New Citroen C3


The new Citroen C3 will continue to focus on practicality and comfort when it makes its debut this summer, ahead of sales starting in the autumn.

Several key design cues of the new C3 are visible. It’s wider and lower than the conservatively styled vehicle it replaces, although it’s roughly the same length, at just under four metres.

The headlamps and front grille feature an even more extreme take on the slimline treatment already seen on the C4 Picasso and C4 Cactus, but the rear is more traditional, with lights that look relatively close in principle to those on the DS 3. 


The new C3 rally car is a five-door, and its roadgoing cousin – which has carried the codename B618 during its development – is expected to be offered only in that configuration, thanks to declining sales of three-door hatchbacks across Europe. It also reflects the fact that the C3 will have to be successful in a wider range of markets if it’s to help Citroen’s stated goal of increased sales from fewer product lines.

Expect the C3’s cabin to build on the ‘sophisticated simplicity’ of the C4 Cactus’, with the same straps for door handles and a top-opening glovebox, yet with improved materials throughout. It’s likely to get an updated infotainment system, too, as Citroen tries to deliver ‘360-degree comfort’ that goes beyond suspension settings and seat padding to include everything from everyday usability to the buying process.


The engine line-up will include the latest versions of PSA’s 1.0 and 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol motors, with the second of those units likely to be offered in few different of states of tune. PSA’s BlueHDi 1.6 diesel will be the most efficient engine in the line-up, with at least two different power outputs and claimed CO2 emissions of less than 90g/km.

At the top of the range, there should be a ‘warm’ performance version – the closest thing to a hot Citroen since the DS 3 was launched back in 2010. It’s likely to get a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, although its power output will be some way short of the 197 bhp in the 208.

The C3 isn’t understood to be one of the seven plug-in hybrids and four electric cars that PSA plans to launch before 2021. These more expensive powertrains are likely to be reserved for larger vehicles, potentially delivering four-wheel drive on SUVs through electric motors on the rear wheels.