - with a Special Edition Airdream+ that emits just 99g/km of
CO2 available to order now for delivery from March 2010.
The entry-level VT models feature generous levels of standard equipment
including an MP3-compatible radio/CD player with steering mounted
controls, electrically adjustable door mirrors, front electric windows
and a multi-function on-board trip computer.
At the heart of the range, the likely best selling VTR+ trim gains the
panoramic Zenith windscreen, air-conditioning, 15-inch alloy wheels,
front fog lights, leather steering wheel and cruise control with speed
limiter.
The range-topping Exclusive models offers premium levels of design and
comfort with additional equipment such as digital air-conditioning,
front and rear ‘one-touch’ electric windows, electrically folding and
heated door mirrors, part-Alcantara upholstery, 16-inch alloy wheels
and dark tinted rear windows.
The Special Edition Airdream+ will be Citroën’s first production model
to emit less than 100g/km of CO2 and represents the greenest choice for
the environmentally conscious motorist. Based on the VTR+ trim level,
it gains two additional features as standard - rear parking sensors and
Bluetooth connectivity.
On the downside ESP, electronic stability programme is standard on just
one 1.6-litre HDi 110bhp model and available as a £300 option on other
Exclusive specification versions but not on any other models. This is a
big own-goal for Citroen as ESP has to be fitted as standard to gain a
Euro NCAP five star safety rating, the new C3 gets only four stars and
so does not match its main selling competitors.
Prices start at just £10,790 for the entry-level 1.1i 61hp VT petrol
model, rising to £16,140 for the range-topping 1.6HDi 110hp 6-speed
manual Exclusive. At the heart of the model line-up, offering an
excellent balance of value and equipment, VTR+ models start at £12,690
for the petrol versions and £13,790 for the HDi-powered equivalent. The
low CO2 Airdream version will cost £14,490.
Talking of engine options the new C3 is initially offered with the
choice of four petrol engines and three HDi diesels, with a Special
Edition Airdream+ 1.6HDi 90hp unit with CO2 emissions of 99g/km coming
soon.
The three HDi diesels are; 1.4HDi 8V 70hp, 1.6HDi 16V 90hp and 1.6HDi
16V 110hp - all emit 115g/km of CO2 or less. The 1.6HDi 16V 110hp and
the 1.6HDi 16V 90hp Euro V engines (the latter being specified in the
Airdream+), are fitted with Citroën’s lauded DPFS (Diesel Particulate
Filter System).
The four petrol engines are; 1.1i 8V 61hp, 1.4i 8V 75hp, 1.4 16V VTi
95hp and 1.6 16V VTi 120hp - emit between 134g/km and 158g/km of CO2.
The VTi 95hp and VTi 120hp are from Citroën’s family of refined and
economical BMW co-developed power-plants.
For drivers keeping a close eye on their fuel costs, the new C3
delivers excellent combined cycle fuel economy of up to 48.7mpg for
petrol models and 74.3mpg for diesel-powered versions.
All engines are mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, apart from the
1.6HDi 16V 110hp, which has a 6-speed manual transmission. The 1.6 VTi
120hp is offered with a choice of either 5-speed manual or 4-speed
automatic transmissions.
Because the C3 is predominately a retail customer car, most sales will
be taken up by the petrol engines but with the significant move to
down-size and pay less tax some fleet and company car drivers will find
their annual high mileage driving will be better suited to the very
economical, less tax incurring, but more expensive to buy diesel
versions. |
First impressions | | |
To get myself behind the wheel of a new C3 before the
public launch Citroen kindly supplied a 1.6HDi 90bhp Exclusive version
priced at £15,190.
This is not likely to be the most popular model but
I would go for the Exclusive trim level because it just looks and feels
so good.
I also liked this particular 90bhp diesel engine because it is
fuel frugal, 54.8mpg on test, officially it will average 65.7mpg, but
with CO2 emissions of 110g/km it costs only £35 a year for road tax and
a company car driver will pay a very reasonable 13% Benefit in Kind
tax. | | The 215Nm of torque from just 1,750rpm made the C3 feel very
responsive at low to medium speed driving despite the long-legged final
drive gear ratio needed for the low emission rating. There is much
to like about the new Citroen C3, it is not perfect and the competition
is fierce, but knowing that Citroen are aggressive with their showroom
deals it looks a possible winner. To see more, watch the
television commercials this Christmas and New Year because they will
make better viewing that the usual load of ‘repeats’ we will have to
endure. Happy motoring in 2010. | |  | |
| MILESTONES | Citroen C3 1.6HDi 90bhp Exclusive 5-Door £15,190.
Engine/transmission:
1.6-litre, four cylinder, high pressure direct injection turbodiesel,
90bhp, 215Nm of torque from 1,750rpm, 5-speed manual.
Performance:
112mph, 0-62mph 11.3 seconds, 65.7mpg combined cycle (54.8mpg actual on
test), CO2 110g/km, VED road tax £35, BIK tax 13%.
Dimensions: L 3,941mm, W 1,728mm, H 1,538mm, boot space 300-litres. Insurance group: 4E.
For:
Improved quality, plush high class interior, light and airy cabin with
good visibility, mainly well equipped, comfortable ride, fuel and tax
friendly, easy to live with.
Against: No ESP as standard on all
models, seats lack support, steering short on feedback, wind and tyre
noise intrusion, deep potholes unsettle the handling. | | © David Miles |
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