C3 better on the big screen
2010-03-01
Some of you might remember an article written by Glen Hill under the headline “C3 screened”.
In case you’ve forgotten, it appeared on the front page of autodealer in November last year, following the international launch in Italy of Citroën’s B-segment C3.
To recap, Glen’s general view was that if Citroën SA were to get the pricing right locally, it might have a class-leader on its hands. Now that the car has landed in SA, complete with details of its pricing, range and features, perhaps class-leading was a little optimistic. A more apt description now portrays the C3 as competitive - although not mouth-wateringly so.
Pricing aside, it’s certainly worth a look, and is easily one of the most attractive, stylish and chic vehicles to enter the local market in recent times.
Unfortunately for Citroën, the C3 will have to swim upstream in waters already occupied by the ever-popular VW Polo (itself brand new), Ford Fiesta, Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris. Not only are these all highly lauded and very popular cars they, also, according to a humbled Citroën presentation, scoff no less than 70% of the segment pie, leaving only crumbs…
Citroën, however, has a few tricks up its sleeve.
The first of these is its progressively tinted Zenith windscreen (standard on 1.4 Seduction and 1.6 Exclusive derivatives). It looks great and elevates the interior’s ambience to a level of funkiness its competitors simply cannot shake a stick at. It also brightens the cabin tremendously and provides a much improved view of the road (and the sky above!)
There is a catch though. Should it break, locally housed stock will have to be sent to an approved fitment centre for fitment. But because it has a value of approximately R7 500, the replacement cost will affect your insurance premiums and, more than likely, the amount of excess needed to be settled.
Anyway, the C3’s superb ride quality; steering feel and gearbox shift quality makes up for this potential snag and easily matches anything else in this segment. Some might argue they’re class-leading attributes. And they’d have a strong case. Additionally, while the C3 is one of the smaller vehicles in its segment where length is concerned, some clever design features, such as the recessed cubby, gives the C3 a 300 litre boot (complete with full-sized steel spare on 1.4 Attraction and 1.4 VTi Attraction models) and more than enough rear legroom.
A standout feature on all models is the flat-bottomed, multi-function steering wheel which is also quite thick-rimmed and meaty. Specification is not as all-encompassing as something like Hyundai’s i20 (priced from R149 900), but there are a few niceties worth mentioning, particularly higher up in the range, such as Bluetooth connectivity, Alcantara seats (1.6 Exclusive only) and 16-inch alloys.
The omission of ESP entirely might raise a few eyebrows, although motoring hacks will in all likelihood find this more disconcerting than Joe Public.
The four model range is powered by either a 1.4 litre (54kW on the entry-level Attraction, 70kW in VTi derivatives) or 1.6 litre petrol engine (88kW) that meet Euro V emissions standards.
A diesel engine could be added to the line-up at a later stage, but for now, both petrols are mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox only.
The base model’s less potent engine is untested by us, but it may be a bit lacklustre if the 70kW versions we did drive are anything to go by, as they provided decent, if not punchy, acceleration. On this evidence, I’d have to pick the nippy 1.6VTi Exclusive as the model to go for, budget allowing.
As for the entry-level model, we’re happy to see from its spec sheet that ABS, EBD and EBA, two airbags, remote central locking, air conditioning and electric front windows are all standard .
Overall, the C3 is an attractive newcomer that will probably appeal to the young and hip buyer who is not limited by a strict budget or conservative nature.
C3 range:
1.4 Attraction (54kW) R159 900
1.4 VTi Attraction+ (70kW) R174 900
1.4 VTi Seduction (70kW) R189 900
1.6 VTi Exclusive (88kW) R202 000
Citroën’s C3 is sold with a 3yr/100 000km warranty and 4yr/60 000km service plan.
