Citroen e-C3 review

It’s the electric version of Citroen’s bestselling car ever, the C3. Now in its fourth-generation, this is the first time it’s been available with an electric powertrain. It’s still available as a conventional petrol – click these blue words if it’s that you’re after.

The shape is apparently inspired by the Oli concept and it’s certainly far more SUV-like in appearance compared to its predecessor, from the skid plates to the wheel arches to the roof rails. But it’s by no means a bad looking car.

And it’s had quite the growth spurt too. At 1.57m high, it’s grown by nearly 100mm in height (and there’s now 62mm extra ground clearance), while it’s also 19mm longer and 6mm wider. Of course, this also means it’s roomier inside than before.

WHAT ARE THE HEADLINE FIGURES?

Well, the e-C3 is the first car to be based on Stellantis’ new ‘cost-efficient’ Smart Car platform. It gets a 111bhp electric motor good for 0-62mph in 10.4 seconds and a top speed of just 84mph, mated to a 44kWh lithium ferro phosphate battery pack for up to 199 miles of range. 

A 20 to 80 per cent top-up takes just over 25 minutes on a rapid DC charger, or a little over four hours using a home wallbox. That’s reduced to two hours 50 minutes using the optional 11kW onboard charger.

Not the most eye-catching headline stats then, but the real biggie is that prices start at just shy of £22k, and a cheaper, 124-mile version with a smaller battery is on its way too. Which is remarkably good value, when you consider that a Vauxhall Corsa Electric starts from around £27k, a Mini Cooper Electric from around £30k, and a Peugeot e-208 from around £31.5k. 

It's not quite as cheap as a Dacia Spring, which starts from around £15k (though it offers far less range), but it is further evidence that at long last electric car prices are falling.

SO WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

Comfort is the keyword here, with every e-C3 getting Citroen’s fancy advanced comfort suspension as standard. Full details can be found over on the Driving tab, but one of the things we’ve always liked about the C3 is it doesn’t try to be the best of both worlds. Citroen knows that it’s not going to be driven anywhere too keenly, and doesn’t waste any time trying to make it steer like a sports car.

And that’s just fine with us. It’s a family hatchback, for heaven’s sake. So think light but accurate steering, soft suspension that deals with any imperfections of the road comfortably, and a fair amount of pitch and roll. As you discover when you attempt to take a corner at speed, at which point you’ll accept the e-C3’s happy place is a more languid pace of life. But hey, at least you’ll make the range go further…

IS THE CABIN NOTEWORTHY?

Glad you asked, because it’s probably the most noteworthy thing about the car, actually. Citroen has had a go at reinventing the cabin in the C3, while retaining its comfort focused approach.

Take a look at the pictures above. Note the compact steering wheel. The head-up display in place of a traditional instrument cluster. The fabric-wrapped dashboard. The armchair-like seats. It’s certainly different.

It also gets labels, similar to those on your T-shirt, which say ‘have fun’, ‘be happy’, ‘feel good’, ‘be cool’ on the door cards. Yeah, weird. But overall, it’s rather nice. Click through to the Interior tab for the full breakdown.

There’s a lot to like about the Citroen e-C3. It retains all the qualities of petrol version, namely the fun looks and the impressive ride comfort, and above all else there’s the very attractive price tag. 

Because make no mistake, it’s aggressively affordable, particularly up against the like of its Stellantis stablemates including the Peugeot e-208 and Vauxhall Corsa Electric. And by and large it doesn’t feel cheap either, offering a relaxed drive, a comfortable cabin, and offers a decent real world range. Tick, tick and tick.

We think it’s the better option over the petrol version too, particularly as it will likely spend most of its time on the school run or nipping to the shops, where it feels very well suited. Its rivals should take note.