Citroen C3 1.6HDi Review
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With its curvy styling, Peugeot Citroen's C3 supermini broke the mould and became a big seller. But it is Citroen's latest 1.6-litre HDi diesel engine that makes our heart beat a little faster.
Boasting a near-Prius 64mpg, the C3's engine is perfect for the stop-start urban grind. It will tug along at a respectable pace and, for a diesel, is refined to boot. Plus, its emissions rating is an admirable 118g/km. Diesel obviously has its attendant problems local pollution in the forms of nitrous oxides and particulates, but the green win here is on the carbon-cutting fuel economy.
Driving dynamics are often overlooked in favour of practicality, but the C3 rides the bumps well and is a game cross-country companion. Visibility is also good, thanks to the lofty driving position and acres of glass. Firm, progressive brakes handle stopping, but it's the steering that's the star. Electrically assisted, the helm is nice and meaty at speed but, for parking and pottering, it is fingertip-light and makes squeezing into tight spaces a breeze.
Aside from performance, design plays a huge part in this car's appeal -- it looks like the designers threw out all their rulers as even the bottom edge of the side windows rises up from the door in a carefree, funky way. In profile, the C3's roof is one long sweeping arc from the bottom of the windscreen to its rear bumper, and the bonnet gently slopes down to meet the car's broad, slatted grille. The high rear bumper line hints at an easy-to-load boot.
The C3's front seats get plenty of room, but space is in short supply at the back
Inside, we like that the curvy dash on the passenger's side is sculpted to allow for valuable legroom. The centre console is all rounded corners and easy-to-reach oval buttons, while the circular air vents must have been plundered from a passing spaceship. Even the steering wheel is organically styled, and is reminiscent of the firm's old DS and GSA models.
Unfortunately, rear legroom isn't as plentiful, but short city hops shouldn't make back seat passengers too grumpy. Even with a five-seat layout, there's no problem with the cabin's ergonomics -- fabrics are plush and comfy and the digital instruments are easy to read.
Citroen's innovative 'Moduboard' takes space management a step further. The idea is to make it easier to manage the load in the boot. There's a flat load bay to help you avoid back-breaking work, and you can fold it away or use it as a partition to transform the ultra-deep boot into a black hole. It's a nice touch, especially when you want to keep valuables out of sight.
With various trim levels and a decent spread of equipment, including all the safety kit we've come to expect these days, the C3 is an accomplished performer. It easily fulfils the practical hatch brief, and adds some much needed style to the efficient motoring landscape.
Aside from the actual car, how does parent company PSA Peugeot Citroen fare in our green eyes? Very well, on the whole. You can get an overview of the firm's efforts on its dedicated sustainability site, but the headline goodness in our eyes is Citroen winning a green fleet award in 2007 for low CO2 emissions across its range, the locally produced aspect -- the cars are made just outside Paris -- and the way its UK dealerships recycle oil, tyres and metal as a matter of course.
Ethics look okay, too, with the Aulnay factory near Paris complying with France's strict worker-friendly laws and the UN's declaration of rights at work too. One black mark here stems from the 2006 controversy of PSA Peugeot Citroen-owned parts company Faurecia. The subsidary's boss resigned because of allegedly paying bribes to German car companies. Fortunately, that incident is beginning to look like one rotten apple in the barrel, as no similar stories have come to light subsequently.
The only other drama Peugot's been through was a string of suicides at its Mulhouse assembly plant in France -- six in 2007 -- which French labour unions have said was because of tough labour conditions at Peugot. We would hope that Peugot's labour laws would protect against this kind of thing, and indeed, it's difficult to make a judgement based on what could have been bad luck.
Ultimately, this specific car is a surprisingly fun and fairly green diesel -- it's definitely worth a test drive if you're in the market for a small family car.
Edited by Marian Smith
Quality
Value
Ethics
Green
